WAR IN THE TRENCHES, GRACIA'S TEAM FALLS FOR THE FAKE...

 

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

There's a war going on behind the scenes at the rear of the Brownsville Main Library, traditionally the top early voting spot of the 18 or so sites in Cameron County.

Supporters of Brownsville attorney Erin Gamez – in no-holds barred contest with a hard-fought race with JP 2-2 Jonathan Gracia for District 38 state rep – say that their opponent, or rather, his father Cameron County Sheriff Department Chief Deputy Robert Gracia, is resorting to petty, amusing, if not desperate measures.

The elder Gracia, in anticipation that Gamez's supporters had rented a lot near the Kenmont Montessori ore school across Coria Street and had gone through their voter list of supporters to hand out plates of food, promptly rented a lot near them to try to distract the Gamez followers and try to entice them away from the lines toward them.

Then, when that didn't pan out, he had some of his campaign workers erect a sign directly in front of the Gamez sign. This drew outrage from the people in line to get at Gamez's food line (see graphic at right).

Some commenters on social media also said that the Gracia campaign workers –  including the older Gracia – were intimidating them and that included the chief deputy turning on his red and blue light of his unmarked unit.

Gamez supporters say they handed out some 700 plates to her supporters and had to ask for more from City of Brownsville Commissioner Pedro Cardenas' Mi Pueblito Restaurant.

Gracia even went to the point of erecting a tent near the Gamez site, but obviously has not attracted anyone and for the first two days of early voting has stood empty on the lot.

Once Gamez's people saw what was happening they went to plan B, moving the feast to another lot down the street, a property once owned by former coach Joe Rodriguez.

"When they moved the food dispensing site, it left the Gracia team high and dry and an empty tent where they had set up to compete withe the Gamez campaign," said a Gamez supporter. "It was masterful, like a fake handoff and they went for it hook-line-and-sinker. It was right out of the Dallas Cowboys play book."

Department staff members say that Chief Deputy Gracia has other troubles. Yesterday he was served with a notice to attend an arbitration hearing today before the Cameron County Civil Service Commission to hear Sgt. Rodrigo Almanza's complaint that Gracia and Sheriff Eric Garza had stripped him of his supervisory duties in retaliation for his support of former sheriff Omar Lucio.

Almanza's retaliation case is now in federal court.

Robert Gracia – when he was helping Sheriff Garza – bought lots across the early voting sites in Cameron Park Multi-Service Center and at the entrance of the Southmost Library to shut off his opponent's campaign workers. He was expecting to monopolize the Cameron Park site, but Gamez's supporters were able to rent a lot directly across the Cameron Park center. 

In this tit-for-tat war, the fist points have to go to Team Gamez, despite the older Gracia's petty shenanigans. 

Score:

Team Gamez = 1

Gracia = 0