County Judge and School Board Elections head Early Voting during October 20-31st
By: Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2014, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.
The Maverick County Judge and four Eagle Pass Independent School District Board of Trustees races will head the Texas November 4, 2014 General Election early voting period set to start on Monday, October 20,2014 and run through Saturday, October 31, 2014 at the City of Eagle Pass Multi-Purpose Center located at 480 South Adams Street in Fort Duncan Park in downtown Eagle Pass.
All Maverick County registered voters are encouraged to come out and exercise their right to vote for the candidates of their choice in the Early Voting Period during 8 A.M. to 7 P.M. at the City of Eagle Pass Multi-Purpose Center.
Headlining the local ballot is the contested race for Maverick County Judge between the Democratic Party candidate and incumbent County Judge David R. Saucedo and local Republican Party community advocate Jose Reyna.
Other local contested races of great interest are two Eagle Pass Independent School District Board of Trustees positions and two uncontested positions. The first EPISD School Board contested race is for Position No. 1 between appointed Trustee Benjamin Rodriguez, III, who is being challenged by Eagle Pass Police Department Officer Humberto Torralba and local educator and consultant Mashyell Calderon. The second contested EPISD School Board race is for Position No. 3 between incumbent Trustee Ramon Ramirez and retired EPISD Administrator Rudy Bowles. Two EPISD School Board races are uncontested with Position No. 4 appointed Trustee Hilda Martinez-Caballero is unopposed and Position No. 5 incumbent Lupita Fuentes is also unopposed.
Another hotly contested race is for U. S. House of Representative, Texas-District 23, between Democratic Party candidate and incumbent Congressman Pete P. Gallego of Alpine, Texas versus Republican candidate and former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operative Will Hurd of San Antonio, Texas. Congressman Gallego seeks re-election to a second two-year term while his opponent, Will Hurd, has no previous publicly elected experience.
Another novel issue on this year’s ballot for Precinct 3B and C residents in Normandy and Quemado in northern Maverick County is an election to allow the sale of alcohol beverages in that Precinct since it has been a “dry” precinct, which prohibits the sale of alcohol, for over 90 years. Several retail and convenience stores in Normandy and Quemado are petitioning to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages in Precinct 3B and C.
For U.S. Senator, the candidates are Democrat David Alameel, a Dentist from Dallas, Texas, and Republican John Cornyn of San Antonio, Texas.
Texas State Representative Poncho Nevarez is running unopposed for a second two-year term as state representative.
Local County races which are unopposed include 293rd Judicial District Judge Cynthia Muniz, 365th Judicial District Judge Amado J. Abascal, III, Maverick County Commissioner Gerardo “Jerry” Morales for Precinct 1, Democrat Rosy Cantu for Commissioner Precinct 2, Commissioner Roberto Ruiz for Precinct 4, Leopoldo “Polo” Vielma for Maverick County District Clerk, Sara Montemayor for Maverick County Clerk, Kina Mancha for Justice of the Peace Precinct 1, Dora Madera for Justice of the Peace Precinct 2, David Castaneda for Justice of the Peace Precinct 3A&B, and Jeannie Smith for Justice of the Peace Precinct 3C.
Highlighting the State of Texas election is the race for Governor between the highly spirited and peoples advocate Democratic candidate Senator Wendy Davis against the status quo Republican candidate Attorney General Greg Abbott. Senator Davis seeks to become the first Democratic governor of Texas since Ann Richards defeated Clayton Williams over 14 years ago. Senator Davis favors raising the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour, equal funding for public education, a woman’s right of self-determination concerning her pregnancies, expansion of Medicaid to Texas, rescinding the discriminatory Texas Voter ID Law, rescinding discriminatory state and federal redistricting done by Republicans, protecting the Texas-Mexico border, and creating a new Texas through inclusion of all diverse people of Texas, not just the good old boy status-quo. Also seeking the Governor position are Libertarian Kathie Glass and Green Party candidate Brandon Parmer.
For Lieutenant Governor of Texas, Democratic Party nominee is Senator Leticia Van De Putte of San Antonio against Republican Tea Party nominee Dan Patrick of Houston, Libertarian Party nominee Robert D. Butler, and Green Party nominee Chandrakantha Courtney.
For Attorney General of Texas race, the candidates include Democrat Sam Houston going against Republican Ken Paxton, Libertarian Jaime Balagia, and Green Party nominee Jamar Osbourne. Democrat Sam Houston has won the endorsement of all major Texas newspapers.
For State Comptroller of Texas, the candidates include Democrat and CPA Mike Collier against Republican Glenn Hagar, Libertarian Ben Sanders, and Green Party Deb Shafto.
The Commissioner of Land Office race has Democratic nominee John Cook going against Republican nominee George P. Bush, Libertarian Party nominee Justin Knight and Green Party nominee Valerie Alessi.
In the race for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture, the candidates include Democrat Jim Hogan against Republican Sid Miller, Libertarian David (Rocky) Palmquist, and Green Party Kenneth Kendrick.
For Railroad Commission of Texas, the candidates are Democratic Party nominee Steve Brown, who personally visited Eagle Pass, going against Republican Ryan Simon, Libertarian , Mark A. Miller, and Green Party Martina Salinas.
For Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court, the candidates are Democrat William Moody versus Republican Nathan Hecht, and Libertarian Tom Oxford.
The Justice of the Texas Supreme Court Place 6 candidates are Democrat Lawrence Edwards Meyers against Republican Jeff Brown and Libertarian Mark Ash.
For Justice of the Texas Supreme Court Place 7, the candidates are Democrat Gina Benavides against Republican Jeff Boyd, Libertarian Don Fulton, and Green Party Charles E. Waterbury.
The Justice of the Texas Supreme Court Place 8 candidates are Republican Phil Johnson, Libertarian RS Roberto Koelsh, and Green Party Jim Chilsom.
For the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Justice Place 3 the candidates include Democrat John Granberg, Republican Bert Richardson, and Libertarian Mark W. Bennett.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4 candidates are Republican Kevin Patrick Yeary, Libertarian Quanah Parker, and Green Party Judith Sanders Castro.
For Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 9, the candidates are Republican David William Bryan Strange III and (Grn) George Joseph Altgelt.
For the Chief Justice of the Texas Fourth Court of Appeals, which includes Maverick County, the candidates are Democrat Irene Rios versus Republican Sandee Bryan Marion.
Maverick County voters should exercise their right to vote and make a difference in local, county, state,and federal races. Your vote is your voice.
