Election 2020

Updated: November 12, 2020

While the results of the United States Presidential race remain uncertain, many local, state and national races have ended during one of the most unprecedented election cycles in recent history

By CAYETANO GARZA JR.
LFN

***Maricela Zuniga secures Place 1 on the La Feria city commission.*** Courtesy photo

Despite the outcome of the highly contested 2020 Presidential election being uncertain at press time, many races have been decided amidst the 2020 global pandemic.

Although the virus threatened to hamper elections Texas reported record voter turnout – over 100 percent of the 2016 election before election day polls even opened.

In the race for La Feria city commissioner, place 1, Maricela Zuniga beat opponent Maria Rincon with over 60 percent of the vote. Zuniga will be filling the commission seat which was left open after the untimely passing of her husband Jesse Zuniga due to the COVID-19 virus in August.

***Jane Castillo wins La Feria ISD Board of Trustees Place 1 seat.*** Courtesy photo

In the race for La Feria independent school board, two seats were elected in very tightly contested races while one seat was filled unopposed. In place 1, Jane Castillo defeated opponent Anna Tamez Alemán by a very narrow margin. Place 2 was filled by Ruben Zambrano who ran unopposed. Alma Martinez secured place 3 in a very close race against opponents Alfonso Rodriguez and Hugo Garcia.

Reached for comment on the results and asked if there would be any recounts or runoffs a representative for the La Feria school district said that provisional ballots had yet to be included in the final tally and would be counted on Tuesday, November 10th with results available by Wednesday, Nov. 11th, however they did not anticipate any changes to the results of the election.

***Alma Martinez campaigns outside the La Feria city hall days before winning place 3 on the La Feria ISD Board of Trustees.*** Photo: Facebook

In neighboring Santa Rosa, Rachel Olivarez secured place 4 on the Santa Rosa ISD school board while Mark J. Chairez took place 5 unopposed.
Santa Maria had three tightly contested races for three seats on the school board. The winners were Casey Espinoza for place 5, Marco Aleman for place 6 and Adolfo Hinojosa for place 7.

In Cameron County elections results Republican Norman Esquivel, Jr. beat Democrat Daniel Holland for Constable, Precinct 1, Justice 1.

Dora “Sallie” Gonzalez, a Democrat, won the Justice of the Peace, Precinct 5, Place 1 Justice 5 seat against Republican Charles “Chuck” Vieh.

Peace officer and former district clerk Eric Garza, who beat longtime Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio in the July Democratic primary election, beat out Republican candidate and former Indian Lake Police Department Chief John Chambers in the race for Cameron County Sheriff.

Laura Perez-Reyes, Democrat, took the District Clerk position over Repulican Mirla Veronica Deaton while Democrat Gloria M. Rincones won unopposed as District Judge of the 445th Judicial District. Other Judicial District seats that were secured unopposed, all by Democrats, were David A. Sanchez for the 444th Judicial District, Ricardo M. Adobbati for the 404th Judicial District, and Gabriela “Gabby” Garcia for the 138th Judicial District.

Democrats took District Places 4 and 6 in the Justice, 13th Court of Appeals. Migdalia Lopez winning Place 4 and Nereida Lopez-Singleterry securing Place 6.

Three Democratic State Representatives also won their seats unopposed. Oscar Longoria for District 35, Alex Dominguez for District 37 and Eddie Lucio III for District 38.

Eddie Lucio, Jr., Democrat, secured his reelection for State Senator for District 27.

Democrat Chrysta Castañeda won the election for one of three seats on the Texas railroad commission.

Filemon B. Vela will keep his seat as Democrat representative for District 34.

In the highly contested race for the Senate, Republican John Cornyn was able to narrowly defeat Democrat and United States Air Force veteran MJ Hegar, winning a fourth term and retaining the Senate seat he’s held since 2002.

***President elect Joe Biden.*** Official White House Photo by David Lienemann

Finally, the AP reported on Saturday, November 7th, that the Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and U.S. senator Kamala Harris defeated the Republican ticket of incumbent president Donald Trump and vice president Mike Pence. President Trump has refused to concede the outcome of the election at press time and several recounts are underway in key states where Biden won by a narrow margin. Meanwhile, Biden has begun the transition process in earnest.

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