Posted on 10/21/2004 10:46:55 AM PDT by SwinneySwitch
Voters in this far-flung and diverse district have two good candidates on the ballot to replace incumbent Gabi Canales.
The voters in State Representative District 35, a sprawling area that runs from Jim Wells County to the outskirts of San Antonio, have two attractive candidates to choose from when they go to the polls on Nov. 2. This is good for the district's voters because they desperately need good representation, something that they have done without for two years.
The Democratic incumbent, Gabi Canales, lost in the primaries, but her troubles had begun long before this election season.
Canales struggled with personal legal troubles involving drunken driving charges, was tagged as a prolific user of legislative continuances to delay trial dates for her legal clients, and battled a public interest group over whether records over those continuances were public information. The sum of it was that the seven-county area that makes up District 35 was left without an effective voice in Austin.
On the ballot are Democrat Yvonne Gonzalez Toureilles, an Alice attorney, and Republican Eric Opiela, a rancher and lawyer from Karnes County.
Both candidates are bright, young and fresh faces, but the Editorial Board believes that the edge goes to Toureilles. Toureilles has a background that includes a stint as an assistant Texas attorney general and has researched law and policy for the Texas Legislature. Her understanding of school finance and water issues, as well as tort reform, are impressive.
Toureilles is no doctrinaire Democrat. She understands, as some Democrats do not, that the reality of the Legislature now is that Democrats are in the minority and "cooperation is the way to get things done," she told the Board.
On school finance, which will be a hot topic in January when the Legislature meets, she said all possibilities must be on the table.
Given the rural nature of much of the district, water rights are of prime importance in this campaign. Toureilles believes strongly in local control, and understands the water issues put in play by San Antonio's search for new water sources. Corpus Christi, as a downstream user, has a lot at stake in this issue.
The Board believes Toureilles is the best choice, but whoever wins this district must work to serve the interests of the northern as well as the southern half of the district. Atascosa County has potential for fast growth in light of the coming Toyota plant in neighboring Bexar County, compared to the more moderate growth in the southern counties. Bridging those diverse interests will require active and responsive representation in the Legislature. We believe that representation will come from Yvonne Gonzalez Toureilles.
Under Dan Morales who is now in prison!
The Caller Times probably endorsed Gabi Canales when she ran!
South Texas Ping!
bump!
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