It took us a while to get the ballot placements for the candidates in the Cameron County Democratic party primary March 4, but we finally tracked it down through friends of friends.
Demo chairwoman Amber Medina said she hadn't gotten around to posting it on the party site but had sent a copy to Pct. 62 chair Teresa Saldivar from where we lifted it.
Already, the strategy in this race seems to be that whichever candidates distance themselves from the judicial (and administrative) racketeering and corruption scandal associated with the Abel Limas-Jim Solis-Armando Villalobos-Marc Rosenthal cabal might have a better chance with an electorate fatigued with screaming headlines and squalor. But that cuts both ways because nearly everyone of the candidates (except for a scant few) were part of county government during the Limas-Vilalobos years. It's up to these respective campaigns to spin their way clear the corruption brambles and make their opponents appear to be mired in them.There is a rule of thumb that if you draw the first place on the ballot it means an automatic 10 percent of the vote from the get-go. That may or may not be true. In our experience, current political situations often have an impact negating that advantage. On the other hand, there is another rule of thumb that if you want to win a race in South Texas, the best thing to happen to your candidacy is to have your opponent indicted. The threat of an indictment coming down before the voting starts is a very real possibility with some of the candidates on this ballot.
The candidates will appear on the Democratic ballot in this order:
Commissioner Pct. 2
1 - Alex Dominguez
2 - Gerry Linan
3 - Ernie Hernandez
4 - Leo Lopez
(This is one of those situations where an indictment of the incumbent (Hernandez) could well tip the balance and make it a runoff between two of the challengers. We have amply documented his troubles and suffice it to say that he is under investigation by the Cameron County District Attorney's Office for his role in the illegal hiring of his brother-in-law, his daughter (JP Erin Garcia Hernandez) is under the gun for issuing waivers so she could marry people on the spot and collect her fee, his wife Norma is said to be the matriarch of a vote-harvesting organization currently under investigation by a joint state-federal force, and his administrative assistant is fighting his conviction for the illegal hiring. That said, however, Hernandez has always found a way (devious as it may be) to achieve his ends, and he may be conjuring a way how to steal this election. The last time Linan ran for this same office he came in dead last and we don't expect that he will do any better. But watch this one because even though Dominguez has been paying the Herald good money for his color ads, the newspaper ran a glowing announcement of Linan's candidacy. What gives? Is he the establishment's choice? Dominguez has conducted a steady campaign after his loss to Rene Oliveira for state rep. We think he'll be one of the ones who will make a runoff if there is one. Lopez was a last moment candidate who announced in the last days of the filing deadline. He is married to 404th District Judge Elia Cornejo-Lopez, a fearless (some say ruthless) campaigner in her own right. He has an extensive infrastructure and emergency management background aside from his experience in funeral home service. Many are wondering whether Elia can stay away from campaigning for her hubby since it is expressly prohibited by the law for her to campaign as a district judge. There will be lots of intrigue in this one since Hernandez has not made it a secret that there is no love lost between him and the judge)
Commissioner Pct. 4
1 - Roberto Kornegay Esquivel
2 - Dan Sanchez
3 - Steve Brewer
(We don't have much to say about the principals in this race expect that the Sanchez brothers [District Judge Dave and incumbent Dan] have carved out a niche in north county politics that will be hard for these two contenders to overcome. The fact that two contenders are out to unseat Sanchez might mean that there is enough dissatisfaction out there against him, but also means that the anti-Sanchez vote will be split which might make it easier for the incumbent to remain and make a run for county judge four years hence.)
County Court-at-Law 1
1 - Art Mcdonald, Jr.
2 - Daniel Robles
(We really don't know what possessed Robles to throw his hat in the ring on this one. Personal animosity perhaps? He left his county court-at-law position to become convicted racketeer Jim Solis' partner and it has been thoroughly documented that he had a hand in paving the way for convicted Austin attorney Marc Rosenthal's big-money lawsuits through his court. We understand that there are some documents out there that detail his personal role in the ongoing judicial and racketeering investigation int the local judiciary. When they surface, there will definitely be some fallout that will further besmirch his candidacy. On the other hand, McDonald has kept his nose clean and has provided one of the few steady performances by a county court-at-law judge. Like we said, we don;t know why Robles is in this one.)
County Court-at-Law 3
1 - Dolores Zarate
2 - David Gonzales III
(Dolores was one of those last-minute filers for the position after no one had announced against Gonzales before the deadline. Rumor is that Cornejo-Lopez might also be behind this candidacy to settle some score with the incumbent. The filing was so late that when she started campaigning she had no pushcards and handed out her business cards instead. In fact, there is also a buzz afoot about some of her supporters distributing copies of Gonzales' testimony in the federal trial of DA Villalobos that is making the rounds. The last time Gonzalez ran he carried the race hands down. This is after he had run against Eddie Lucio III before. The men are now friends and it will be difficult for Zarate to overcome the store of good performance and good will that this incumbent has amassed.
357th District Court
1 - Gloria Rincones
2 - Juan Magallanes
(again, this is one of those races that will try the electorate's patience with the past experience with corruption and influence peddling in the local courts. Rincones is well known to be a favorite in David Sanchez's family court, and while this might be a good thing for her clients, it certainly doesn't pan well for the clients of her opponents. It can cut both ways. On the other hand, Magallanes has the Gilberto Hinojosa albatross around his neck. Their association as former law partners and their stints as Demo chairs didn't always go over big with the electorate. The unstated roles in making Abel Limas a district judge is still fresh in people's minds. Magallanes is a formidable campaigner, but as they say down south never underestimate the power of a a woman. Waiting at the end of the bloodletting in November will be the current 357th District Judge Republican Oscar X. Garcia who is running on a predictable anti-corruption platform.)
4 comments:
On Monday Elia was campaigning for hrr husband . She was passing out push cards and made a speach. " Les encargo a mi esposo para su voto" I am like what ever. She gave me a push card shr was passing them around to everyone. First her husband has no and I say no social skills he doesn't know how to speak in front ofvan audience. So there for he doesn't have my vote. In his push card it says he is a surgent. Where in mexico. What ever pass your medical board exam here in the state then talk to me, I too can get any medical degree in Mexico como decien con viente dollars brinka el chango. Elia was passing pudh cards at a Christmas party for valley wide home health care.
What does it matter THEY'RE ALL CORRUPT!!!!!!!!!
Voters have a responsibility to keep informed.
Voters have a responsibility to Vote.
AS far as the PCT. 4 race; Dan can not run the Commissioner's office,(he is never in his office to conduct County Business) and he wants to run for County Judge People have never seen him in his office/and wants a judge office. Why are people voting for a person that they have never seen conducting County Business in his county office? We are better off voting for SPOT/or Brownie; GOOD LUCK
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