TIME FOR S. TEXAS DEMOCRATS TO UNITE, REJECT CHAQUETEROS

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

There you have it. During the Cameron County Sheriff's Halloween community event held in Olmito, Sheriff Eric Garza's tent was next to one sporting a campaign sign urging residents to vote for Santiago "Jimmy" Manrrique, the Republican candidate for sheriff in the November 5 election.

Others before him – notably his predecessor Omar Lucio – did the same thing. But there was a difference. Lucio did not like the idea of a non-career law enforcement district clerk to assume command over seasoned law enforcement officers. Lucio felt that the department would go to pieces with Garza at the helm.

He was, unfortunately, right.

Merely endorsing the opposite party's candidate would be bad enough. But obviously, Garza goes a bit farther, personally endorsing Manrique and inviting him to functions held on county property like Night Out and this Halloween event. Inside, Manrrique campaign signs were in the hallways and on a sofa chair. Manrrique workers (including Beetlejuice) openly campaigned for their candidate.

And at a recent 16 de Septiembre event held for Democrat Texas Senate District 27 incumbent Morgan LaMantia, several people, like BISD candidate Victor Caballero, who has openly carried signs of Republican U.S. House of Representatives District 34 candidate Mayra Flores, appeared at that Democratic function. Flores  is challenging incumbent Vicente Gonzalez. Even supporters of Republican Cameron County Tax Assessor-Collector Jesus Martinez showed up.

We have long told Cameron Count Democratic Party chairman Jared Hockema and Texas Democratic Party chair Gilberto Hinojosa that local Democrats can no longer play "nice" with Republicans, who think nothing of using a Democrat's events to campaign for the opposing party.  Republicans wouldn't allow it.

And Democratic politicians like former state senator Eddie Lucio Jr. who have endorsed Republican candidate Adam Hinojosa over Democratic incumbent LaMantia after convincing Cameron County residents for 36 years he was a good Democrat should be banned from the party. And now we have Garza, the defeated sheriff candidate who lost to Manny Treviño openly endorsing Manrrique after Democrats rejected him for re-election. Who needs them? 

They are, of course, free to campaign for their candidates at their events, but to piggyback on Democrat's campaign events is not only disrespectful, but also shows a glaring lack of class. As for the sore losers who decided to be "chaqueteros," they can say goodbye to their political careers. Republicans would have done the same.