El Paso Politics

I'm by far the biggest critic of the El Paso County Democratic Party. And I'm okay with that because I work hard at supporting Democrats and recruiting more Democrats so I'm cool with being able to critique my own party. So I have to also be able to give credit where credit is due. The Democratic Party has certainly upped their game since the new Chairman Rick Melendrez took over. There is material to give out to voters encouraging them to vote straight ticket. Slick design, and more importantly  a strong effective message. They also have released commercials. Good stuff too. Well done team.

A longtime fixture in the El Paso Democratic Party Rita Sarinana has indicated she will tender her resignation as a Precinct Chair for the Ranchland area. Ayle Sarinana, Rita's daughter, informed me of her mother's intentions yesterday evening while I was at Carolina. Sarinana has served as a Precinct Chair and delegate to county and state conventions. She campaigned for Republican Dan Chavez in the 2010 election against Jose Rodriguez and is supporting Chavez again in this election. Sarinana is also now supporting the Republican candidate for Congress What's Her Name. El Paso County Commissioner Anna Perez says that her office at the County recently received a robo-call featuring a recorded message from Rita Sarinana in support of What's Her Name. She is also featured in this commercial supporting the Republican candidate after previously supporting Congressman Reyes during the Primary Election. El Paso Democratic Party Chairman Rick Melendrez visited Carolina Center o...

Senate candidate Paul Sadler, who is the Democratic Party's nominee to replace retiring Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, has nabbed yet another endorsement for a Texas newspaper. The El Paso Times endorsed Sadler over the weekend. Though still an underdog, Sadler has been collecting a series of endorsements across the state of Texas for his candidacy. Sadler will benefit from the strength of El Paso's Democratic voters and I hear he might be making a stop here in El Paso before the end of early voting. I'll post more information about his visit once it becomes available.

I've heard a steady drum beat from Republicans in El Paso that I think is pretty damn offensive. In various settings I've heard them say things along the lines of "people in El Paso are Republicans, they just don't know it." Well I suppose you can have cancer for a while and not know it too. But thats not the point. They also talk about how voters are "lazy" when they go to the polls and vote straight ticket. Funny how they only mean the ones that vote straight Democrat. The ones that vote straight Republican are "informed voters". Their premise is an insult. It is basically saying we are stupid and lazy. Thats right, Republicans in El Paso County think we are stupid and lazy. Let me explain something. The idea that we are Republicans and don't know it is truly the height of stupidity. People are largely Democrats in this town because its what they BELIEVE in! Republicans would realize that if they actually ever spoke to a significant amoun...

In terms of campaign mechanics, the GOP locally is a joke. Other than the Margo campaign very few people  in the GOP locally know anything about campaigning. Its why they always end up with sub-par candidates and get waxed in elections. But...there are a couple of candidates that the GOP should be paying attention to. Justice Chris Antcliff and Judge Bill Hicks. Both candidates seem to "get it". Antcliff has spent several election cycles investing in his brand. It helps that he's running for a position on the bench and not a policy position, but he is far better at convincing people to cross-over to vote for his candidacy than say the GOP nominee for Congress, What's-Her-Name or their senatorial sacrificial lamb Dan Chavez. He's also utilizing Spanish language media. What's-Her-Name does so but in a clumsy way. I've seen stuff that says she's going to help Hispanics and owns a Hispanic business. (If a flower business is a business and sells flowers, an...

“El Paso could hold the key for Gallego.”   –  San Antonio Express-News  Fellow El Pasoan, Congressman Quico Canseco, who is supposed represent part of El Paso County, has had it out for us since he was elected during the 2010 Tea Party wave. He's fought for his friends in the banking industry, the lobbyists who pay for his lavish vacations and the political extremists who put him in office. Neither you nor I nor anyone in our community were anywhere on his list of priorities. But here's the good news - you have a chance to help defeat Canseco and replace him with Pete Gallego, whom the El Paso Times endorsed by saying, "This is a chance for El Paso to have two U.S. representatives with El Paso ties, and with El Paso's needs on their agenda." Here are four ways you can help: Go vote!  Click here  to find your early voting poll site Volunteer!  Sign up to volunteer  to help us make phone calls or knock on doors in El Paso Make a contribution . Any ...

Moments ago EPISD released two statements that are going to be a big deal, so pay attention. According to the releases, two key administrators from El Paso Independent School District will no longer be with EPISD. Former Bowie Principal Dr. Jesus Chavez, who was hired by former Superindentent Dr. Lorezo Garcia, has turned in a resignation. The resignation is effective immediately. Chavez has been working in the central office at EPISD since April. There was a separate statement released by EPISD Board President Isela Castanon-Williams that indicated that the former Director of Title I under Garcia is an agenda item on a special meeting of the trustees this week that is set to "take action on the termination, suspension, and/or non-renewal". I'm no Sherlock Holmes but in case you haven't figured it out, it looks to me like the new EPISD Superintendent Vernon Butler, who has less than a month on the job, was probably gonna whack him and Chavez probably tendered a resign...

Of the two Democratic state reps that endorsed Republican Dee Margo over a Democratic opponent and former state rep, Representative Naomi Gonzalez is likely to be the one that feels the most impact from the move. She's actually done a great job of keeping a low profile since the public support for Margo. Quick sidebar: The pair seem to want to make the distinction that they didn't endorse  Margo. Well they were on his mailer, gave permission to be on his mailer, and provided positive quotes for the mailer. Saying it isn't an endorsement is not only a cop-out but unnecessary. Despite the fact that Marquez seems to have taken more of the public heat for the move, its likely that Gonzalez will actually be the one most vulnerable for the move. Rep Gonzalez's district is more Democratic and there is already talk of people interested in taking on Gonzalez. Obviously they smell blood in the water. And rightfully so. In the last primary Representative Gonzalez actually received...

Frankly if I didn't write about the guy I don't think many people would even know he was running, but I noticed something today that I thought was interesting. Apparently a couple of Fred Chavez signs have gone up down in the Valley. I guess he decided that he was going to put forward some semblance of a campaign now despite the fact that its late in the game. But hey, better late than never right? Anywho, I think they are signs for Fred Chavez's campaign. Its hard to say for sure since they pretty much only say his last name. They aren't Dan Chavez signs, another Republican candidate that is going to get beaten pretty badly as well. Dan Chavez's signs, poorly done as they are, are in compliance with the sign code. Fred Chavez's signs are not in compliance. Oh oops, I mean Judge Fred Chavez as he is fond of saying. He was a long time Justice of the Peace as a Democrat. I accidentally wrote Republican the other day but I meant to say Democrat. I was tired. I was...

Fred Chavez is running against Vince Perez for County Commissioner in Precinct 3. Like pretty much every other Republican in town, he's going to catch a massive political beat-down at the ballot box. Okay, its not a box its a computer. But you get my point. Normally I would've been all over a guy like Fred Chavez. He's running around calling himself "Judge" Chavez because he was a Justice of the Peace. He's running as a Republican after spending his entire elected career as a Republican presumably because he didn't want to campaign in the primary. I feel bad for him though. Vince is going to clean his clock. And rightfully so. I'm told people should tune in to the debate on ABC 7 this Saturday morning. I hear Perez and Chavez put on quite the show. Speaking of entertaining, I saw this on Facebook and it made me laugh. Apparently Chavez decided to cut and paste the same Facebook update that the Perez campaign did on Monday. Here's Perez' update ...

Based on everything I've seen and hearing it straight from a city rep who voted AGAINST the stadium, if voters vote down Proposition 3, they are essentially voting to tax themselves for the ballpark. Voting against Proposition 3 is NOT voting against the stadium. The people telling you it is are either mistaken or lying to you. The question before voters on Proposition 3 is how it will be financed. Period. I've included some video of a Representative Acosta's community meeting just last night in which I posed the question personally. There is an argument that is made by those in opposition to the ballpark that is made consistently, and I was able to get video of Stephanie Townsend-Allala and former State Representative Norma Chavez, both opponents to the ballpark and propositions, making the argument. Representative Acosta and Ms. Arrieta (city finance staffer) respond consistently that Proposition 3 is not about the ballpark. The argument made by opponents to the ballpark...

I did a quick post-debate interview with Congressman-elect Beto O'Rourke following the last debate of the season last night at Burgess High School. A couple of quick thoughts.  - Clearly O'Rourke is the rock star of the race. After the debate people stood in line to meet O'Rourke, shake his hand, and take a picture with him. No one really did that with What's-Her-Name. - What's-Her-Name is trying her level best to not sound like an extremist Tea Party Republican. Mostly because the Sore Loser Democrats that are supporting her are telling her, and rightfully so, to soften her positions. I have actually been pretty impressed with the fact that she tries really hard to sound like a Democrat on the DREAM Act, going so far as to say that it doesn't cover enough people. Funny thing about that is that no one in the media has really pressed her more deeply on her immigration policies. I think someone should ask her, other than the DREAM Act, what other changes to immigr...

No word on whether or not she will be visiting with Reps Marquez and Naomi Gonzalez when she's in town, but check this out: STATE HOUSE DEMOCRATIC LEADER TO JOIN EL PASO REP-ELECT MARY GONZALEZ & OTHER DEMOCRATIC LEADERS IN SUPPORT OF JOE MOODY EL PASO  – On Saturday, Jessica Farrar, the Democratic Leader of the Texas House of Representatives and co-chair of the Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee (HDCC), will join state Representative-Elect Mary Gonzalez; Democratic Nominee for Texas House District 101, Chris Turner; and Rene Lara, Texas Democratic Party Secretary, at a press conference in support of Joe Moody, Democratic Nominee for Texas House District 78. The press conference will be held at the Pavilion at Veterans Park and will begin at 10am. WHAT:  Press Conference Supporting Joe Moody WHO:  Hon. Jessica Farrar, Leader, Texas House Democratic Caucus & Co-Chair, Texas HDCC ;  Mary Gonzalez, State Representative-Elect, House District 75 ;...

By Alexander Mckibbon I've been into politics since I was 9 years old. During the Bush years, I considered myself a democrat. I was against the "PATRIOT" act, torture, the Iraqi War and a lot of other crap that went on during his tenure in office. I have always been for marriage equality, fiscal conservatism and a woman's right to choose. At the start of the 2008 campaign, I supported Barack Obama right from the start. I remembered his keynote speech at the 2004 convention and his name stuck in my head ever since. When he delcared his candidacy in Springfield, I was so stoked! As the campaign progressed, I became more and more convinced that this was the guy that would return America back to her greatness and restore her image around the world. I remember thinking "Why are the republicans even trying?" When Obama got the democratic nomination, I remember I went outside and starting screaming his name with my friend Stephanie. I held signs and spoke to others...

State Representative Marisa Marquez was at a protest at the El Paso Independent School District Board Meeting yesterday and wagged her finger at EPISD for their many short comings. Two things occurred to me when I read this article in the El Paso Times and saw her photo. First – She would have a whole lot more credibility on matters of education if she hadn't publicly supported Republican Dee Margo who voted for HUGE cuts to education. Sorta takes the wind out of her sails. And by that I mean, it makes her look like a big hypocrite. Why would anyone take her critique seriously when she's supporting someone who didn't show support for public education. She endorsed someone who will make it harder for EPISD to serve the students. Nice. Marquez giving lectures to EPISD after supporting Margo is like me telling someone they need to exercise more and eat more vegetables. I could say it, but who would take me seriously? This is just one of probably many instances were here credib...

Jaime: In this season of competitive politics, it is important for candidates and observers alike to put our competitive natures aside when voting for bonds and considering the future of our city as well as the next 30 years of budgeting.  It is also important not to demonize one side in an attempt to win short-lived political points. There are good people on both sides of these issues and, though I believe mistakes and misunderstandings have been made on both sides, the people involved are passionate about El Paso and want the best for our city. On the issue of this year’s quality of life bond, I will be voting in favor of two out of the three propositions.  I believe the first two bonds, issuing a specific amount of general obligation, are important to help our city improve aesthetically and culturally.  However, the cloudy process with the third proposition looms in what might have been an easy sell had our citizenry been involved from the onset. ...

I know, I know, I'm fiercely Democratic and none of you are shocked that I think all the Republicans in countywide elections are going to lose. But regardless of my own political beliefs, I can look at numbers just like anyone else can. Except apparently the poor souls that sign up to be campaign managers for these candidates. I actually like many of the candidates that are running in countywide races, I disagree with their policy, but I find most of them likeable enough. Of the ones I personally know anyway. But the point is, they are going to get their butts handed to them. All of them are going to catch a political beat-down. The main reason? NUMBERS! Do the math people. Voters are creatures of habits and all you need to do is look at voting trends and its easy to see how badly things are going to go for Republicans countywide. In 2008 there were over 76,000 people in El Paso County that voted Democratic. There were under 24,000 that voted Republican. That was a year Democr...

So I've been to a couple of gatherings that had a lot of Republicans present over the last few days that mentioned the ball park. For some reason the general consensus among those Republicans was that the ball park was some sort of hippie liberal thing. It isn't. I almost stood up in one meeting to remind the room that Paul Foster and Woody Hunt are in fact, Republicans. The three members of City Council that are opposed to the stadium, Reps Acosta, Holguin, and Robinson, are all Democrats. There are Republicans and Democrats in support of the stadium. There are Republicans and Democrats opposed to the stadium. Just wanted to clarify that point.

I know what you're thinking, you want to early vote in El Paso County but don't know where to go or what times they will be open. Relax, I got your back. Here's a list of early voting locations in El Paso County. Early Voting Locations General Election

This is being circulated around the Democratic Party and I thought she made some very strong points so I'm posting this. I didn't get her permission to post it, but its being shared by Don Williams so that means just about every email inbox in the County has it by now: The State Party Platforms of the Texas Democratic and Republican Parties are available online – look them up.  The platforms are credos, a statement of beliefs developed by concerned citizens across the State who choose to actively participate in the democratic process.  They are born in school cafeterias, fire houses, and other local polling places when any citizen who has voted in a primary election attends their precinct convention and puts forth a resolution to be considered for inclusion in the platform.  They make their way through county conventions and the ones that survive form the basis of the platforms adopted at the respective State party conventions.  Platform development is...

Friends,  Due to the passing of Senator Mario Gallegos, One Texas has decided to postpone this event in El Paso to a later date. We apologize for any inconvenience and we look forward to re-scheduling this for another date in the near future.  Best wishes, Jakob Stewart Executive Director, One Texas PAC

Frankly I've been saying this for a long time now, O'Rourke is in no danger of losing. His Republican opponent will likely get around, or possibly even less, than the previous Republican candidate Tim Besco. Her support has been over-stated due to the fact that a few Sore Loser Democrats can't come to accept a loss. I think most of those folks have started to peel off and will likely do what they normally do, vote straight ticket. The financial reports came out and said exactly what everyone thought they'd say. O'Rourke has a commanding lead in fundraising over his opponent. Thats a big deal because you are talking about a countywide race. Sure, on a small scale with the right team and the right set of circumstances a campaign that raises less money can defeat the campaign with more money, but frankly the circumstances and the tool box just aren't there for the Republican nominee. Oh yeah, and then there's the thing about how no one from the faction O'Ro...

El Paso Invite (1)

Sorry, that was my lame attempt at an old-timey news headline. Anywho, Edward Beck is the latest District 2 City Rep candidate to throw his hat in the ring for the position soon to be vacated by Susie Byrd. Early voting for the general election hasn't even started yet but as I mentioned before, expect a classroom size field of candidates for this race. He joins Getsemani Yanez who has already pre-launched his campaign and has a social media presence as well. Click this link for Beck's Campaign Facebook Page .

One Texas has released a video outlining some of the more controversial votes State Representative Dee Margo has made during his tenure as state representative. The video is called Dee Margo's Mentiras and was sent out as an email from State Representative Trey Martinez-Fischer.  The video takes some of Margo's own words and uses them against in as they go point-by-point outlining the votes Margo has taken.  There are also a couple of not-so-subtle jabs at State Representatives Marisa Marquez and Naomi Gonzalez in the video as well. 

A frequent reader of the LSB sent me an email pointing out that Fred Chavez, the Republican candidate running for El Paso County Commissioner for Precinct #3, has a Facebook page that contains some questionable representations. As you can see in this screen shot of the candidate's page, Chavez appears to be wearing a judge's robe. Turns out we have 36 mutual friends too. Neato. The next part is where things get interesting. In his "About" portion of his FB page, it states "Judge Fred Chavez for County Commissioner" It goes on to instruct the reader to touch #163 or #5. I presume #163 is his number on the ballot and #5 is to vote straight ticket Republican. Which is also interesting because Mr. Chavez is actually listed in Texas Voter Action Network database as a very reliable Democratic voter based on his voting history. Turns out Mr. Chavez isn't actually a judge. Although at some point in the past he was a Justice of the Peace.  He actually makes that ...

I often find myself quoting Shakespeare when discussing politics in the Borderplex. Perhaps because our region at times is quite the tragic comedy. But its particularly true of places dear to my heart, like Socorro. For those of you that never visit, you should. Despite its often legendary political dysfunction, it is a city filled with rich history and culture. Genuinely good people who great each other on the streets and honestly care about their neighbors. There's a saying in the Army about Privates complaining. "If soldiers ain't complaining, they ain't happy." In other words, complaining is all they do. Its their nature. Well Socorro appears to have the same philosophy when it comes to political in-fighting. Its the stuff of legend. Its often the stuff of Shakespeare. “Two households, both alike in dignity In fair Verona, where we lay our scene From ancient grudge break to new mutiny Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of t...

State Board of Education Member Charlie Garza (R-El Paso) pulled no punches in an interview with The LionStar Blog yesterday when he spoke about fellow Republican and State Representative Dee Margo's education townhall yesterday. Garza, who will be facing Democratic challenger Martha Dominguez in the November primary, stated that the event that included a visit from the Texas Education Agency Commissioner Michael Williams "was a shameless exhibition of political pandering for the purpose of getting Dee Margo re-elected." Garza indicated that protocol wasn't followed be either Representative Margo's office or the office of the Commissioner. Garza said he first found out about the visit last Friday while at a high school football game through an email from the El Paso GOP. Garza personally called the Commissioner on Sunday evening to find out the details about the trip and to question why he was coming to town without notifying the member of the State Board of Educa...

There's an email floating around lauding "moving testimony" from Dr. Steven Lane at the sentencing hearing of Dr. Garcia. Personally, I think Dr. Garcia got a slap on the wrist and should've received a harsher sentence. But file this under hilarious. The email lauding the testimony is from Kids First - Reform EPISD and the name on the email says Eliot Shapleigh. The email states, "Here is the moving testimony of Dr. Steven Lane given at the sentencing hearing of Lorenzo Garcia in US District Court. We hope that you will take the time to read his words - then help us to restore trust, hope and quality education at EPISD." The the text of what appears to be testimony is included (also included in this post). And Shapleigh is right. It is some inspirational stuff I must admit. Its the kind of stuff that belongs in a script of a Hollywood movie. Wait a tick...this testimony sounds familiar. Maybe it sounds so good it belongs in a Hollywood script because...well,...