TSC TO HEED GOV.'S EDICT, NO MAY ELECTION? PORT ADAMANT

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

In a teleconference between Cameron County Elections Administrator Remi Garza and the trustees of the Brownsville Navigation District and Texas Southmost College Saturday, it appears the college may decide to put off the May 2 election based Gov. Greg Abbott's COVID-19 disaster declaration, and the BND - through chairman John Reed, who has an opponent -  remains adamant about holding them even if it meant having only one polling place at the port and defying Abbott.

The TSC board will decide at their Tuesday meeting what course to take.

On March 20,  Abbott suspended the May 23 primary
 runoff elections because of the potential for spreading the virus and postponed them until July 14, with the early voting period starting July 6.

Both the BND and TSC have contracted with the county to run their elections providing the machines polling place judges and workers across both districts. However, with the disaster declaration by Abbott, (Remi) Garza was said to have complained to the port that he would be prevented from using the machines or personnel available to hold their election.

There are eight early voting sites including the port main building.

There are three seat up for grabs on the BND board, Places 1 (Ralph Cowen, incumbent), 3 (John Reed incumbent) and Place 5 (Sergio "Tito" Lopez, incumbent).

Brownsville hotelier and investor Sergio Grana is challenging Reed for Place 3 and Lopez is facing Bill Berg, associated with the "No Road" movement in Brownsville's West Side.

On the TSC side, Adela Garza faces Jorge Luis Sifuentes for Place 1. Alejandra Aldrete, Ancelmo Naranjo Jr. and Antonio Guevara, are candidates for Place 2. Delia Saenz faces no challengers for Place 4

"Reed said that the port would run the election themselves and get the machines to  do it, even if there was only one polling place at the port and port personnel would run it," said a participant in the teleconference. "He was adamant about holding the elections despite the governor's disaster declaration."

Whether a port commission can defy the governor's disaster declaration and go ahead and hold the election prior to July 14 is something Reed is apparently ready to do even if it means exposing voters, vulnerable elderly voters, and the election judges and staff to COVID-19 infection.

The result, of course, would necessarily result in greatly lower voting turnout and call into question the motives of the BND commission.

"Some of the participants said they would not feel comfortable exposing the voters or workers to possible sickness or even death for the sake of stating in office," said the source. "They said that they weren't going to risk someone life for political purposes. It wasn't just the politics. They said they didn't feel it was morally right to endanger someone's life for politics."

The turnout at the port and TSC elections has traditionally been light. If the voters of the port election have to drive to the district's office, that number will plummet, some predicted. In that case, they said, there was another avenue those against thee decision to go ahead with the election despite the disaster declaration, election recall.

"Let's say that the incumbents win with a very small turnout," said one. "There's always the recourse to have a recall since it only takes about 20 percent of the turnout to recall the winners. In that case, any other district resident over 18 can file to be a candidate for the three positions. Cowen, for example, who doesn't have an opponent, might find himself with a challenger. People will be angry."

But just as Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino imposed a curfew on the entire county from midnight to 5 a.m. starting Sunday, he could very well prohibit the use of county personnel and voting sites and facilities based on the governor's disaster declaration.

In such a case, will Reed and his commission blink? Or will it take a behind-closed-doors ear pulling by the governor's office to stop his attempt to rig the system to achieve his reelection?