Odds & Ends From My Notebook

Okay here's a few blurbs that aren't big enough to be their own post, but are still good enough to be mentioned.

As I previously mentioned, I went to the VAN training the other day and there were a few funny things that happened. The funniest thing was this big conversation about who got banned from using VAN and why. There were a bunch of conflicting rumors but since I had the low down I corrected some false stories.

The next funniest thing was some poor guy that was helping out County Judge candidate and former El Paso Mayor John Cook. He showed up late as well. I don't mean like 15-30 minutes late...I mean like HOURS late. I don't even know why he bothered to show up, it was a total waste and made Cook look bad, especially because a few people mentioned that very few people showed up to Cook's fundraiser.

That reminds me, let me know about your fundraiser and I'll post the info.

Anywho, the kid started talking about some social media push and I just sort of rolled my eyes about all the kiddos that thing they are going to social media their way to an election win.

Congressman O'Rourke had several staffers attend the training. He looks like he's very serious about the senate bid. Escobar didn't have anyone there but Mike Apodaca is running her field so she didn't need anyone there and Dori, well her field guy isn't allowed.

Judicial candidates Judge Monique Velarde, who is running against Gonzalo Garcia, Danny Razo, Jesus Rodriguez, and Ruben Nuñez attended the training along with Laura Enriquez who is running for County Judge. Richard Samaniego's campaign consultant Norma Chavez was also in attendance.

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JP Names Make it Official

Chavez, who was formerly the state representative for District 76, confirmed that she is not a candidate for Justice of the Peace. She's helping people run for office this cycle and will not be a candidate.

Rebeca Bustamante has indicated that based on feedback and support that she has received that she will be a candidate for Justice of the Peace in Precinct 4 on the eastside. She is an attorney, which is one main advantage she has over the incumbent judge, but also has a long history in the Party and will likely be able to raise the money necessary to win a ground-focused campaign. Urenda, the incumbent is in a tough position because if he doesn't get out in the field, he will not be able to knock on as many doors as Bustamante. But if he is in the field, he's going to face scrutiny for not being in the office full time.

This is certainly the year for female judicial candidates.

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Weirdness at a Fundraiser

I didn't personally attend and I'm waiting on some video but I'm told things got really weird at District Clerk Norma Favela's recent fundraiser, which is apparently fanning the flames of a rumored upcoming opponent. Attendees tell me that her spouse Jaime Barceleau got kind of strange when introducing Favela and referred to her as "our District Clerk". Apparently that was supposed to be some cue for her staff to shout the phrase "our District Clerk" as well and they didn't do so until Barceleau kept prodding them to do so.

Apparently Barceleau kept mentioning her election as favorite elected official as well. That is actually a bit of a sore spot for staff because they have said for many years, at least going as far back as when I was at the County, that they hated that time of the year because Favela pressured them to attend the event to vote for her, which is why she won so often.

She can't honestly think that people genuinely think the District Clerk, an office they don't even know about most of the time to begin with, is actually their favorite elected official.

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David Stout is absolutely running for County Judge. He's gonna hang on as long as he can to get that County pay raise he voted for himself. He has the best of both worlds right now. He can fundraise for Commissioner (wink, wink) and then at the last minute pivot to run for County Judge. With a weak field of candidates, he is absolutely going to do so. Until he comes out and rules it out, which he has specifically not done, consider it likely to happen.