IT'S NOT A CARD GAME: WHAT'S AT STAKE IN UKRAINE

NOE URGES VOTERS TO CONSIDER QUALIFICATIONS, ASKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT TODAY

By Noe Garza

I am deeply grateful to the voters of Cameron County for the support and confidence you showed in the Democratic Party primary election earlier this year.

In a three-candidate race, I was honored to finish first. I am humbled by the trust so many of you have placed in me.

I also want to recognize Erin Hernandez Garcia. This was a clean and respectful race. I have great respect for her as a lawyer, as a professional and as a human being. It was truly an honor to share this race with her.

Today we move forward to the early-voting in the Nov. 3 general election. I humbly ask you to please come out and vote for me again.

If elected, Cameron County would make history. I would become the first district judge in our county’s history who was born in Mexico as well as bringing nearly 40 years of legal experience to the bench.

Early voting runs from October 19 through October 30 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Election Day is November 3.  
 

Please consider sharing this post so we can reach more voters across Cameron County.
Thank you again for your trust and support.

DR. LAURA: IT'S NOT GOSSIP, OR MUDSLINGING, ERIN'S RECORD SPEAKS FOR ITSELF

THE RECORD SPEAKS FOR ITSELF:

Key Votes Affecting Our Children, Families, and Taxpayers 

Voters deserve to know how their elected representatives vote on issues that affect their families, their children, and their community. The following votes are part of Representative Erin Gámez’s legislative record. How Erin Gámez Voted 1. 

SB 14 (2023) — VOTED NO Ban gender-transition surgeries, medications, and other medical treatments for minors. 

2. SB 15 (2023) — VOTED NO Keep biological males out of women’s college sports. 

3. HB 900 (2023) — VOTED NO Restrict sexually explicit books in public-school libraries. 

4. SB 12 (2023) — VOTED NO Restrict sexually oriented drag queen performances in the presence of minors. 

5. SB 17 (2023) — VOTED NO Ban diversity, equity, and inclusion offices and certain DEI practices at public universities. 

6. SB 763 (2023) — VOTED NO Allow public schools to employ or accept volunteer chaplains. 

7. SB 13 (2025) — VOTED NO Restrict inappropriate books and strengthen school-library review rules. 

8. HB 1106 (2025) — VOTED NO Protect parents from being classified as abusive or neglectful solely for refusing to affirm a child’s gender identity. 

9. HB 229 (2025) — VOTED NO Define biological sex for certain government records. 

10. SB 33 (2025) — VOTED NO Restrict the use of taxpayer-funded government resources to help people obtain abortions, including certain travel and support services. 

11. HB 3104 (2023) — VOTED YES Provide qualifying data-center projects with a sales-tax exemption for up to 20 years. 

Accountability in Austin During the August 2025 quorum walkout over congressional redistricting, Representative Erin Gámez left Texas with other lawmakers. She was assessed $6,961.88 in fines and related expenses for her 10 unexcused absences. 

Voters deserve to know how their representatives vote and how those decisions affect our children, families, and taxpayers. 

VOTES HAVE CONSEQUENCES. Brownsville deserves accountability, transparency, and leadership that puts our community first. Vote for Dr. Laura!

EARLY VOTING STARTS: WILL WE ELECT A PROVEN ADMINISTRATOR WITH INTEGRITY FOR COUNTY JUDGE, OR ONE WITH A CARTEL-LINKED PEDIGREE?

Special to El Rrun-Rrun
U.S. Dept. of Justice
Reforma

Various Sources

Today – as early voting starts for the Nov. 3 election – Cameron County voters are facing a watershed moment in their selection of county judge.

Will they elect Steve Guerra, the Democratic candidate with familial links to the Gulf Cartel, or will they repeat what they have done at least four other times and elect his Republican opponent – this time Mauro Garza – instead?

The Republicans were Tony Garza Jr., who was elected two times and went on to become Texas Secretary of State and then U.S. embassador to Mexico. Cascos was elected twice and followed Garza by being appointed as Texas SOS. Could history repeat itself?

Guerra beat incumbent Eddie Treviño after a nasty internecine Democratic Party runoff where his anonymous proxies used misinformation and innuendo charging Trevino sold Boca Chica Beach to SpaceX's Elon Musk, that he received shady under-the-table construction contracts, and pictured him as a rodent, or a "rata."

He is now calling upon his opponent and those of his followers he maligned for party "unity" to face his opponent Garza in the November 3 general election. Is this a case where party loyalty demands too much?

In contrast, Garza's campaign for his party's nomination refrained from maligning his competition and urges putting "county before party and people before politics."

But it is Guerra's Gulf Cartel connection that should give county voters cause for concern. This is not hearsay. It is documented across genealogy, court cases citation, and U.S. Department of Justice cases,  evidence, and press statements.

There is no dispute or cause for defamation or libel (the truth is its own defense against libel) to say that Guerra: 

GRANDFATHER WAS FOUNDER OF GULF CARTEL

* Is the grandson of Cartel del Golfo founder Juan N. Guerra, whose criminal organization was headquartered in Matamoros and northern Tamaulipas and used violence and coercion to gain control of smuggling routes and bribed officials at every level of government. (That's Don Juan in the white hat and Juan Abrego Garcia standing with a white Styrofoam cup in his hand). Rivals were eliminated.

HIS FATHER UNCLE OF JUAN GARCIA ABREGO, RUTHLESS GULF CARTEL BOSS 

* That Steve Guerra's father is the uncle of  Juan Abrego Garcia, who took over the Gulf Cartel after Juan N. Guerra retired and passed away.
García Abrego was convicted on 22 counts including money laundering, drug trafficking, intent to distribute and running an ongoing criminal enterprise. After a four-week trial, a jury needed only 12 hours to convict García Abrego on all charges. He was sentenced by the presiding judge to 11 consecutive life terms, and is currently incarcerated at the United States Penitentiary, Florence, ADMAX, (commonly known as ADX Florence) in Florence, Colorado. His rivals were often eliminated.

HIS AUNT SANDRA MEDINA GUERRA: PRICE FIXING, CONSPIRACY TO MONOPOLIZE

* That Steve is the nephew of Sandra Guerra Medina, who pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to fix prices and allocate the market for transmigrante forwarding agency services and one count of conspiracy to monopolize the same market. Guerra also agreed to pay fines as part of their plea agreements. According to the DOJ of the Southern District of Texas, Guerra was involved in a long-running and violent conspiracy which involved price fixing, extortion and money laundering. She joined seven others who also entered guilty pleas for their various roles in a scheme to monopolize the transmigrante forwarding agency industry in the Los Indios border region near Harlingen and Brownsville.

Some of their rivals and transmigrantes who did not comply with their enforced monopoly disappeared and were eliminated.

STEVE'S OWN LINKS TO CARTEL HUACHICOL

Yes, you may say, Steve Guerra's kin is involved in cartel-linked enterprises, but you should not visit the sins of the father upon the son. That is, until, you see that Steve himself did business with his Warrior's Fuel Traders LLC that purchased $100,000s, more likely millions, of fuel in the United States and shipped them to Mexico to corporations that have been identified as engaging in fiscal huachicol through criminal cartels. A full search for the record of those transactions is currently underway.

After months of denying any link between him and the importation of petroleum products into Mexico, documentation from the Mexican government, the Texas secretary of State, state district court records, and federal sources have  linked Brownsville Navigation District chairman Steve Guerra directly to shipments between his Warrior Fuel Traders Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) and Pyrodiesel Del Cento SA de CV, named by the Federal Criminal Intelligence Center of Mexico as a principal in the smuggling of fuel by the Mexican cartels.

Guerra was first elected to the BND board in 2018 and appointed chair in 2022. He was reappointed to the position in May 2024. He beat Trevino in the Democratic Party runoff and is running against Mauro Garza in the general election this November 3.

A lawsuit in state court outlined a debt of Guerra's LLC of non-payment to Key Performance Petroleum Company of Navasota, Texas in just a month.

7

In that lawsuit, Key Performance president Mark Jackson filed an affidavit October 26, 2022 in support of his company's lawsuit demanding payment of an outstanding balance of $333,484.47 and attached copies of 24 invoices totaling shipments of diesel and other petroleum products they had shipped at Warrior Fuel Traders' request over a a month's period in 2020 that had not been paid. Guerra was served the next day, October 27.

Before that, Warrior Fuels had been doing business for close to two years. Key Performance local agent Lindsay Clark, of Brownsville, was named as the local seller.

In Cause No: 2022-DCL-05154-I plaintiff Key Performance lists a systematic record of transactions that made up the outstanding balance of Warrior Fuel Traders, LLC.

Government investigations revealed that Warrior Fuel Traders/Steve Guerra was in direct business with Pyrodiesel Del Cento SA de CV. Pyrodiesel has been named as a principal in fuel smuggling activities (huachicol) of petroleum by the Federal Criminal Intelligence Center of Mexico. https://es-us.noticias.yahoo.com/huachicoleros-controlaban-puertos-pa%C3%ADs-060000638.html

Invoices to Warrior Fuel Traders from Key Performance indicate the diesel and petroleum products were shipped through Eagle Pass, Texas and delivered to Pyrodiesel. The Warrior Fuel Traders LLC was registered with the Texas Secretary Of State April 13, 2020 and its certification was forfeited June 24, 2022.

"The identification of the modus operandi: First modus operandi, the fuel is purchased in the United States and then imported into Mexico, where it is sold to various companies. These companies are responsible for distributing it through marketing and transportation companies, selling the fuel at a lower price than the one established in the national market.

"To this end, they use cloned gasoline and diesel import declarations to simulate the legal origin of the hydrocarbons, allowing them to legitimize the multiple sales they make," the Federal Center for Criminal Intelligence (FGR) analysis details.

As you step in line to vote, you, the voter, will decide who to entrust with the future of their families and the welfare of Cameron County.

EARLY VOTING DECISION: CHENTE, WHO SUPPORTS VETERANS; OR RUBBER-STAMP FLORES, WHO ABANDONED THEM, AND WANTS TWO MORE YEARS OF TRUMP'S CONTROL OF THE HOUSE?

 

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

A good commander stands with his troops through thick and thin.
He doesn't just stand there with his mouth shut when their service is attacked and disparaged.

And yet, Eric Flores, the Trump-endorsed candidate in the Nov. 3 election for U.S. House D-34 who touts his military service in the Texas National Guard – albeit with no documentation of it produced so far – has done just that.

After a ceremony in 2018 where Captain Luis Avila — a severely wounded Army officer originally from neighboring Louisiana — sang “God Bless America," Trump took the perfunctory photo-op with the wheelchair-bound veteran, and then privately told then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, “Why do you bring people like that here? No one wants to see that, the wounded.”

Flores remained silent and said nothing.

In September 2020 the Atlantic journalist Jeffrey Goldberg published an article citing sources who claimed that Trump referred to the American war dead at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris as "losers" and "suckers." And Flores – who claims he was a military leader in his campaign literature – said nothing.

On July 17, an air base in Jordan came under attack by an Iranian missile and killed four soldiers at the base. One soldier, Isabella Gonzales, was killed as were Staff Sgt. Angel Rampersad, 28, of Queens, Tyler Feehan, and Michael Swinton.

Chavelita Gonzales grew up in Carrollton, Texas, near Ft. Worth. She graduated from Hebron High School in the spring of 2025 and enlisted in the Army soon after. She finished basic training in December, joined an air defense unit in Germany, and shipped out to an air base in Jordan.

After the strike, Trump posted in his Truth Social: "Every time Iran kills an American Soldier they will pay for that killing many times over!"

Within a week, Peter Hegseth's Pentagon pulled all four of them off the Iran war's official list of the dead and filed them under a separate heading, "Overseas Operations." A spokesman blamed a "temporary data disruption." Then the story changed. The government now says they died during a ceasefire. 

In other words, according to Trump and Hegseth, the soldiers' death – including our own Chavelita – didn't count, effectively denying the soldiers' families military death benefits.

And Flores? Again, he said nothing.

And when the Trump Administration continues to deny and cut veterans' health benefits for those who served from South Texas, who will stand up to him and say "No!" Not Flores, you can rest assured.

The same happened when Trump kicked 600,000 South Texans of their health insurance in Budget FY 2020. 

And he says nothing of the MAGA republicans plans to gut Social Security and Medicaid which will hurt the low-income residents of D-34 disproportionately. If Flores is elected, we will have a congressman who will be nothing more than a  rubber stamp for Trump and the MAGA agenda.

Voting for Rubber Stamp Eric is the same thing as voting for the Trump agenda for two more years.  Hell no! Vote for Vicente Gonzalez. 

GINA, ABBOTT IN VIRTUAL DEAD HEAT; SOME POLLS FAVOR HER AS EARLY VOTING STARTS TODAY. GO GIRL, GOT YOUR BACK!

Team Gina

Two new polls just came out showing me ahead of Greg Abbott by 1-2 points.

That’s the fifth and sixth poll in the last month to show us leading this race. Not tied. Ahead.

If you’d told me a year ago, when we launched this campaign, that we’d be here, I’m not sure I would have believed you. But here we are, and it’s because of people like you.

Here’s what the numbers tell me:

Texans know Greg Abbott, and they’re tired of him. 52% of likely voters view him unfavorably, and only 44% favorably. After more than a decade of corruption that’s left Texas families to fend for themselves, voters across the political spectrum are ready for change.

And the more Texans get to know me, the more they like what they see. My name ID has jumped to 79% in just the last few weeks, and I’m still viewed favorably by a 12-point margin (45% to 33%), even after Abbott has spent millions attacking me.

Here is a closer look at the poll and other recent October polls. Greg Abbott, Gina Hinojosa statistically tied in Texas governor's race The ReconMR Texas Poll surveyed 617 Texas likely voters and has an overall margin of error of 4.4 percentage points. 

The poll found that both candidates hold their partisan bases, with Abbott leading Republicans 92% to 5% and Hinojosa leading Democrats 94% to 2%. 

Hinojosa leads likely independents 57% to 34%.

Together, we’ve turned this race from a long shot into a dead heat. A few months ago, people said we’d never get this close to taking Texas back. Now we’re on the edge of making history.

But Abbott knows it too. He’s raised more than $141 million in this campaign and already spent over $120 million of it trying to stop us. He still has $17 million left to spend on false attack ads right as voting begins. The undecided voters who will decide this race are about to be buried in them, and we need to make sure they hear from us too.

If you’ve been meaning to give, now is the time. Can you make your first gift before early voting starts so we can stay on the air in the final weeks? 

A NOT-SO-GENTLE REMINDER: WE AIM TO PLEASE, YOU AIM, TOO, PLEASE, AT THE "TOLIET"

Ed.'s Note: We're pretty sure that few – if any – of our readers can guess where this photo was taken in Brownsville. One of our seven readers who sent the photo would only say that it is one of the few cantinillas left in the city, but said it was nowhere near the Pablo Kiel strip favored by the younger fresa crowd. In reality, we really don't want to find out. Apuntale al toliet, ese!)

MAURO GARZA: NOTHING TO HIDE, NO PROMISED JOBS OR SPECIAL FAVORS LIKE STEVE GUERRA IS DOING

TIDBITS:

*I have not accepted donations from county vendors

* It's no secret that my opponent (Steve Guerra) has promised the same position to at least five people

* It is essential for the county to maintain its employees' institutional knowledge

* My campaign report is available to anyone

YOU'LL PAY THE PIPER UNTIL AFTER THEY GET YOUR VOTE...

THE SILVER LINING: TRUMPS IS AN EQUAL OPORTUNITY OFFENDER

AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH THAT SERVES REPUBLICANS BEST UNTIL AFTER THE MIDTERMS...

Bloomberg reported that top Pentagon officials have expressed their intention to hold off on releasing an internal report into the attack on a school in southern Iran until after the U.S. midterm elections at the earliest. 

The U.S. bombing of the Shajareh Tayyebeh children's school in the city of Minab on February 28, the first day of the war on Iran, killed at least 156 people — 120 of the victims were children, 26 were teachers, and the rest were parents.

Gloria Sage

Gee, I guess we can surmise what is in the report by their actions.

Audrey Davenport

Innocent people don't hide the facts.

ANTI-VICENTE GONZALEZ ADS: "A GIRL'S LOCKER ROOM SHOULD BE A SAFE PLACE..."

 

...AND THE MAGA HYPOCRISY WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR GREAT LEADER

 

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

The Howard Stern Show (2005): Trump stated he enters backstage dressing rooms during prep because as owner he is "inspecting" the contestants.

Former Contestant Accounts: Several women who competed in Miss USA and Miss Teen USA accused Trump of walking into dressing rooms while they were undressed.

At least four women who competed in a Miss Teen USA beauty pageant told BuzzFeed News that Donald Trump walked into their dressing room while the contestants as young as 15 were undressing.

(Meanwhile, Republican PACs are flooding your televsion market with dark insinuations against incumbent Democrat Vicente "Chente" Gonzalez, right.)

Mariah Billado, the former Miss Vermont Teen USA, tells Buzzfeed that the now 70-year-old Republican presidential candidate caused a panic in the dressing room of the 1997 pageant when he barged in unannounced as the young women were changing.

However, she says Trump shrugged off the intrusion, saying something along the lines of: “Don’t worry, ladies, I’ve seen it all before.”

A MOTH TO BEHOLD: ANYBODY KNOW WHAT KIND IS IT?

(Ed.'s Note: We received a photo of a large colorful moth from one of our seven readers who said it was perched on a large plate glass window of a local laundromat on Jaime Zapata Road (Coffeeport) Saturday morning. If you will notice, the four leaf-shaped spots on tis wings are transluscent and you can see the pattern of the glass through them. They say that everything in nature exists for a reason, but we are at a loss to explain what purpose the clear spots. It was about four to five inches across its wingspan. The closest we could come is a picture of an Atlas moth that resembles it somewhat. Can anyone out there share any light on this specimen?). 

SUDDENLY, ERIC FLORES WANTS TRUMP'S ENDORSEMENT SIGNS REMOVED

By Matthew Chapman

Raw Story

Texas Republican congressional candidate Eric Flores is demanding the removal of a Brownsville billboard that highlights his President Donald Trump endorsement and support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, The Washington Sun reported on Friday, though his campaign says its objection is to the sign’s look rather than its message.

In an Oct. 12 cease-and-desist letter, Flores campaign lawyer Eric Wang told Lamar Advertising of the Rio Grande Valley to pull the digital sign right away. The letter says the billboard deliberately copies the style of Flores’ campaign materials “to cause voter confusion,” and that it “fraudulently purports to be on behalf of” the campaign.

The billboard’s fine print says it was paid for by the campaign of Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, Flores’ opponent in Texas’ 34th Congressional District. The letter instead identifies the Northern Cameron County Democrats as the payer. That group and Lamar didn’t respond to The Sun’s requests for comment, and Gonzalez’s campaign said the sign remained up Friday.

Nothing in the letter disputes Trump’s backing of Flores, who received the president’s “complete and total endorsement” in December, or his support for ICE. Flores spokesperson Matt Brownfield said the issue is deception.

“It is designed, on purpose, to cause people to think that it comes from the Flores Campaign. It is deceptive on its face. It is a scam.”

The Texas Observer reported this month that Flores’ signs have de-emphasized the Trump endorsement, part of a broader trend of Republicans scrubbing Trump from campaign materials. Gonzalez’s campaign said Flores is “ashamed” of the president and the ICE raids and skipped a debate. BOLD PAC, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ campaign arm, said he’s now “paying lawyers to hide it.”

After Trump won the district in 2024, it was redrawn as part of Texas Republicans’mid-decade gerrymander to try to make it even more favorable to them. Trump would have carried it by about 10 points under the new lines, though the Cook Political Report rates the race a tossup.

TRUMP'S DIESEL TREASON BY ANY OTHER NAME IS STILL THE SAME...

By Allen Rappeport

New York Times

President Trump signed an executive order on Friday night exempting Russia from a new sanctions measure that Congress passed last month, offering another economic lifeline to Russian President Vladimir V. Putin as the United States turns to Russia for help in lowering gas prices.

The sanctions were intended to target Russian officials, oligarchs and financial institutions, and were part of a law that was named after Senator Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican who died in July after spending more than a year building support for the measure.

The law, which is intended to squeeze the financial lifelines sustaining Russia’s war against Ukraine, also provided Mr. Trump with additional tariff authority that he could use to punish countries that continue to trade with Russia.

The White House has broad authority to issue sanctions exemptions or waivers, and the new law requires Mr. Trump to notify Congress only if he opts against imposing the economic restrictions on Russia. Two days before the law is set to take effect, Mr. Trump exercised that power.

“I am hereby waiving the application of such sanctions, restrictions and duties provided for in the Graham Act,” Mr. Trump said in the order. “I have submitted to the Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver at this time is in the national interests of the United States.”

The order does not explain why waiving the sanctions is in the interests of the United States or what rationale Mr. Trump is providing to Congress for the waivers.

The decision comes as Mr. Trump has in recent weeks embraced Russia and expressed frustration that Ukraine’s attacks on Russian refineries were helping to push up gasoline and diesel prices around the world. The biggest factor limiting supplies, though, remains the war in Iran.

"The main issue is still the Strait of Hormuz — that there is not enough diesel coming out of the Strait of Hormuz,” said Sarah Raffou, an oil product analyst at Argus Media.

The price increases have triggered inflation weeks ahead of midterm elections that could cost Republicans control of Congress. Ukraine said it was willing to halt its refinery strikes if Russia halted its own attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Mr. Putin refused.

Mr. Trump announced last week that he had reached a deal with Mr. Putin, and that the United States would begin importing Russian diesel fuel. The Treasury Department temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian diesel exports “to allow the supply of Russian diesel to the global market,” and gave Russian energy producers a general license to sell diesel fuel until April.

That decision angered President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, and drew backlash from European officials. This week, bipartisan group of senators urged Mr. Trump to reverse the sanctions waiver on diesel fuel.

BROWNSVILLE: WHO WILL HAVE MORE CONTROL — CITY HALL OR THE PEOPLE?

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

Brownsville residents will vote on 15 changes to the City Charter. Before voting, everyone should understand not only what these propositions promise, but who will have the authority once they’re approved.

Here is what the propositions say and where the power would remain.

PROPOSITION A — REMOVING COMMISSIONERS

Commissioners could automatically lose office for certain violations, including missing too many meetings, felony convictions, or prohibited financial interests.
This creates consequences for elected officials. However, the Commission would still have authority over excusing certain meeting absences.

PROPOSITION B — CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS

Certain criminal convictions could lead to a recall election, but first a district judge would determine whether the offense involves moral turpitude.
If the judge makes that determination, a recall election would be required. The voters, not the commissioners, would decide whether to remove the official.

PROPOSITION C — OWING MONEY TO THE CITY

Candidates and officeholders would be required not to be personally delinquent on city taxes or other city liabilities.
This places another requirement on elected officials.

PROPOSITION D — PAY RAISES

The proposed annual salaries are:
Mayor: $62,500
Commissioners: $50,000 each

These increases would apply to people elected for the first time after the amendment takes effect, not those currently serving. Where is the public explanation of the total annual cost to taxpayers?

PROPOSITION E — CITY SECRETARY

Establishes the City Secretary’s responsibilities and authority in the Charter.
This concerns the administration of city government, including official records and Commission proceedings. The public would not directly elect the City Secretary.

PROPOSITION F — CITY AUDITOR

Establishes the City Auditor’s duties and authority, including financial, compliance, performance, and investigative audits.
The amendment also addresses appointment and removal of the auditor.
The question is whether the full rules provide enough independence for the auditor to investigate city officials without interference.

PROPOSITION G — CITY HIRING

Requires city employees and appointed officials to be selected based on merit.
The actual hiring decisions would remain within city government, subject to the new requirement.

PROPOSITION H — AUDIT OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE

Expands the committee from five to seven members.
Who appoints the members? The City Commission.

Commissioners would nominate people to fill vacancies, and the Commission would make the appointments.
The committee provides oversight, but commissioners would continue to control its appointments.

PROPOSITION I — OUTSIDE AUDITORS

Gives the Audit and Oversight Committee authority to hire and terminate outside auditors and advisors and approve their services and fees.
This gives the committee additional authority rather than requiring the Commission to make those particular hiring decisions.

PROPOSITION J — CAMPAIGN MONEY

Promises campaign contribution limits, financial disclosures, and penalties.
But who would establish the actual local rules? The City Commission.
Voters are not being given the dollar limits in the proposition itself.
The Commission would enact the regulations later, within state and federal law.

PROPOSITION K — ETHICS BOARD

Promises an Ethics Board and rules governing conflicts of interest.
But who is required to create the board and adopt the Ethics Code? The City Commission.

The ballot description doesn’t tell residents who would appoint board members, how independent the board would be, or exactly what enforcement powers it would have.
These are important questions when the rules are supposed to hold elected officials accountable.

PROPOSITION L — CITIZENS MAKING LAWS

Residents could collect signatures from at least 10% of registered city voters to propose an ordinance.
If the Commission refuses to pass it as proposed, the people could vote on it.
But after two years, the City Commission could amend or repeal that voter-approved ordinance.
So residents would gain a new way to pass ordinances, but the Commission would retain the authority to change them after two years.

PROPOSITION M — CITIZENS CHALLENGING CITY LAWS

Residents could petition to have certain city ordinances submitted to voters.
This would give citizens a new referendum right.
But here’s what people need to understand:

Even after residents approve an ordinance through a referendum, the City Commission could amend or repeal it after just SIX MONTHS.
The public would gain a voice through the referendum, but the result would not be permanently protected from future Commission action.

PROPOSITION N — LOCAL JOBS AND CONTRACTS

Creates requirements and guidelines intended to support local hiring and opportunities for Brownsville businesses on city-funded contracts.
City government would still administer procurement and enforce the applicable requirements.
The amendment would not guarantee that all contracts go to local businesses or that all workers hired are Brownsville residents.

PROPOSITION O — CHANGING THE CITY CHARTER

Would update or eliminate outdated language and provisions superseded by state law across several articles of the Charter.
Residents should be able to see exactly what language is being deleted and what is replacing it.

NOW LOOK AT WHO RETAINS AUTHORITY.

Under these proposals:The City Commission would establish the campaign finance regulations.
The City Commission would adopt the Ethics Code and create the Ethics Board.
The City Commission would appoint the expanded Audit and Oversight Committee.
The City Commission could amend or repeal citizen-initiated ordinances after two years.
The City Commission could amend or repeal referendum-adopted ordinances after six months.

Other proposals would create additional accountability requirements, auditing authority, and new rights for residents. The public deserves to understand both sides of these changes: what authority citizens gain and what authority City Hall keeps.

These are changes to the City Charter, not ordinary resolutions. They would govern Brownsville beyond the current administration. Read each proposition. Understand who makes the rules, who enforces them, and who can change them later.

Early voting: October 19–30, 2026

Election Day: November 3, 2026

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY RESULTS SHOWS GUERRA IS UNPOPULAR WITHIN HIS OWN PARTY..."

TIDBITS: 

* Steve Guerra barely beat former sheriff Eric Garza in the Democratic primary – despite Garza not campaigning – and being put in the race by Guerra to split the vote and get in a  runoff with incumbent Eddie Treviño (70 percent of Democrats voted against Guerra in primary).

* Mauro Garza received more votes in his party's primary than either Guerra or Eric Garza did in theirs

WHAT DR. LAURA BRINGS TO THE TABLE: FIGHTING FOR BROWNSVILLE

  

By Dr. Laura E. Cisneros

FIGHTING FOR BROWNSVILLE’S FUTURE

As Your State Representative for Texas HD-38, I Will… 

 1. STRENGTHEN EDUCATION Fight for better educational opportunities for our children, support students with learning disabilities, including dyscalculia, and expand vocational training and dual-enrollment opportunities to prepare students for successful careers.

 2. IMPROVE ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE Work to improve access to affordable healthcare, support community clinics, and address the healthcare needs of families, seniors, and underserved residents. 

3. FIGHT FOR FAIR PROPERTY TAXES Work toward meaningful property-tax reform, greater transparency, and fairer treatment of property owners facing rising appraisals, penalties, and interest on delinquent taxes. 

 4. ADDRESS ROADS AND DRAINAGE Push for improvements to roads, highways, and drainage infrastructure to reduce flooding, improve safety, and address long-standing problems affecting Brownsville neighborhoods. 

 

5. CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR JOBS AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT Promote career and technical education, apprenticeships, and workforce training that prepare our young people for good-paying jobs connected to the Port of Brownsville, industry, and emerging economic opportunities. And for those who want to retrain in various fields. 

 6. PROTECT CHILDREN, PARENTAL RIGHTS, AND PUBLIC SAFETY Stand with law enforcement and first responders, protect children from harmful influences, defend parents’ rights to participate in decisions affecting their children, and support policies that keep our schools and communities safe.  

 Brownsville deserves leadership focused on real issues and real solutions. I will bring my experience as a physician, my commitment to public service, and my determination to fight for the people of House District 38. 

Thank you for your consideration. 

 Sincerely, Dr. Laura E. Cisneros

INTERVIEW: WHO WILL VOTERS TRUST WITH OUR COUNTY'S FUTURE?

TIDBITS: 

*Democratic candidate for Cameron County judge Steve Guerra called Garza to see if he could get him to stay out of the race so he could be the only candidate on the Republican ballot

*Guerra sought contact with Project RedTex, a Republican PAC, to explore getting their support

THE ANGST OF THE TRUMP YEARS: HOW MUCH IS THE PRICE OF GAS?

 

Used to be that when I got up

I asked the wife

How's the weather

Now I get up and ask

Whether the Strait of Hormuz is open today

Or if Ukraine has fallen yet

Or if tomatoes are still high

Did we bomb refugees in Gaza last night?

Again?

And launch starships to Mars?

And what is the price of gas?

Avocados?

Or should I just roll over and go back to sleep

Hoping the nightmare will be over

If I don't wake up

IS STEVE GUERRA (A) D.I.N.0., (B) A R.I.N.O., OR (C) NONE OF THE ABOVE?

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

Is Steve Guerra...

(A) DINO (Democrat In Name Only)

(B) RINO (Republican In Name Only)

(C) None (or both) of the above

Answer: Probably C, or something close.

As early voting approaches for the Nov. 3 general election, Democratic Party candidate for Cameron County Judge Steve Guerra has taken to the social media air waves with a message of Democratic unity, kumbaya, and brotherhood to party loyalists to defeat Republican Party banner holder Mauro Garza.

It happens almost every election cycle. The Democrats draw blood among each other in the March party primary, then spend the rest of the year between the primary and the November election courting the support of their social media victims asking them to join hands and to let bygones be bygones.

At least, that's the way it is supposed to happen.

But Cameron County is different. 

This is a county that went rouge in at least four past elections by electing a Republican county judge – two times for Tony Garza and twice for Carlos Cascos – since 1988 when Garza was first elected with the support of Democrat county commissioners. In that time, curiously, they accomplished this in four elections when the rest of the county's elected offices down the ballot went traditionally blue wave for the democrats. 

Party lines become blurred, and even more so if the primary blood letting becomes too vicious. The Republican Party mascot may be the elephant, but Democrats also have long memories and sometimes are unwilling to forget perceived offenses if they feel that their opponents' attacks go beyond the red line of party civility and competitiveness.

Take, for example, recent assertions by Mauro Garza, Guerra's opponent in the county judge's race, that the Democrat sought

 him out inquiring whether Garza, a Republican, would consider withdrawing from his party's primary so that Guerra could run unopposed in that party's primary without having to campaign against incumbent Eddie Treviño in the Democratic Party primary. When that failed and Garza would not withdraw, Guerra resorted to a stand-by option of running former county district clerk and sheriff Eric Garza as a "stalking horse" in the Democratic Party primary to draw enough votes from Treviño and force a runoff which he won.

Even then, Guerra garnered only 30 percent of the votes cast in the primary, Garza got a close 26 percent, and Treviño another 44 percent. In other words, 70 percent of the primary voters cast their ballots against Guerra, but Garza drew enough votes – 26 percent, almost the same as Guerra – to force a runoff which Guerra won with 55 percent over Treviño.

But it was the runoff social media campaign which left a bad taste in Democrats' mouths, and where Treviño and his supporters – (he was endorsed by the entire commissioners court and the majority of county elected officials) – were demonized and mauled by Guerra's social media operatives and hired guns.

Treviño was accused by these operatives with everything from getting kickbacks from SpaceX's Elon Musk, selling Boca Chica Beach to SpaceX for bags of money, of robbing PUB ratepayers through his firm's legal fees, taking money from el Cartel del Golfo and depicted as a rat on a leash being handled by Musk and doing his bidding. When Treviño's supporters protested, they, in turn, became the targets of his social media minions through various platforms and mauled in their cyber pages. (None of these allegations have ever been proven true, but if it sticks, well...)

(The insertion of the cartel is interesting, since Guerra is the grandson of its founder Juan N. Guerra. A diversion?)

One of Guerra's cyber gunslingers in particular, was defrocked lawman (constable) from Rio Hondo Josaphat "Hoss" Lozano, who goes by the anagram "Ozel Sonasno," and who had to give up his law enforcement certification as a result of charges of abuse of official authority, went beyond the limits of propriety and unleashed a scorched earth campaign against Treviño's supporters. Nothing was holy, and elected officials, their employees, and even innocent bystanders and their relatives were not spared from his relentless poisonous keyboard.

Guerra, of course, feigned innocence of the attacks even though

intercepted communications indicated that Lozano and Guerra were coordinating the attacks against his fellow Democrats. 

Sometimes it got ugly,as when "Ozel Sonazno" attacked social media poster David Mungia and cast aspersions against his family, and both were called out by Munguia. Intercepted graphics included a photograph taken of a county commissioner's assistant helping a voter taken by Guerra and sent to Lozano to use in his attacks (right) against the commissioner and the employee.

(Since he was defrocked as a lawman, Lozano's next incarnation was of a teacher, and immediately ran afoul for throwing his weight around and has been charged with harassment of students (Raymondville and Progreso ISDs) and of making false accusations against public officials. 

A former school attorney who deposed him in his lawsuit against a school district said simply that Hoss was a "bully."

More recently, this June he posted a story and photo on social media claiming a privately owned white Chevrolet Corvette was worked on in the RISD maintenance shop, resulting in a complaint being filed by RISD Police Chief Oscar Gutierrez, who is also in charge of the school district's maintenance shop.)

Undaunted, his next reincarnation was self-proclaiming himself a star "investigative journalist" to question elected officials' suspected sordid intentions. No one was spared the fury of this scorned muckraker.

Now Guerra want everyone to forget.

But will they? Take, for example, the fact that right before the primaries, Steve and his "team" were publicly courting U.S. Representative D-34 Vicente Gonzalez, and at the same time, kowtowing to Republican primary winner Eric Flores, in effect burning the candle at both ends. 

Guerra, of course, denied this and vows he is a true Democrat, but photos of his campaign team, city Brownsville city commissioner Pedro Cardenas and public-funds hustler Arturo "Turi" Treviño – one (Cardenas) posing with Flores, and another (Treviño) wearing a MAGA hat at a July 4th celebration at Boca Chica Beach – give a different picture of where the "team's" loyalties lie. 

But the bloodletting by Guerra's minions hasn't stopped. In recent posts Guerra's henchman "Ozel Sonazno" has sought to discredit other Democrats who haven't kissed his ring.

One notable target has been Cameron County County Clerk Sylvia Garza-Perez who drew their ire and was accused of allegedly supporting Guerra's opponent Mauro Garza after a picture of her son Edward appeared on social media when both men inadvertently ran into each other at a local Whataburger restaurant.

In his post, "Hoss" accuses her – a true yellow-dog Democrat –  of plotting against Guerra and posting a fake photo montage of her together with Republicans Eric Flores and Mauro Garza and of working against his boss and plotting against him and other Democrats.

To her credit, Garza-Perez did not fall for the bait and kept her own counsel. But by allowing his attack dog to maul her publicly and accusing her of not being a "real" Democrat, Guerra might have crossed the line with county Democrats who know the county clerk is about as loyal a Democrat as they come.

He didn't stop there. He also accused her of being a "snake in the grass" and undermining the Democrats "behind their backs."

 He claims that the word on the street is that she is looking for an opponent to Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz, that she thinks Cameron County Democratic chairman Jared Hockema is "incompetent," and that U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez is a "party boy."

She, of course, vehemently denies these spurious allegations. And since it has been proven that Guerra and "Hoss" are running in tandem, it can only be surmised that Guerra approved of these attacks in order for her to toe the party line and kiss the ring.

(Kind of reminds you of the Q-Anon conspiracy theory about Hillary Clinton involved with a pedophile ring operating out of a pizzeria in San Francisco when in reality, it was a distraction to mask Epstein, Musk, and Trump's involvement – among other powerful men – who were operating a world-wide pedophile ring. Only in Cameron County, a Democrat using a page from the Republicans' bag of tricks.)

When three county commissioners in 1988 did the unthinkable and endorsed Republican county judge candidate Tony Garza, they said the qualities of their party's candidate (Ray Ramon) forced them to put aside their party loyalty and urged their constituents to vote for Garza, which they did and then - obviously satisfied with the future Ambassador to Mexico's performance - voted him in again four years later.

"Sometimes party loyalty demands too much," they wrote in "An Appeal to Reason" published in local newspapers like the Brownsville Herald and the Valley Morning Star. 

They say that lightning doesn't strike in the same place twice, but the election of two Republican county judges in deep-blue Cameron County in the recent past belies that saying. 

So, as we asked above: Is Guerra a DINO (Democrat In Name Only), a RINO (Republican In Name Only), or none (or both) of the above? Apparently neither, Steve is only for Steve.

Will voters reject the indiscriminate bloodletting by the Guerra camp on Democrats and see it strike a third time? And if they did, who could blame them?

THEY SAID GOODBYE, COLUMBUS, OR SO THEY THOUGHT

ANTI-VICENTE GONZALEZ ADS: "A GIRL'S LOCKER ROOM SHOULD BE A SAFE PLACE..."

...AND THE MAGA HYPOCRISY WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR GREAT LEADER

 

The Howard Stern Show (2005): Trump stated he enters backstage dressing rooms during prep because as owner he is "inspecting" the contestants.

Former Contestant Accounts: Several women who competed in Miss USA and Miss Teen USA accused Trump of walking into dressing rooms while they were undressed.

At least four women who competed in a Miss Teen USA beauty pageant told BuzzFeed News that Donald Trump walked into their dressing room while the contestants as young as 15 were undressing.

(Meanwhile, Republican PACs are flooding your televsion market with dark insinuations against incumbent Democrat Vicente "Chente" Gonzalez, right.)

Mariah Billado, the former Miss Vermont Teen USA, tells Buzzfeed that the now 70-year-old Republican presidential candidate caused a panic in the dressing room of the 1997 pageant when he barged in unannounced as the young women were changing.

However, she says Trump shrugged off the intrusion, saying something along the lines of: “Don’t worry, ladies, I’ve seen it all before.”

AND THE LIES JUST KEEP ON COMING...

Media Source

Missile shortages are a serious readiness issue. Addressing them requires clear facts. Claims that Tomahawk missiles were sent to Ukraine are not supported by the public aid record. U.S. assistance included other weapons and ammunition, but those transfers should not be confused with Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Supporting Ukraine affected some American inventories. That does not establish that every shortage has the same cause.

The Pentagon owes taxpayers and service members an explanation grounded in facts: which munitions were used, where they were used, how quickly replacements can be produced and what risks remain.

Accountability requires examining current and previous commitments honestly. A credible defense policy starts with getting the weapons and the facts right.

CAN YOU RECOGNIZE TREASON WHEN YOU SEE IT? OR CHOOSE TO IGNORE IT?