Sandra Rodriguez vs Kino Flores TX House District 36

[sonias]

The Texas Observer
Flores Fractures His Democratic Base
A Valley ''Craddick D'' gets his first strong primary opponent
Jesse Bogan January 25, 2008

They came to the ranch to sip their drinks and grill cabrito and corn on the cob in the South Texas brush country. Norteño music blared. For a short time, shotgun blasts, following the arcs of fluorescent orange clay pigeons, pierced the night sky. The pachanga was a mostly male who’s who of Hidalgo County, a private party of politicos, including the mayor of McAllen, a well-known heart surgeon, and current and former state district judges and attorneys.

Not long ago, Ismael “Kino” Flores, a veteran state Democratic representative for the southern half of the county, probably would have been there. But the host, former County Judge Ramon Garcia, no longer backs him. Flores, who has a reputation as a political bruiser, hasn’t had a primary challenger for his District 36 seat since 2000. No Republican has opposed him since he was elected in 1996.

This time, Flores has a strong opponent on March 4 in Sandra Rodriguez, a former juvenile probation officer and school board trustee from a politically active family. She joins critics of Flores’ affinity for lobby money and Republican Speaker Tom Craddick. They say Flores abuses his office by drumming up consulting fees with local governments, and that Republican rule in Austin has been bad for the Rio Grande Valley.

Kino didn't even bother to vote against the voter ID bill. Great story on Sandra who is backed by Annie's list. I hope she can pull off the win in the primary. Go Sandra Go!!

:applause:

Soni

[Yanez Houston Jordan]

1. Sandra Rodriguez is GREAT! We need to get behind her insurgent campaign with full force!

[cloud75]

2. flores voted many times against CHIP program...rodriguez ad in the valley.

she has a great chance to win just on that issue.

[sonias]

3. I've got great hopes for her

Women have been doing a great job of getting elected. The last election for House races showed that.

She seems very qualified and has a good ground team.

Kino only has the gambling interests at heart. They give him a lot of money and that's the main issue he has worked on.

Sonia

[sonias]

4. Burka blog says this

Burka blog 1/9/08
89 House Seats Will Be Contested in 2008

Kino Flores (D) -- Craddick D faces Sandra Rodriguez, former president of the local Democratic Women's Political Caucus and a former school board member (Pharr-San Juan-Alamo.
* Update 12/17: Flores is an entrenched, hard-campaigning incumbent from a prominent political family in the western part of Hidalgo County. His father is mayor of Sullivan City. Rodriguez grew up in Mission. Her husband, Fernando Mancias, is a former district judge. Rodriguez's consultant, James Aldrete, managed Carlos Uresti's upset victory over Frank Madla in 06. The Rodriguez camp is using Flores' seven votes against CHIP (ranging from budget cuts to expansion of the program) as a major issue in the campaign. Annie's List, a Democratic fundraising organization named for Annie Webb Blanton, the first woman elected to statewide office in Texas (Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1918) is helping Rodriguez, who will need to buy TV time to offset Flores' warchest -- his report shows $266,000 spent so far and $78,000 cash on hand -- and his old-style campaign methods, like providing turkeys to area churches and sending flowers to rosaries. This is a real race.

Sonia