Democrats Keep Legislative Seat in South Texas Special Election

Corpus Christi Caller-Times ^ | 05-07-03 | Collins, Quincy C.

[Theodore R.]

Escobar succeeds Rangel in Dist. 43 He beats Matz to keep seat in Kingsville

By Quincy C. Collins Caller-Times May 7, 2003

KINGSVILLE - Democrat Juan M. Escobar, from Kingsville won Texas House District 43 in a runoff election Tuesday, replacing Irma Rangel, another Democrat from Kingsville who held the seat for more than 25 years and helped shaped Texas politics.

Escobar, received 62 percent - or 5,363 votes - to Harlingen Republican James R. Matz' 37 percent - or 3,209 votes, according to complete unofficial returns.

"This is about the people of District 43, not about Juan Esbocar," Escobar said.

Escobar swept the district's northern counties - Brooks, Kleberg and Kenedy - also the heavily Democratic Willacy and Jim Hogg counties to win the seat left vacant since Rangel's death from cancer on March 18. He will finish her term, which lasts until January 2005.

Matz took Cameron County.

Matz, mayor of Palm Valley and a former Cameron County commissioner, said Cameron County didn't have as high a turnout for the runoff as he expected and that, along with strong turnout in Kleberg County, played a role in Escobar's victory.

The two emerged from a field of nine candidates on April 15 to meet in Tuesday's runoff.

Escobar, a retired U.S. Border Patrol supervisor, has served on the Kingsville Independent School District's board since 1990 and as board president since 1997.

Jilma Vidaurri, Kingsville ISD Board of Trustees vice president, who has worked with Escobar for more than eight years, said he is a meticulous and conservative policymaker.

"He works for the best for our children and he works for best for our town," Vidaurri said.

Former State Sen. Carlos Truan, D-Corpus Christi, who endorsed Escobar throughout his campaign, said Escobar is committed to public and higher education.

"He is sincere, honest and willing to becoming a good representative for all of the people," Truan said.

While the candidates said the race was not about regionalism, it was for many Kingsville voters.

"Since we lost Irma, we feel like we have no voice in Austin," said Rosie Moreno, a 45-year-old Kingsville resident.

But not all Kleberg County residents voted along regional lines. Matz received 22 percent in Kleberg County and 18 percent in Kenedy County.

Donald Hessong, a Kingsville resident for more than 20 years, said he voted along Republican party lines because of the party's platform on conservative spending, less social welfare and gun control.

Hessong said he thought Kleberg County voters were voting along regional lines rather than political issues.

"He's a hometown boy and Irma Rangel was a hometown girl," Hessong said.

Roberto Moreno, a former Kingsville city commissioner and former Democratic chairman, said the race was vital because it meant Kleberg County voters, who no longer have the ear of Truan and Rangel, would have been left without a close representative in the Legislature.

"In the state representative race, you can not ignore a county because sooner or later you are going to need our votes," Moreno said.

Contact Quincy C. Collins at_886-3792 or collinsq@caller.com

[Theodore R.]

This district has NEVER had a Republican state representative.

[SwinneySwitch]

"The turnout was much higher than anybody expected," Matz said. "But it was especially high in Kleberg County. It was significantly higher."

Dead men walking?

[fieldmarshaldj]

Please tell me that Matz wasn't Caucasian. I cannot believe the GOP would allow a non-Hispanic to run in this district. Isn't there currently only 1 or 2 Hispanic Republicans in the entire legislature ? We have to seriously work on improving this.

[Theodore R.]

The GOP could not select a candidate per se. There was a death, and this was a special election, and a Harlingen Republican of considerable regard stepped forward. He got into the special election runoff but ended up with just 37 percent of the vote in a heavily Democrat district. I assume that the candidate is of German extraction based on the name. In such special elections the party often cannot pick a choice to make the race; it all depends on what candidates wish to step forward.

[fieldmarshaldj]

All the more reason why we have to work harder at getting more Hispanic participation in the GOP at the grassroots. Running White guys in Hispanic districts is not likely to improve our standing there. TX is too much starting to resemble the situation in SC where the parties are becoming solidly racially homogenous. Frankly, I don't care if the 'Rats lose every last White person (they deserve to), but there is no excuse for our not aggressively working at bringing more non-Whites into the fold. This has to continue to be the most preeminent issue for the party nationwide.