Najera: Fighting to Keep Her Job; Losing to a Dictionary

Let me just say this as plainly as possible: it does not take long. Give yourself about two sentences into a conversation with Judge Lucila Najera and you will arrive at a very firm conclusion.

That is not a heavyweight intellectual situation. 

That’s not me being mean. That’s not hyperbole. That’s just… observation. Repeated, documented, almost scientific observation at this point. As a candidate and now as a sitting judge, she has said some absolutely wild stuff. The kind of stuff where you stop mid-scroll and go, “Wait… did she mean to say that out loud?”

And now here we are.

Runoff season.

Najera recently jumped on Facebook to celebrate making it into a runoff election, and I have to be honest, I admire the commitment to the bit. Because what incumbent — with even a basic understanding of math, elections, or reality — celebrates the fact that more than 75% of voters chose someone else?

Nobody. The answer is nobody.

The only person excited about this runoff is Najera. Everybody else is looking around like, “Didn’t we already try to fire you once?”

A runoff in El Paso isn’t a badge of honor. It’s not a second-place ribbon you frame and hang in the courthouse. It’s basically voters saying, “We’re not done here… but you’re definitely on thin ice.”

And yet, there she is, grinning like she just got reelected in a landslide.

But here’s where it gets better.

Because in the middle of trying to sell this whole “I’m thrilled to still be here” narrative, Najera managed to do something that perfectly encapsulates the entire operation: she can’t even spell.

Yes. Really.

In her own post. About her own campaign. During a runoff election that will determine whether she keeps her job.

No proofreading. No second set of eyes. No campaign staffer gently tapping her on the shoulder like, “Hey Judge, maybe let’s run spellcheck real quick before we hit ‘post’?”

Nothing.

Just a keyboard, a prayer, and typos.

Run-OOF

As in, "Oof, how did we elect this person?"

Honestly, someone help this lady.

And before you think this is a one-time thing, let me remind you… it’s not. This has already happened before. Campaign mailers. Printed. Sent out. Forever. You can’t even blame autocorrect on that one. That took effort. That took a team of people collectively deciding, “Yeah… looks good, send it.”

Exhibit B speaks for itself.

One of USE. 

I know what you're thinking. 

The Two UTES scene from My Cousin Vinny. 

"The two whuuut?"

At this point, it’s not even a mistake. It’s a brand.

And I’ll be real with you, I’m going to be a little sad when this runoff is over. Because there is something almost artistic about the way Najera keeps stepping on the same rake over and over again… and somehow finding new and creative ways to get hit in the face.

It’s not just incompetence.

It’s commitment.