Barrera, Hiller, Alvarez & Purcell win Eagle Pass Independent School District Board of Trustees Election

By: Miguel Munoz, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2016

A record number 13,976 Maverick County registered voters cast their ballots during the Early Voting Period and on Election Day, November 8, 2016, bringing hard-fought and surprise victories for Jorge Barrera in a crowded field of four candidates for Position No. 1 of the Eagle Pass Independent School District Board of Trustees, Christopher Hiller over incumbent Position No. 2  Trustee Ignacio “Nacho” Saucedo, and re-election by Position No. 6 incumbent Trustee Dr. Hector Alvarez over challenger Carmen Ravenna and Position No. 7 incumbent Trustee Glenna Purcell over challenger Carmen Schmerber-Garcia at the November 8th EPISD Board of Trustees Election.

In the Trustee Position No. 1, Eagle Pass Water Works and Sewer System General Manager Jorge Barrera garnered 4,427 total votes (37.61%) to outlast his fellow three opponents in closely contested election, including Middle Rio Grande Development Council Workforce Director Ronnie Rivera who received 2,910 votes (24.72%), retired educator Juan Jose “Pachi” Olivares who received 3,071 votes (26.09%), and retired educator and U.S. Veteran Ricardo “Riche” Lopez who received 1,364 votes (11.59%).

For Trustee Position No. 2, Eagle Pass businessman Christopher Hiller scored the biggest upset in the EPISD Board of Trustees election collecting a total of 6,752 votes (55.05%) compared to Maverick County employee and incumbent Trustee Ignacio “Nacho” Saucedo’s 5,513 votes (44.95%) in a hotly contested election.

In the Trustee Position No. 6, local dentist and incumbent Dr. Hector Alvarez retained his Board seat with a resounding victory over Tejano songwriter and musician and newspaper publisher Carmen Ravenna with 7,214 (63.37%) compared to Ravenna’s 4,170 votes (36.63%).

For Trustee Position No. 7, retired educator and incumbent Glenna Purcell edged her challenger retired Catholic educator Carmen Schmerber-Garcia with 6,479 votes (55.72%) total votes compared to Schmerber-Garcia’s 5,149 votes (44.28%) to retain her Board position.

All four Board of Trustees’ positions were competitively contested and the voters of Maverick County have cast their ballots and elected their four EPISD Board of Trustees to serve a four year term.