HERMINIA IN HER ELEMENT: ELECTIONS MUST BE HERE

By Juan Montoya

She revels in her fame (or is it notoriety?).

Herminia Becerra, who calls herself a friend of the poor people and whom others say is the dark side of political activism and call her a politiquera, lives for these moments.

Early voting has started, and the outrageous eightysomething is now sporting a long red skirt stitched with the political logos of her candidates this time around. She is neither apologetic nor bashful of her role in the elections.

"The people help me at elections because I have helped them for more than 50 years when they have had problems," she speaks forcefully, not just for the sake of the listener, but for the benefit of those passersby who might be on the way to cast their vote at the county building at the elections office.

She shrugs off the suggestions raised in the past by her detractors that she sells votes for money by saying that more than once her accusers have dragged her into court only to have their plans stymied.

During the last go-round, when she helped Ernie Hernandez beat Ruben Peña in the runoff election for commissioner of precinct 2, investigators for the Peña camp sought her whereabouts fruitlessly to bring her to testify at the courthouse. After that proved unsuccessful, she loudly chided Peña for going to the homes of those she "helped" to cast their mail-in ballots (most in favor of Hernandez) by calling him a "lloron," or cry baby.

Now, accompanied by fellow political activist (or politiquera) Celia Aguilar, she shouts out from her folding chair in front of the county courthouse: "Si no votas, no te quejes."

She is not shy about naming the candidates of her choice this time around, and although she won;t admit to getting paid to promote their candidacy, she suggests that favors from them once they get into office will suffice.

Campaign signs for Erin Hernandez Garcia, Carlos Masso, Sofia Benavides, Carlos Masso Omar Lucio, among others are stitched on her wide skirt.

"Yo misma lo cosi," she said proudly and twirls to show off her handiwork. "Has de ver como se arden los demas."

for her part, Aguilar is a one-candidate promoter. She said she is there at the behest of Rene Oliveira, now in his 28th year in office.

"I don;t look as if he's been there too long," she said with her practised stock answer. "If you go to a surgeon would you rather go to one with 28 years of practice or to someone who just got his medical license?"

There, is of course, no arguing with a politiquera and Aguilar seems to be poised to inherit the role that herminia doesn't seem ready to relinquish.

Recently, before early voting, Becerra fell ill and was hospitalized for a fungus infection to her bronchial tubes. She vowed then she would be there when the "votaciones" began. Apparently, she has made good on her threats.

"Yo le ayudo much a la gente, mijo," she says earnestly. "Eso les da envidia."

Aguilar, obviously relishing the attention Becerra attracts, claims that Herminia and she have hit it off grandly.

"Ya me adopto," she said beaming.

Just as Herminia an Aguilar are in front of the courthouse, there are many others in front of the early voting sites all across Cameron County communities trying to sway the voters to cast their ballots for their candidates. It's fairly much a South Texas tradition that will probably last while Becerra and Aguilar are around.