Cantu, Ruiz, and Mancha win Democratic Party Primary Run-Off Election

By: Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2014, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.

Only 3,014 registered Maverick County Democratic Party voters cast their ballots in the May 27, 2014 Primary Run-Off Election including three local county races being contested.

Eagle Pass businesswoman Rosy Cantu easily won the Democratic Party Primary for Maverick County Commissioner of Precinct 2 with 731 (68.13%) votes compared to former Maverick County Justice of the Peace Martha Chacon’s 342 (31.87%) votes. No Republican Party candidate ran for the Precinct 2 Commissioner post.

The most hotly contested race was for Maverick County Commissioner of Precinct 4 with appointed Commissioner Roberto Ruiz winning by a slim margin of 66 votes, garnering 579 (53.02%) votes compared to former Eagle Pass Fire Chief Guadalupe Cardona’s 513 (46.98%) votes. There is no Republican Party candidate for Precinct 4 Commissioner.

Incumbent Maverick County Justice of the Peace of Precinct 1 Kina Mancha easily won re-election of the Democratic Party Primary with 506 (69.22%) votes compared to local public school teacher Charlie Ruiz’s 225 (30.78%) votes. No Republican Party candidate registered for the Justice of the Peace of Precinct 1 position.

In other statewide Democratic Party Primary run-off elections, Maverick County voters favored David M. Alameel for the United States Senate with 1,764 (75.81%) compared to Kesha Rogers’ 563 (24.19%) votes; and Jim Hogan for Commissioner of Agriculture with 1,211 (56.93%) votes compared to Richard “Kinky” Friedman’s 916 (43.07%) votes.

Maverick County Democratic Party voters have stayed home in recent elections questioning the Party’s outreach, voter registration drives, and voter get out the vote rallies in the traditional Democratic Party modus operandi.

Local Democratic Party members promise a stronger showing in the November 4th General Election with several local elections being contested including the County Judge post, the Eagle Pass Independent School District Board of Trustees places, the Maverick County Hospital District Board of Directors seats, statewide elections such as Governor and Lieutenant Governor, and federal races such as for U.S. House of Representative and U. S. Senate.