WILL TROIANI CHALLENGE MANDO VILLALOBOS FOR CONGRESS IN THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY?

By Juan Montoya
The rumors are swirling all over the Cameron County courthouse that former City of Brownsville commissioner Anthony Troiani will jump into the quest for the new congressional District 34 that Cameron County District Attorney Armando Villalobos has coyly hinted he wants.
Although Villalobos says that he has not decided if he'll run for the posuition or remain as DA, all evidence points to him vying for the Washington seat. While not openly endorsing Asst. DA Maria DeFord, it is common knowledge that he is supporter her in her bid for her position.
Luis Saenz, a former DA and a magistrate at Carrizales-Rucker, has announced he will also run for the DA's position.

But now that Troiani is said to be eyeing the congressional seat, the situation just got muddied. Don De Leon, who ran for port commissioner in the past, is now telling people that he wants to run for the same seat as an Independent. And there are even rumors that defeated Solomon Ortiz might also jump into the race to contend with Villlobos and Troiani on the Democratic side.

On the Republican slate, Rusty Faulk has already announced his candidacy. And many of TSC trustee Adela Garza's friends have urged her to run. They say that she has a respectable following in the northern parts of the district and enjoys widespread respect for her work on the board that pulled off the separation of the UT System and TSC.

Garza is the field representative for the Rio Grande Valley for U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, who defeated Ortiz after 28 years in power. So far, no announcement has been made. The Texas Secretary of State website cites Dec. 12 as the cutoff date for candidates for the march primary. 

Troiani, a Modesto, Calif. native, has been in private law practice here for 10 years. Prior to that, he was employed at the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office. He served for one term on the city commission at-large A seat. Currently, he assists the Gladys Porter Zoo as an unpaid "ambassador" for that tourist magnet.  

"His main platform seems to be that Mando will get indicted for his involvement in the Abel Limas corruption and racketeering cases," said a courthouse maven. "And his supporters are going around saying that they have ample financial support. There's word going around that an oil company who wants to drill offshore of South Pare Island has committed to donate $85,000 if he should announce."

Troiani was for the most part, a laid back commissioner in the turmoil-wracked city commission under the Pat Ahuamda regime. However, some of his detractors say that once he throws his hat in the ring, there will be no holds barred. If he thinks that the wild animals are only at Gladys Porter, he'll find out it's a zoo out there.

There are dark hints about his father-in-law's troubles with the federal government, a messy divorce that is still not over, and what effect that might have on the district's conservative electorate.

"Who knows how the people will take that," said our source. "Remember Tara Ybarra-Rios and her domestic troubles that got that Kingsville's J.M. Lozano elected. The people don't seem to like any hint of hanky-panky. We'll see how he handles it if he announces."