Candidate files for recount in Starr County election

RIO GRANDE CITY — Starr County district clerk candidate Dave “Chachi” Jones filed a petition Tuesday seeking a recount in last week’s Democratic primary election.

Jones lost by 79 votes to incumbent Eloy R. Garcia, according to the final, unofficial results, which are set to be canvassed today.

“I am trying to get (the recount) done as soon as possible, but they are giving me the run-around,” Jones said of Starr County elections administrator Rudy Montalvo and the county’s Democratic Party chairman, Mike Villarreal.

The two officials denied they were holding up Jones’ request.

Villarreal and Montalvo maintain a recount can’t take place until after the canvassing of the election results. Since they can’t marshal the personnel needed for a recount on Friday, they planned on having it early next week when local schools are on spring break.

Jones, who is making his third bid for the district clerk’s office, wanted the recount to take place sooner, as he plans to be away for spring break Monday through Thursday next week, Villarreal said.

“We are trying to accommodate him,” the Democratic Party chairman said. Though the recount will take place after spring break, the exact date remains uncertain.

Jones ponied up $840 in fees for the recount and requested that none of the people involved in the March 2 election be part of the recount process.

“I want educated people to be there, not the same people that worked on the election, because they are trying to bring their political people to work in the (recount),” he said. “I do not want anybody associated in politics doing the recount. … I specifically told them that I want independent people — there are plenty of voters in this county that they can bring in.”

“As long as they know how to count, I really don’t care who it is — as long as I can see them face-to-face.”

Montalvo announced March 3, the day after the election, that the provisional tally showed 3,169 votes for Garcia and 3,081 votes for Jones —a difference of 88 votes. On Tuesday, however, the elections department counted more provisional ballots and the gap narrowed to 79 votes.

Provisional ballots are the ones that people cast on election day even though they had not registered on time to vote or were at the wrong polling place.

Even after today’s canvassing, the results will not be final. In addition to the pending recount in the race for district clerk, there will be a run-off election on April 13 for Place 7 justice of the peace between incumbent Johnny Garcia and challenger Julian Gonzalez Jr.

The final outcome also could be impacted by an ongoing investigation launched after a post office clerk reported an individual trying to drop off dozens of mail-in ballots at once. State law requires those who request mail-in ballots to send them in themselves and to include the signature of anyone who helped them on the ballot envelope.

The investigation is being headed by Starr County District Attorney Heriberto Silva, who has yet to release the name of the person suspected of tampering with the ballots.

Villarreal said nobody had updated him on any progress made in the probe, but he doesn’t discount the possibility that the allegations were made up.

“For all we know, this may be just something that is being fabricated by a politician or somebody that is affiliated with a certain politician,” he said.

____

Martha L. Hernández covers Mission, western Hidalgo County and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4846.