By Juan Montoya
Starting this week, television viewers in the Rio Grande Valley will see this political ad on behalf of the candidacy of John Chambers for the Republican Party nomination this March 1 to face Democratic Party incumbent Omar Lucio.in the general election in November.
If you take time to see it, you will see Chambers, who boasts of 26 years in law enforcement as the former chief of police with the Indian Lake, Gruver and Hawley, Texas Police Departments, come across as an honest down-to-earth lawman. He is also the owner/manager of Border Security & Investigations.
Chambers strives to portray himself as an old-fashioned lawman harking back to the times when a handshake was a man's bond while at the same time he is open to new methods of law enforcement using the latest technology available.
In a not-so-subtle dig at Republican sheriff candidate Victor Cortez, Chambers states that "when it comes to the county sheriff's office, this isn't the Wild West anymore. Times has changed.
"Cameron County needs someone who looks to the future and not live in the past..."
Those of us who keep an eye on local politics have commented before that Cortez, who is one of three other GOP candidates for sheriff, has made much of his past employment with the Brownsville P.D., the Border Patrol and the DEA. His bio has been heavily laced with his exploits "at the highest" levels"of law enforcement, even claiming that he advised generals, admirals and other high-level military commanders as a DEA liaison on drug interdiction on lad, sea and air.
He makes much of the fact that he played a part in the investigation of the murder of DEA agent Kike Camarena. But some have questioned his self-serving portrayal of himself in that investigation, pointing out that Cortez allowed himself to be captured and held by Mexican police and had to be rescued and sent back across the border to the United States.
Chambers' ad seems to attempt to bring back the focus of the voters to the ground, to Cameron County, where the sheriff will enforce the law.
Besides Chambers and Cortez, other GOP candidates for sheriff include Robert Rodriguez, and Michael Watkins. One candidate is challenging Lucio for the Democratic Party nomination. He is Gregorio Puente III
To say there has been bad blood between Cortez and Chambers would be putting it mildly. As chief of Luis V. Saenz Cameron County District Attorney Office's Public Integrity Unit, Cortez and his former DEA colleague and DA Investigator George Delaney initiated investigations and had juries issue indictments against Chambers on at least three occasions.
The first indictment was dismissed and then resurrected. Currently, the lone indictment for tampering with government documents is making its way through court. It alleges that Chambers may have changed firearm certification grades for his officers. Like the other two, Chambers expects that to be dismissed and to be vindicated charging that the investigation and the charges that stemmed from it are part of a political witch hunt against him by Cortez's former pals in the DA's Office.
"There's nothing there," he said. "We have a motion to dismiss that will be heard today (Monday, Jan.4) and I think the same thing will happen as before."The fact that Delaney – Cortez's former PIU colleague – is handling the investigation and is the prosecutions' lead investigator has led some local voters wondering if there is something to the political allegations.
This is the first time that there have been four GOP candidates for sheriff in Cameron County, and one of them will face Lucio in November.
DA Luis V. Saenz is also running for reelection and faces a stiff challenge from his nemesis Carlos Masso, an attorney, former Asst. DA, and currently a commissioner for the Brownsville Navigation District. Democratic Party supporters of Lucio have been miffed that Saenz has made it appear that he is backing his former PIU chief in the race that will – in the event that he survives the GOP primary – see him pitted against Democrat Lucio.
On the other hand, Chambers has always been a conservative Republican and is not seen as a protege of the Democrat DA, who seems bent on making a charge, any charge, stick against Chambers.
Early voting begins Feb. 16 through the 26. The primary is March 1.
10 comments:
Buzzlight n Woody!
Viejios aguados!
We tend to like old fashion !!!!!!!!!!
Just not corrupt....!
So maybe this is a good change.
Victor Cotex no vale sebo.
Ta chisquiadao el Chambers Juan. No mames guey!
Hawley, Tx = Pop 646 / 2 Sq Miles.
Gruver, Tx = Pop 1,194 / 1 Sq Mile.
Indian Lake, Tx = Pop 541 / 0.3 Sq Mile.
I would venture to say that these must be one to two man departments with substantially small operating budgets.
Saying, "26 years in law enforcement" alone, sounds impressive. However when you put that together with his past duty stations and areas of responsibility; it is actually a drawn out security guard experience.
Juan well at least now cameron county voters have a choice.
Cortez and Saenz are running scared for their lives!!! They won't be employed anywhere who wants a washed out cop who can't even stand up against corruption. If he wants to stand against corruption why not investigate Saenz who has numerous of sexual harassment cases. Nobody is fooled by the crooked handle bar mustache you predator .
#NoRespectRestored
#OnlyCortezAndSaenzAreAboveTheLaw
Chambers' lawyer, Chad Van Brunt, of San Antonio, on the other hand, said that if anything, Chambers was sloppy in his record keeping and negligent about filling them in a timely fashion. However, he say, sloppy record keeping does not rise to the level of crime because there was no intent to defraud or harm the state.
"It's not a crime to be a fool," said Chambers' attorney told the 8-woman, four men jury
it is called KARMA he got caught and as all criminals do they blame it all on someone ELSE and he did if he would have just maned up and be like a man and just say yes i did it it would have been all over with
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