THE HORSE RACE FOR CC PCT. 2

By Juan Montoya
Suddenly, it appears that the vacuum left by John Wood’s departure for the siren song of the Cameron County Judge’s office is attracting everyone and his brother’s keeper.
No less than seven (count them seven) candidates have appointed a campaign treasurer, the litmus test for candidates who are really serious about running. Some are well known political figures in the county, while others are relative newcomers to the political industry here.
Starting with the order in which they are listed at the Cameron County Elections Office, they are Enrique Escobedo, Ernie L. Hernandez Jr., Leonel Garza, Alexander Roy Resendez, Victor M. Alvarez, Ernesto L. De Leon, and Ruben Peña.
And even though he made some noises when he was beaten for city commissioner by political neophyte Melissa Zamora in the last city election, Wood’s precinct administrator Carlos Cisneros is not among those on the list.
Wood has perfected the art of subtle political arm twisting in his two terms as county commissioner. He has been able to stymie the wishes of County Judge Carlos Cascos through the art of persuasion (some say manipulation) of Pct. 1 commissioner Sophie Benavides, plus another commissioner who may have a pecuniary interest on any given agenda item.
The result has been a hoarding of Road and Bridge resources to his constituents in Pct 2, a geographically diverse jurisdiction that stretches from urbanized city blocks in downtown Brownsville to the farther reaches of agriculturally-based towns west of Los Fresnos and south of San Benito and Harlingen.
Burgs like Olmito and San Pedro has felt the benefits of Wood’s political work on the commission. His latest coup was the wresting of disaster-aid money meant for the county and directed instead to the squeaking wheels of Santa Rosa and Combes, potential tie-breakers in his race against his more urban-based Democratic foes for the county judge's office.
If Escobedo, a medical doctor and past president of the BISD board who cuts a young, attractive, figure can successfully separate himself from the superintendent and insurance contract fiascoes at the district, he stands a fair chance of making the runoff.
However, Ernie Hernandez, the former city commissioner and unsuccessful candidate for Brownsville mayor has a track record and proven ability to cull votes from the mail-in ballots - a percentage of votes that may well get him into the runoff in a crowded field.
Unless Neto Gamez has a plausible reason for Leonel T. Garza's candidacy, we cannot understand what in the world prompted the unfinished-term commissioner to get into this race. What say you Leonel?
Alex Resendez and the Rev. Victor M. Alvarez are new to this game. Yet, both know that Hernandez and others have the access to the big money. Unless there is some divine intervention for then, we can only wish them luck and our prayers.
Ernesto de Leon is a former city commissioner so there is a constituency out there for his candidacy. However, he must offer voters a remake of his platform that will attract not only those who have voted for him in the past, but also those who might be attracted to a different vision for Pct. 2.
Lastly, Ruben Pena shares name recognition because he is the brother of former Pct. 3 commissioner Hector Pena, and he is an close relative of the Vela clan, whose tendrils reach across the entire county. Can he shake off the scandal of his brother and cash in on the relatively good reputation of the Vela family?
Former Pct. 3 commissioner James Matz used to place small Baggies of caliche on the tables of his listeners to illustrate his "No more Cliche Politics" platform. Matz had it right. With the inclusion of the Road and Bridge workers under the Public Works Department (and Civil Service), politics is theoretically removed from the commissioners purview in the hiring and firing of employees.
The operative word here is "theoretically," because they are still mired deep in personnel matters despite the platitudes about their hands-off policy. Yet, it remains true that a commissioner must look at the big picture and form countywide policies to have an impact on the economic, social, and organic development of the entire county. Unless these candidates can deliver a new vision of this county in the decades to come, provincial (and petty) politics will continue to plague this community.