READER: CABALLERO FRONT RUNNER FOR "FOOL OF THE YEAR"

By The General

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

Now we know that the numbers didn't lie! And they said – and repeated beyond doubt – that Brownsville Independent School District board candidate Victor Caballero, who gives his intellect and popularity a mite too much credit, turned out to be a certified loser.

And not only that he was a loser, but that he will pay handsomely to be a two-time loser in the same election! 

After three days of ego massage in the form of an expensive hand recount of the ballots from the November 8 general election, the new tally gave Caballero two more votes and winner Denise Garza one more vote. Not that Garza had need for worry. Her election day outcome gave her an overwhelming margin of victory. She won the heads up race by more than 4,000 votes and confirmed her massive victory after Caballero's folly. 

So why a recount in the first place? 

Isn't that meant for elections decided by a handful of votes? Ten?  Less than 100? But, thousands? That goes in the sour grapes file for Caballero and his Association of Brownsville Educators' sidekicks. Hardly gracious in defeat, Caballero immediately claimed he was tipped off by someone in the Cameron County Elections office that the fix was in. His source – and his ballot count – turned out to be fatally wrong.

He deserved 15 more minutes of infamy fighting this injustice. AOBE climbed on board. The local

union was desperate to place the ringleader of their endorsed candidates on their slumping shoulders and raise money for his efforts.

Game over. 

No more appeals. 

Pay the piper. 

Workers hand sorted and counted ballots for three days. The cost of this folly will likely be between $20,000 and $30,000 dollars. Caballero is now on the hook for the tab. Million dollar Victor is always bragging about his personal wealth. Will he put his money where his mouth is? Or will the self-described millionaire leave taxpayers or BISD to pay for his inability to accept defeat like a man? 

Caballero, who famously exclaimed in the Brownsville Herald that he was the world's most interesting man and most popular candidate of all that ran for the board in 2022, has shown himself to be little more than an arrogant braggart who totally misjudged the voters. 

He may have put the slate together of himself, Carlos Elizondo and Frank Ortiz. The other two men won by keeping a low profile. Voters solidly rejected Caballero and his abrasive personality. Denise Garza may be seen by some as a somewhat lackluster candidate, but she proved to be an untiring campaigner. But in a choice between lackluster and obnoxious, lackluster won big.

The recount should be a cautionary tale for many. Popularity is fleeting. Talk is cheap. Let the winners take seats at the BISD table. Two-time losers should move on to something else.