The last day to file to run in the Texas Democratic primary was Monday and although few surprises emerged about the candidates running for office, a minor controversy erupted at the last minute which some have characterized as an attempt to “coronate” a new party chairman.
By the time the dust settled, a candidate’s goal to run for another office, reluctantly settled for staying on as the El Paso County Democratic Party Chairman for another term – Michael Apodaca. What happened was that Apodaca had decided to run for Justice of the Peace Precinct 1. That office has a crowded field of six candidates seeking the office. Apodaca would have made it seven candidates. And up until a few minutes before the deadline, two potential candidates were primed to file for Apodaca’s spot if he ran for the justice of the peace seat.
That they did not file both exposes the behind-the-scenes deal making inside the El Paso Democratic Party apparatus and how El Paso’s “party bosses” still hold on to the party’s political power. That telephone calls were made and two people ended up not filing further exposes the party’s inability to be transparent and upfront with their constituency, and instead continue to rely on backroom deals to control the party’s political power in the city that they dominate…