La Joya incumbents stay in office

LA JOYA -- City commissioners Roberto Jackson, Isidro Casanova and Mary Salinas held onto their at-large seats Saturday, further deflating Mayor Billy Leo's regional power.

Leo had sponsored an all-female slate of candidates - Tillie Salinas, Maria Elva Peralez and Minnie Gutierrez-Longoria, who laughingly called themselves "Billy's Angels" - hoping to retake the majority on the commission in a city he once controlled.

The race was difficult to predict before the end of the day Saturday, although the three incumbents won the at-large contest by comfortable margins.

Waving to voters from behind a folding-chair barrier in the parking lot of a local church, candidates on both sides said lifelong residents sometimes told both parties they would have their votes, if only to keep their friends and neighbors happy.

Once inside the voting booth, though, some split their tickets and cast three at-large votes for the candidates they knew best.

"This is a small community," said Tillie Salinas, one of the three "angels."

"The other candidates, I see them at the store and I say hello. We don't discuss politics."

Mary Salinas said the commission has worked well in the past year for the good of La Joya, eschewing partisan rancor in contrast to the more combative La Joya school board.
____

Sara Perkins covers Mission, western Hidalgo County, Starr County and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4472.