Some say that drawing the first place on the primary ballot for your respective party counts for between five and 10 percent of the vote because the voters – tired of blackening ovals at the booth – will opt for the first choice.
Elections myth? Perhaps.
But if there are a handful of candidates, everyone's praying to draw a spot near the top (or conversely) at the bottom, of the ballot in your respective race.
And so on Tuesday, the Democrats gathered at the local VFW post to draw their place on the ballot. The meeting was run by Demo vice-chair and treasurer Jared Hockema, while chair (and former county judge) Gilberto Hinojosa
played a peripheral role.
Hinojosa is a candidate for Texas Demo chair while Hockema is one of three candidates for county Demo chair.
We will leave the statewide races alone. What really interest us locally are the places picked by the candidates of the local races.
Toward that end, here's the lineup coming to a voting booth near you this May 29.
On the State Rep. District 37, incumbent Rene Oliveira got the luck of the draw and garnered the top place over challenger Alex Dominguez, who drew the card from the hat held by Cameron County Demo chair Gilbert Hinojosa. That race – coming on the heels of reports involving Oliveira in various escapades in local watering holes and his car, uninsured, involved in a collision while driven by a lady friend, may prove to be an upset, ballot placement notwithstanding.
In the Cameron County District Attorney race, former Asst. D.A. and Brownsville Navigation District commissioner Carlos Masso drew first placement followed by Luis Saenz (also with the DA), and at third place was Maria Urbina DeFord.
With three candidates closely allied with sitting DA Armando Villalobos, it'll be
Yet, as the Abel Limas racketeering scandal spirals out of control, will Aurorita's close association with that scandal taint her political influence on the electorate? And will the $21 million pilferage associated with the Bridge to Nowhere prove to be too close for comfort for Masso who has admitted he met with Dannenbaum executives prior to striking a settlement that left his boss Villalobos with $1 million, and zilch for port taxpayers?
DeFord seems to have escaped unscathed, except for the fact that she tarried and delayed her taking a leave of absence from her position with the DA until it became untenable to have a political candidate deciding whether to prosecute cases involving attorneys that might be contributors to her campaign.
The Cameron County Sheriff's race will have the ballot headed by former bailiff and state trooper Joe Cisneros who stood tall (he can't help it) and had Hinojosa stand on his tiptoes to have him draw from the hat. Second on the ballot will be perennial candidate Terry Vinson followed by incumbent Omar Lucio. Unless Lucio gets caught in a motel room with pullet, it's doubtful that either Vinson or Cisneros can knock him off the horse.
The surprise (and Ernie Hernandez's chagrin), was that Justice of the Pace, 2-
2 candidate Yolanda Begum drew the first place on the ballot among the five Demo candidates from the hat.
Begum, considered the top runner with Hernandez's daughter Erin Hernandez Garcia, drew heavy applause when she pulled out the number 1.
The ballot will read thus:
1. Begum
2. Javier Hernandez
3. Erin Hernandez Garcia
4. Refugio "Cookie" Covarrubias
5. Israel Tapia Jr.
Another race that has been closely watched involves the Pct. 2 constable's race. They placed thus:
1. Juan Torres
2. Roel Arreola
3. Pete Avila
4. Abelardo Gomez
But by far the most surprising results came about when the candidates for the newly created Congressional District 34 were pulled. The results were as follow:
1. Ramiro Garza
2. Denise Blanchard
3. Solomon Torres
4. Filemon Vela
5. Elmo Aycock
6. Anthony Troiani
7. Juan Angel Guerra
8. Armando Villalobos
The lineup for the Pct. county commissioner will be Fausto "Pato" Martinez first, and Sofia Benavides, the incumbent, on the second spot.
interesting to see who commands the loyalties of the Demo faithful as the different factions vie for the votes. Saenz is the nephew of Cameron County District Clerk Aurora De la Garza, and as the saying goes, blood is thicker than mud.
As for the Demo Chair position, the lineup will be:
1. Jared Hockema
2. John Shergold
3. Sylvia Garza-Perez
16 comments:
Filemon Vela is a person that is dedicated to the people of this area. We need a man like him in Washington. He is a man of vision that will make us proud to have voted for him. I remember Filemon when he, his brother and Eddie Trevino use to go over tho 14th street and visit the homless people. They would all three take turns at sucking those homless people's cock all night long until thier lips were chaped,...those people would go hungry at night ,...but thanks to Fil ,...they would bust a nut with a happy face. Thabks Fil.
An ex Homless Guy From 14th St
@March 13, 2012 2:31 PM
So this is what we should expect by the haters? Can't attack his qualifications, so you mount personall attacks? Really?
(so you mount personall attacks? Really?)
And I'll bet "Fil" is married, huh? To another dude. LOL!
Anonymous said...
@March 13, 2012 2:31 PM
So this is what we should expect by the haters? Can't attack his qualifications, so you mount personally attacks? Really?
March 13, 2012 4:46 PM
Troiani WILL BEAT Vela, and yes, WE ARE VELA HATERS!
i will vote for hockema, but i am disappointed in his support for the doj ruling about having to show id when voting. id's are not discriminatory. they are necessary for everything, and easily available to anyone. i guess i should trash my passport and license, since i am hispanic, and the doj says that id's are discriminatory against hispanics!! hopefully, if he wins, hockema will grow some nerve and learn not to tow the party line when it is totally ridiculous
Filemon is a Republican. His wife Rose Vela is a Republican candidate running against Democrat Judge Rogelio Valdez. His brother Ralph is a Republican. Poor cousin Manny Vela is left holding the bag as the only Democrat in the family.
IS IT TRUE THAT OLIVEIRA IS PAYING NORMA, MELLI$$A, AND SOME OTHER POLITICAL ADVISOR FOR ADVISSSSSSIN
GGGGGGGGGGGG???????
WHAT EVER HAPPENED WITH THE LUPITA MOLINA AND WAS RENE IN THE CAR WHEN THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED?
Let me see if I got this right. Democrat = good guys. Republicans = bad guys.
Thank you, dear sir, that makes it so much easier to vote. No more critical thinking, investigating how they stand in the important issues facing the valley and it's people. Just pull the Democrat palanca, right?
Maria "liar, backstabber and two face" Ford will not have a chance since everyone in the courthouse knows exactly how she is!
Filemon Vela for Congress! Sorry Mandito, but you asked for it!
Roel Arreola, good luck! Abel, watch your six since you will be a letter in the future!
Israel Tapia, good luck! Miss Piggy, go away and take your Big Pig with you!
Filemon Vela, Jr. Is a Republican who has organized and supported many Republican candidates in Nueces County for at least 10 years. He convinced his wife Rose Vela, originally elected as a Democrat, to run as a Republican. She is currently running against Incumbent Chief Justice Roy Valdez, a Democrat. He should be honest and run as the Republican that he is instead of being a politician and choosing a party only because the voters of Cameron County do not know any better.
The Democratic Party in Cameron County began to fall apart under the self serving and uncoordinated leadership of David Sanchez. Then, as if things couldn't get worse, David Sanchez delivered the party into the hands of Gilberto Hinojosa, who is probably the worse example of a politician, attorney and man in Cameron County. Even though the majority of citizens dislike him, he is now running for Texas Democratic Party leader. These two self serving and selfish losers have set the Democratic Party locally back 25 years and I am sad to say that it may never recover. With losers like this leading the Democratic Party, who needs Republicans?
That Norma Hernandez is his office secretary. Same name as Ernie's wife but a different person.
Filemon's wife Rose is a judge who is honest, tough on crime, and Republican...... the exact opposite of Democrat judge Abel LIMAS. One reason why many Democrats such as myself vote for Republican judges. Too much CORRUPTION in the local Democrat party!!!
Filemon Vela has the other candidates crapping their panties. Pobrecitos. Lots of "anonymous" trash from his cowardly 'anonymous' opponents. But not one with the ganas to say it to his face.
Filemon Vela is a culo who only came back to the Valley when his Houston money machine ran our of fuel. he has disgraced the Vela name. His cousin Manny is dunb, but jhe makes up for that by being such a nice guy. I've worked with Phil; he is an arrogant dick
Im sorry Montoya but you must have been in another building if you think Begum got an applause. She barely got a courtesy applause. The two that got huge applauses were Ramiro Garza and Erin Garcia. Anyone who was in the room knows that. Come on Montoya, I saw you there, but that comment was a hugggge stretch.
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