Najera - The Only Thing Missing Is the Red Hat

Alright, I told you I was gonna bring receipts, and unlike certain elected officials in this town, I don’t show up empty-handed and hope nobody asks follow-up questions.

So here it is.

MAGA’s favorite candidate in a Democratic race right here in El Paso is… sitting down? Good.

Justice of the Peace Lucilla Najera.

Yeah, I can already hear the objections. “Nah, you’re reaching.” “That’s made up.” “Show proof.”

Relax. I came prepared.

Let’s start with Exhibit A: Darrel Mond.

Now, if you’ve been around El Paso politics long enough, you’ve probably seen this guy floating around events like he’s on a frequent flyer program for ribbon cuttings. And wouldn’t you know it, he and Najera seem to have a standing RSVP together. Event after event. Photo after photo. Smiles, handshakes, the whole “we go way back” energy.

At first glance, you might think, “Okay, maybe he’s just another Democrat supporter.”

That’s the trick.

Because like a lot of Republicans in El Paso who like to play dress-up during primary season, this guy votes in Democratic primaries. But let’s not get it twisted. That doesn’t make him a Democrat. That makes him strategic.

And by strategic, I mean MAGA.

Not “leans right.” Not “fiscally conservative.” Not “I just have questions.”

Full-on, capital letters, red hat MAGA. Don't believe me? Okay cool - here's a pic on social media declaring his support. 

And before anybody tries the classic political cleanup move, “Oh those are old photos, people change,” let me stop you right there.

Nope.

They’re still close. Still showing up together. Still politically comfortable enough that Najera thought, “You know who belongs on my campaign materials? This guy.”

You don’t accidentally put a MAGA loyalist on your campaign lit like it’s a family photo at Christmas. 

That’s a choice. 

A loud one.

And that was sent out to voters in this CURRENT election!

But wait, it gets better.

Because if you really want to know who benefits from a candidate, you don’t just look at who they hang out with. You look at who is doing their dirty work.

And right now, the Republican swamp side of the local blogosphere is going after her opponent, Dora Oaxaca.

Now, let’s be real for a second. Dora and I? We’ve had our moments. That’s putting it politely. Two strong-willed Chicanos from the same political ecosystem? Yeah, sometimes the Lower Valley ain’t big enough for both of us.

We’ve been on the opposite side of several campaigns. 

Hell we even hate each other's football teams. 

But here’s the difference between political beef and political reality. Because while we have famously been in different sides of campaigns - she's a former Chair of the El Paso Democratic Party and I've never questioned the fact that she's a true-blue Democrat. 

I can disagree with someone, go a few rounds with them, and still recognize what’s in front of me.

Dora Oaxaca is more qualified than Najera. 

Period. And it's not even close. 

She's also done more to elect Democrats in one weekend than Najera has ever done in her life. 

Dora's shown results - she led the Party through COVID and secured a convention in El Paso. 

And Najera? She’s built two things - a track record of saying things to voters that don’t exactly line up with a little thing I like to call, reality - and a case backlog because she's too busy doing weddings. 

Actually, scratch that. Let’s call it what it is.

She’s lied. 

Repeatedly.

Not once. Not twice. Enough times that most people would lose count.

I didn’t.

And just when you think she’s done testing how much voters are willing to ignore, here she comes again with another one. Don’t worry, I’ll be breaking that down soon too, because apparently the hits just keep on coming.

So let’s recap.

You’ve got a Democratic candidate:

• Rolling with a known MAGA loyalist

• Featuring him in campaign materials like it’s no big deal

• Benefiting from Republican attacks against her opponent

• And building a reputation that raises serious questions about credibility

At some point, you gotta stop asking, “Is this a coincidence?” and start asking, “Who exactly is this campaign for?”

Because when MAGA starts rooting for someone in a Democratic race, it’s not because they had a sudden change of heart.

It’s because they think they’ve found their best option.

And that should tell you everything you need to know.