"DOS PAJARITOS CANTANDO"

"Pio, Pio, Pio, Pio"

(You read it hear first) "DOS PAJARITOS CANTANDO" will be a regular post about what people are saying and doing out in the field....""two canaries singing" ;-) because in El Paso - THEY DO!! Big Big Big news, is El Paso's Mike Apodaca will be the 2012 Texas Field Director for Obama for America (OFA). Congratulations Mike!!  Mike has a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Political Science from UTEP he is the immediate past SDEC member for El Paso, Former President of the University Democrats at UTEP, Former Texas Young Democrats President and Former Deputy Field Director of OFA.  He is currently the PAC Treasurer of both the El Paso Young Democrats and Texas Young Democrats and has helped numerous elected officials in their elections or re-elections (including yours truly).  He is respected in Democratic circles throughout Texas and El Paso.  The Obama Campaign will have an El Pasoan lead the Texas Field Operations which likely means he will be moving to Austin and traveling throughout the state for the campaign.  An excellent opportunity for the young leader and outstanding choice by the Obama Campaign...........heard that Jaime Barceleau, the non-profit "go to person" in El Paso is gearing up to run for City Representative OR Mayor........he lives in City Representative Emma Acosta's District and has helped a lot of local poli's get elected. He is a credible candidate, with political allies (who?...tell you later), capacity to raise money, and is the beau of District Clerk Norma Favela..............At the county, County Commissioner Willie Gandara Jr., was seen fast and furious with some of his elves putting up signs in the Lower Valley, disputing the rumors that he is going to drop out of the race.  The corral of horses running for the open seat for House District 75 includes Commissioner Gandara, Hector Enriquez, Art Fierro, and Austin Democratic favorite Mary Gonzalez.  The filing deadline will reopen once the District Court in San Antonio provides guidelines and so it is possible that more horses will join the race, (don't be surprised if another female files)............County Judge Veronica Escobar is rumored to be headed to San Antonio for the Redistricting hearing to be held February 14th and 15th.  She has been a vocal supporter, in fact a formal campaign figure head of former City Rep. Robert "Beto" O'Rourke's Campaign to unseat  Congressman Silvestre Reyes, the 8 term incumbent.  Escobar has provided overwhelming public comment supporting the Republican drawn maps that benefit O'Rourke with precincts in the Northeast being included in the 16th Congressional District that remove most of the Lower Valley out of El Paso's congressional seat......various maps take precincts as far as the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo Reservation in Ysleta to Socorro, and further East communities of interest out of having an El Pasoan represent them in Congress, and some proposed maps place Horizon and East El Paso in the 23rd Congressional District represented by a San Antonio congressman......Lawyers for all interested parties are hammering out an agreement so that the delayed Primaries can be scheduled.  Will be interesting to see what her role and position will be in San Antonio and whether she will continue to grandstand against Democratic interests and enhanced Latino voter capacity.   Both Escobar and O'Rourke have openly supported the map that removes the Lower Valley from Congressional District 16. Neither has commented on the impact to Violations of the Voting Rights Act and current efforts to protect and preserve the Lower Valley precincts in El Paso. (Sigue "dos pajaritos cantando"..........)

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