Salinas Stuns Sifuentes in Mayoral Race, Swearing-In Scheduled May 10
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2021
A total of 4,957 registered voters in the City of Eagle Pass, Texas cast their ballots in the May 1, 2021 City Officers Election, ushering a change of leadership in the position of Mayor as City Councilman Rolando Salinas stunned incumbent Mayor Luis E. Sifuentes with 2,752 votes compared to 2,191—a margin of victory of 561 votes.
Salinas, a City Councilman with 14 months experience, ousted Mayor Sifuentes, a City Councilman for 13 years and 14 months as Mayor, in the hard-fought election campaign for the City top post.
With over 17,000 registered voters in the City of Eagle Pass, only an estimated 29.15% of voters (4,957) participated in the key City Officers Election of May 1, 2021.
Newly-elected Mayor Salinas thanked all the voters of Eagle Pass who participated in the May 1 city election and for taking the time to come out to cast their ballots for the candidates of their choice.
Outgoing Mayor Sifuentes gave a gracious concession speech on May 1 following the announcement of the election results, congratulating Salinas on his victory and vowing to working with him on ensuring a smooth transition of power at City Hall.
After a difficult experience with the COVID-19 pandemic during the past 14 months that raised Eagle Pass as the hardest hit metropolitan area in the United States by COVID-19, Eagle Pass voters sought a change of leadership at City Hall by electing Councilman Salinas over incumbent Mayor Sifuentes.
Eagle Pass voters also elected City Councilman Place 2 Elias Diaz to a four-year term unopposed, casting 3,626 votes for Diaz.
In the City Council Place 4 race, Eagle Pass voters split between three candidates with Monica J. Cruz garnering 2,272 votes compared to Maricarmen Perales Rangel’s 1,760 votes, and Leeroy Euresti’s 724 votes, causing a run-off election between Cruz and Perales Rangel as neither candidate obtained a majority of the votes. The City of Eagle Pass will soon announce the run-off election dates between Cruz and Perales Rangel.
Eagle Pass voters also narrowly defeated Proposition “A,” calling for the City of Eagle Pass be allowed to sell public park land in Carthage Place Subdivision. Voters denied Proposition “A,” keeping the public park land within the City of Eagle Pass. A total of 2,119 voters cast ballots “Against” Proposition “A” while 2,005 voters cast ballots “For” the proposition.
The official swearing-in ceremony of newly-elected Mayor Rolando Salinas and City Councilman Place 2 Elias Diaz has been scheduled for Monday, May 10, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. at City Council Chambers, 100 S. Monroe Street, in Eagle Pass, Texas. A reception will follow the swearing-in ceremony.
