FLORES: "IN POLITICS, BLOOD'S THICKER THAN MUD; CARLOS ELIZONDO? WHO DAT BE?"

By Juan Montoya

There's always a new wrinkle in local politics.
Remember when Arnold Flores was running in the runoff against Sylvia Garza-Perez?
Flores had gained the endorsement of the local firefighters in his bid to replace County Clerk Joe Rivera and they put their efforts where their mouth was. Almost every weekend they staged fundraisers with chicken BBQ plates, wore Flores' T-shirts, caps, and volunteered in his campaigns events.
The firefighters stood on street corners, waved placards, and buttonholed potential voters to support their endorsee.
Flores, for his part, flirted with his supporters and in the end opted to

count on what he saw as the political powerhouse of the Lucio clan to further his political fortunes. As a former staffer with St. Rep. Eddie Lucio III, he probably though that their support was probably the sure thing and he distanced himself from the firefighters an some of those who supported him to get him into the runoff with Garza-Perez. He lost by some 763 votes.
The Lucio votes failed to materialize and Flores was left like the proverbial dog who wanted to get los dos panes and ended up with nothing.
Firefighter union president Carlos Elizondo was one of Flores' more ardent supporters.
There is, after all, a very real current of dissatisfaction with the Gilbert Hinojosa-Garza/Perez-Joe Rivera coalition that has taken over the county's Democratic Party. Many party members feel that Hinojosa, after being soundly trounced by incumbent county judge Carlos Cascos in at least two past elections (one with John Wood), is doing his utmost to unseat Cascos and has manipulated the party and its candidates to serve his need for vengeance. Cameron County, after all, is his home county. It just will not do to have a Republican win in Gilbert's home turf again.
Garza-Perez, a willing pawn, was talked into changing her candidacy from going after the county judge's position and running for Rivera's spot instead. This freed Rivera, who was seen as a stronger county judge candidate that Garza-Perez by Hinojosa, to run against Cascos.

Flores, at the outset, seemed think that this was wrong. Then, instead of facing Rivera, he fund himself running against the coalition and Garza-Perez.
This is all the backdrop to the Brownsville Independent School District election coming in November.
Elizondo – Flores' ardent supporter – is on the ballot against Robert Rodriguez. Former BISD administrator Susan Fox pulled out of the race after filing for the position.
This left Flores in a quandary. You see, Rodriguez, a longtime BISD administrator, is none other than Flores' father-in-law. When Elizondo went to see Flores about getting him to support him for the BISD board, Flores – citing his desire for domestic tranquility – said he could not.
 It might have been that marital peace trumps political independence in these cases, but the propensity of Flores to eschew those who have helped him in the past is now becoming a character trait with him. Did he ask the Little Woman whether he should have accepted the endorsement of the firefighters and Elizondo personally before he accepted it? Or didn't he clear it with her and his father-in-law when he went seeking their support?
As they say in the barrio: "Pus quien manda aqui?