District 27 State Senator Candidates Play to the Crowd; Bash Absent Lucio
By Diego Garcia III | Editor of The Brownsville Beacon
The Rights For All Candidate Forum took place at the Brownsville Public Library on Wednesday evening. The ACLU-sponsored event hosted three of the four candidates for the District 27 state senate seat. The crowd packed the conference room at the public library to the point that one of the event planners had to ask the standing crowd to step out into the hall to avoid having the fire marshal shut the event down.
The candidates in attendance were the Republican candidate, Raymondville native and licensed vocational nurse Vanessa Tijerina, and the two Democratic challengers, state school board member Ruben Cortez and lawyer Sara Stapleton Barrera. Despite confirming his attendance, event staff announced incumbent Eddie Lucio, Jr. would not be in attendance. The audience was audibly upset as jeers could be heard as the announcement Lucio would not be in attendance.
The introductions were done in English and in Spanish. When the ACLU officials were done with the introductions, the candidates were brought on one at a time. The first phase of the forum was a round-robin style question and answer session. The candidates were brought on and asked an introductory question followed by a series of three questions. They were given two minutes and one and a half minutes to answer the set of questions. The first question asked of each candidate was an opening statement-like question asking the candidates why they thought they were the best choice for state senate.
First up was the sole Republican candidate, Vanessa Tijerina. The candidate was visibly nervous and seemed to struggle at times to articulate her message. Decked out in a white jacket and a light colored cowboy hat, Tijerina was asked about her inconsistency in running for several offices as a member of the Green Party, the Democratic Party, and finally the Republican Party. Tijerina mentioned she was running as a Republican because "the Republicans are in power," and she believed the Democratic Party and Democratic politicians were corrupt and were not going to bring about the much needed change South Texas needs. She also seems to be a pro-choice candidate. Among her statements supporting a woman's right to choose, she also believes Medicaid coverage should be expanded and everybody should have access to universal health care. She also danced around a question on border security. She mentioned she would be for a border wall, or a border fence, so long as it was impenetrable. Most of her answers did not seem to align with the standard core beliefs of the Republican Party.
Ruben Cortez was next to take the stage. The main theme throughout the Cortez question and answer statement was change. His argument centered around the fact that we have had almost three decades of Lucio rule and his time is up. He kept referring to Lucio's voting record and the fact that Lucio was absent at the forum. He brought up some of his accomplishments as a member of the state board of education. He also mentioned he has been successful in reaching across the aisle to work with Republicans, even though he kept bringing up Lucio being the governor's lap-dog and how when the governor needed someone to vote his way, Lucio was only too eager to oblige. He was also asked about the current immigration crisis. He mentioned the rest of the state, and the country, is under the impression Brownsville and the Rio Grande Valley is "ground zero" and a "war zone" when it comes to immigration. He mentioned bringing government officials to Brownsville and showing them things aren't as bad as they thought they were. The candidates were asked their views on LGBTQ rights throughout the forum. Cortez mentioned there should be no room for any sort of hateful legislation designed to make any group feel misrepresented, even though he did not address a question about being opposed to allowing same-sex couples to enjoy the same rights and privileges as heterosexual married couples. Cortez also believes low voter turnout is a direct result of the draconian and restrictive voter registration and Voter ID laws Texas has on the books. Cortez also mentioned people convicted of crimes should be allowed to vote.
Sara Stapleton Barrera took the stage and immediately let the crowd know she is not a career politician - she is a mother and a lawyer. She continued the attacks on Lucio's voting record and tenure as state senator, referring to him as a "corrupt politician" that has been in power for 28 years. She states Lucio is not a man of the people, nor is he a man for the people. She goes on to mention Lucio is a senator who is voting for Republican discriminatory bills and isn't making the appropriate choices for his constituents. She also mentioned the need for more pro-choice friendly legislation. Women shouldn't have to go to Mexico to have unsafe abortions in unsanitary conditions. She referenced Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's belief that decisions affecting women shouldn't be made without a woman's input. She wants to fight to become that woman in the Texas Senate. The crowd was definitely pro-Sara, as whoops and cheers followed almost every statement she made.
Stapleton Barrera also referenced the 1977 Hyde Amendment. The Hyde Amendment barred the use of federal Medicaid funds for abortion. When asked if she thought Medicaid should be expanded to cover abortion, her answer was, "In a nutshell, 100% yes." Stapleton Barrera went on to say, "Everybody deserves to make their own choices. You need someone who is going to get in there and fight like hell; someone who isn't going to take 'no' for an answer."
The next phase of the forum was a lightning round where the candidates were all asked a series of questions. They were all seated next to one another (with an extra empty chair on the stage for the absent Lucio) and had "yes" and "no" signs. When asked a question, the candidates were asked to hold up the appropriate sign.
The candidates all held up the "yes" sign to all the questions they were asked. They were asked:
-If they would vocally oppose the expansion of the border wall.
-If they would oppose state funding for additional DPS/National Guardsmen to be placed along the border.
-If they would oppose legislation to restrict abortion.
-If they would oppose Senate Bill 4 (the bill banning sanctuary cities in Texas).
-If they would support legislation decriminalizing possesion of small amounts of drugs.
-If they were pro-choice.
-If they would support legislation giving same-sex couples the same rights and privileges as heterosexual couples.
-If they would support legislation making voting easier.
-If they were anti-Gerrymandering.
-If they were for giving convicted prisoners the vote.
-If they were against anti-LGBTQ legislation.
The candidates were then asked to answer a question that was for Lucio. They were asked if they supported gay rights. The question was presumably meant for Lucio since he was the only Democrat to support Senate Bill 6 (the bathroom bill).
Tijerina said she was definitely for gay rights since her 16 year-old son had been subject to ridicule and "gay bashing" when he was in school five years ago.
Cortez brought up votes of no-confidence leveled at Eddie Lucio by the Hidalgo County and Young Democrats for his failure to support LGBTQ rights and added, "People should do whatever the hell they want in their lives." He went on to say he believes Eddie Lucio is the biggest threat to LGBTQ rights and women's rights, "bar none."
Stapleton Barrera said the LGBTQ community needs protection and the time for action is now.
The final portion of the forum was a question and answer session with questions the crowd submitted. Five note cards were randomly selected from the questions submitted. Each candidate was given the opportunity to answer the questions.
The first question was about charter schools. The candidates were asked what they would do to limit the growth of charter schools. Tijerina responded with a general statement saying we need to improve the public school system. Taking into consideration charter schools are also public schools, I think the candidate meant we need to improve traditional public schools. Cortez mentioned there needs to be a moratorium on granting new charters for new charter schools and pivoted to Republican-friendly legislators who are in the pockets of charter schools and thus propose charter school-friendly legislation. Stapleton Barrera flat out suggested cutting their funding altogether, mentioning they should function and be treated like corporations since that's how they're run.
The next question asked if the candidates were for the decriminalization of marijuana for medicinal and recreational purposes. Tijerina and Cortez both answered yes. Stapleton Barrera was a little more diplomatic in her answer. She made her answer about the opioid crisis in the United States and how big pharma has people in their addictive clutches. She went on to say, "If marijuana keeps people alive, let them live."
All the candidates were also for increasing funding for abortion providers. They all echoed the same sentiment. The money is there, they just have to move it around and make sure it gets to where it needs to go.
All the candidates were also receptive to holding regular "town hall" meetings with Stapleton Barrera going farther and allowing her constituents to help her come up with legislative language that they would like to see implemented.
Finally, they were asked about our dependence on oil, gas, and fossil fuels in general, and what they planned to do to curb our dependence on these fuels that cause climate change and other damage to the environment. Tijerina and Cortez both said we needed to move in the direction of renewable energy sources like wind and solar. Stapleton Barrera also agreed, and added her displeasure with the LNG corporations trying to open up shop at the Port of Brownsville.
The forum closed with a bevy of thank yous from the ACLU. The hosts then mentioned the candidates would be outside the conference room for any additional questions and to meet the atendees of the meeting.
In my humble opinion, no candidate emerged with a clear "win." They all played the forum to the best of their abilities. Tijerina was visibly shaken and seemed, at times, as if she was a little out of her element. However, her main issue wasn't with her delivery, it was with the apparent lack of any cohesion between her platform and the Republican Party's platform. Cortez and Stapleton Barrera both played to the crowd masterfully. They did their research and they knew what the ACLU-strong crowd wanted to hear. It appears Stapleton Barrera is a better politician than she claims to be.
There was no dramatic answer. There was no gasp from the crowd. There was no booing. The candidates all gave the crowd the show they were expecting. It was a Lucio-bashing festival with a bunch of "yes, I will support exactly what you want me to support" from the candidates.
It was a nice event, and I'm glad to see there were plenty of people in attendance. However, we really didn't learn a whole lot from the candidates. We learned they are capable of playing to the crowd, much like someone performing in Dallas would start their performance with, "How 'bout them Cowboys?"
There was quite a bit of flash, and not a whole lot of substance. Maybe that's because of how the forum was structured and because the candidates were able to anticipate the leading questions a special-interest organization would ask. 120 second sound-bites don't define a candicacy. Brownsville, and the 27th State Senatorial District are far too complex and way too deep for superficial glorified "yes" and "no" questions.
There were no winners.
There were no losers.
The candidates have a long way to go and have a whole lot more to prove and say if they hope to represent us as our next state senator.
Stay tuned. Stay informed.
The Rights For All Candidate Forum took place at the Brownsville Public Library on Wednesday evening. The ACLU-sponsored event hosted three of the four candidates for the District 27 state senate seat. The crowd packed the conference room at the public library to the point that one of the event planners had to ask the standing crowd to step out into the hall to avoid having the fire marshal shut the event down.
The candidates in attendance were the Republican candidate, Raymondville native and licensed vocational nurse Vanessa Tijerina, and the two Democratic challengers, state school board member Ruben Cortez and lawyer Sara Stapleton Barrera. Despite confirming his attendance, event staff announced incumbent Eddie Lucio, Jr. would not be in attendance. The audience was audibly upset as jeers could be heard as the announcement Lucio would not be in attendance.
The introductions were done in English and in Spanish. When the ACLU officials were done with the introductions, the candidates were brought on one at a time. The first phase of the forum was a round-robin style question and answer session. The candidates were brought on and asked an introductory question followed by a series of three questions. They were given two minutes and one and a half minutes to answer the set of questions. The first question asked of each candidate was an opening statement-like question asking the candidates why they thought they were the best choice for state senate.
First up was the sole Republican candidate, Vanessa Tijerina. The candidate was visibly nervous and seemed to struggle at times to articulate her message. Decked out in a white jacket and a light colored cowboy hat, Tijerina was asked about her inconsistency in running for several offices as a member of the Green Party, the Democratic Party, and finally the Republican Party. Tijerina mentioned she was running as a Republican because "the Republicans are in power," and she believed the Democratic Party and Democratic politicians were corrupt and were not going to bring about the much needed change South Texas needs. She also seems to be a pro-choice candidate. Among her statements supporting a woman's right to choose, she also believes Medicaid coverage should be expanded and everybody should have access to universal health care. She also danced around a question on border security. She mentioned she would be for a border wall, or a border fence, so long as it was impenetrable. Most of her answers did not seem to align with the standard core beliefs of the Republican Party.
Ruben Cortez was next to take the stage. The main theme throughout the Cortez question and answer statement was change. His argument centered around the fact that we have had almost three decades of Lucio rule and his time is up. He kept referring to Lucio's voting record and the fact that Lucio was absent at the forum. He brought up some of his accomplishments as a member of the state board of education. He also mentioned he has been successful in reaching across the aisle to work with Republicans, even though he kept bringing up Lucio being the governor's lap-dog and how when the governor needed someone to vote his way, Lucio was only too eager to oblige. He was also asked about the current immigration crisis. He mentioned the rest of the state, and the country, is under the impression Brownsville and the Rio Grande Valley is "ground zero" and a "war zone" when it comes to immigration. He mentioned bringing government officials to Brownsville and showing them things aren't as bad as they thought they were. The candidates were asked their views on LGBTQ rights throughout the forum. Cortez mentioned there should be no room for any sort of hateful legislation designed to make any group feel misrepresented, even though he did not address a question about being opposed to allowing same-sex couples to enjoy the same rights and privileges as heterosexual married couples. Cortez also believes low voter turnout is a direct result of the draconian and restrictive voter registration and Voter ID laws Texas has on the books. Cortez also mentioned people convicted of crimes should be allowed to vote.
Sara Stapleton Barrera took the stage and immediately let the crowd know she is not a career politician - she is a mother and a lawyer. She continued the attacks on Lucio's voting record and tenure as state senator, referring to him as a "corrupt politician" that has been in power for 28 years. She states Lucio is not a man of the people, nor is he a man for the people. She goes on to mention Lucio is a senator who is voting for Republican discriminatory bills and isn't making the appropriate choices for his constituents. She also mentioned the need for more pro-choice friendly legislation. Women shouldn't have to go to Mexico to have unsafe abortions in unsanitary conditions. She referenced Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's belief that decisions affecting women shouldn't be made without a woman's input. She wants to fight to become that woman in the Texas Senate. The crowd was definitely pro-Sara, as whoops and cheers followed almost every statement she made.
Stapleton Barrera also referenced the 1977 Hyde Amendment. The Hyde Amendment barred the use of federal Medicaid funds for abortion. When asked if she thought Medicaid should be expanded to cover abortion, her answer was, "In a nutshell, 100% yes." Stapleton Barrera went on to say, "Everybody deserves to make their own choices. You need someone who is going to get in there and fight like hell; someone who isn't going to take 'no' for an answer."
The next phase of the forum was a lightning round where the candidates were all asked a series of questions. They were all seated next to one another (with an extra empty chair on the stage for the absent Lucio) and had "yes" and "no" signs. When asked a question, the candidates were asked to hold up the appropriate sign.
The candidates all held up the "yes" sign to all the questions they were asked. They were asked:
-If they would vocally oppose the expansion of the border wall.
-If they would oppose state funding for additional DPS/National Guardsmen to be placed along the border.
-If they would oppose legislation to restrict abortion.
-If they would oppose Senate Bill 4 (the bill banning sanctuary cities in Texas).
-If they would support legislation decriminalizing possesion of small amounts of drugs.
-If they were pro-choice.
-If they would support legislation giving same-sex couples the same rights and privileges as heterosexual couples.
-If they would support legislation making voting easier.
-If they were anti-Gerrymandering.
-If they were for giving convicted prisoners the vote.
-If they were against anti-LGBTQ legislation.
The candidates were then asked to answer a question that was for Lucio. They were asked if they supported gay rights. The question was presumably meant for Lucio since he was the only Democrat to support Senate Bill 6 (the bathroom bill).
Tijerina said she was definitely for gay rights since her 16 year-old son had been subject to ridicule and "gay bashing" when he was in school five years ago.
Cortez brought up votes of no-confidence leveled at Eddie Lucio by the Hidalgo County and Young Democrats for his failure to support LGBTQ rights and added, "People should do whatever the hell they want in their lives." He went on to say he believes Eddie Lucio is the biggest threat to LGBTQ rights and women's rights, "bar none."
Stapleton Barrera said the LGBTQ community needs protection and the time for action is now.
The final portion of the forum was a question and answer session with questions the crowd submitted. Five note cards were randomly selected from the questions submitted. Each candidate was given the opportunity to answer the questions.
The first question was about charter schools. The candidates were asked what they would do to limit the growth of charter schools. Tijerina responded with a general statement saying we need to improve the public school system. Taking into consideration charter schools are also public schools, I think the candidate meant we need to improve traditional public schools. Cortez mentioned there needs to be a moratorium on granting new charters for new charter schools and pivoted to Republican-friendly legislators who are in the pockets of charter schools and thus propose charter school-friendly legislation. Stapleton Barrera flat out suggested cutting their funding altogether, mentioning they should function and be treated like corporations since that's how they're run.
The next question asked if the candidates were for the decriminalization of marijuana for medicinal and recreational purposes. Tijerina and Cortez both answered yes. Stapleton Barrera was a little more diplomatic in her answer. She made her answer about the opioid crisis in the United States and how big pharma has people in their addictive clutches. She went on to say, "If marijuana keeps people alive, let them live."
All the candidates were also for increasing funding for abortion providers. They all echoed the same sentiment. The money is there, they just have to move it around and make sure it gets to where it needs to go.
All the candidates were also receptive to holding regular "town hall" meetings with Stapleton Barrera going farther and allowing her constituents to help her come up with legislative language that they would like to see implemented.
Finally, they were asked about our dependence on oil, gas, and fossil fuels in general, and what they planned to do to curb our dependence on these fuels that cause climate change and other damage to the environment. Tijerina and Cortez both said we needed to move in the direction of renewable energy sources like wind and solar. Stapleton Barrera also agreed, and added her displeasure with the LNG corporations trying to open up shop at the Port of Brownsville.
The forum closed with a bevy of thank yous from the ACLU. The hosts then mentioned the candidates would be outside the conference room for any additional questions and to meet the atendees of the meeting.
In my humble opinion, no candidate emerged with a clear "win." They all played the forum to the best of their abilities. Tijerina was visibly shaken and seemed, at times, as if she was a little out of her element. However, her main issue wasn't with her delivery, it was with the apparent lack of any cohesion between her platform and the Republican Party's platform. Cortez and Stapleton Barrera both played to the crowd masterfully. They did their research and they knew what the ACLU-strong crowd wanted to hear. It appears Stapleton Barrera is a better politician than she claims to be.
There was no dramatic answer. There was no gasp from the crowd. There was no booing. The candidates all gave the crowd the show they were expecting. It was a Lucio-bashing festival with a bunch of "yes, I will support exactly what you want me to support" from the candidates.
It was a nice event, and I'm glad to see there were plenty of people in attendance. However, we really didn't learn a whole lot from the candidates. We learned they are capable of playing to the crowd, much like someone performing in Dallas would start their performance with, "How 'bout them Cowboys?"
There was quite a bit of flash, and not a whole lot of substance. Maybe that's because of how the forum was structured and because the candidates were able to anticipate the leading questions a special-interest organization would ask. 120 second sound-bites don't define a candicacy. Brownsville, and the 27th State Senatorial District are far too complex and way too deep for superficial glorified "yes" and "no" questions.
There were no winners.
There were no losers.
The candidates have a long way to go and have a whole lot more to prove and say if they hope to represent us as our next state senator.
Stay tuned. Stay informed.
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