TSC EARLY VOTING SOARS ON LAST DAY; CANTU FAILS TO FILE CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORT (EIGHT DAYS BEFORE ELECTION)

By Juan Montoya
Yesterday's early voting total soared to 275 in the six voting sites across the Texas Southmost College district, doubling, and in one case tripling, the voting cast in the previous six days.
Notably, 35 votes were cast in Los Fresnos, dwarfing the previous high of 12 on the first day oi voting.
Likewise, 79 votes were cast at the New Horizons Medical Center, more than any other day/ The previous high was 61 votes cast on the second day of the vote. (Click on graphic to enlarge.)
The total vote in the early voting period climbed to 1,091.
In fact, the 275 votes cast in all six sites Tuesday was higher than the 260 votes cast the first, second and third day of voting (260).
And a check on the filing of campaign reports at the TSC elections office indicated that only Dr. Tony Zavaleta had filed his report due for the eighth day before the election (no financial contributions) and that his opponent Evelyn Cantu, an administrator at the Brownsville Independent School District, had not.
Previously, Cantu had listed only a few contributions from Carlos Marin and wife Elena, and Mary Rose Cardenas/
Cardenas has since shifted her alliances to Zavaleta and media pundits were wondering whether she would be listed as a contributor this time around. But without Cantu filing her report, voters on election day (Saturday June 18) may not know who's bankrolling her nowadays.
"I wouldn't be surprised if Mike Hernandez (of Op 10.33 fame) and Marin are still giving her money," said Zavaleta.
Cantu, in her first report due 30 days before the election, listed a loan to herself ($21,000) as one source of her funds. There were some reports that she had a rich aunt in Dallas who had fronted her the money to help her campaign.
We have reported in these cyberpages that people close to Hernandez at OP 10.33 say that he is desperate to win at least one of the six races where his group has put its money and efforts.
He lost at the Brownsville Navigation District where he bankrolled former TSC trustee Ed Rivera and banker Raul Villanueva when they were defeated by Tito Lopez and Ralph Cowen. And OP 10.33 pulled its support for Beatriz Hockaday when she filed against incumbent Trey Mendez. Mendez won easily. But the group also supported lawyer Daniel Pizaña who went up against Ruben Herrera . Herrera overwhelmed the OP 10.33 candidate and in fact, was the top vote getter in the election.
Now, with Hernandez and his OP 10.33 group pining all its hopes on Cantu, this election will determine whether they have any, if at all, clout in this round of local politics.
Election day – Saturday – will see voters cast their ballots at their usual voting precincts.