State rep candidate to fight drunken driving charge

EDINBURG — A candidate for state representative has proclaimed his innocence on a drunken driving charge stemming from an arrest in September.

Prominent Edinburg engineer Eddie Saenz pleaded not guilty and waived his right to an arraignment hearing Wednesday.

Saenz, 47, turned himself in to Mission police Sept. 28, five days after he refused a Breathalyzer test during a traffic stop.

An officer stopped Saenz for turning without signaling on the 2200 block of Farm-to-Market Road 495, but then smelled alcohol on his breath and noticed his speech was slurred, according to court documents. The candidate also performed poorly on a field sobriety test. He was released on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond after an initial court hearing.

Saenz’s arrest came less than three weeks after he announced he would challenge state Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg, for his District 40 seat in the Texas House of Representatives. The Democratic primary is March 4.

District 40 covers much of northern Hidalgo County, including Edinburg, the Delta region and parts of McAllen.

After Wednesday’s hearing, a spokesman for Saenz’s campaign referred all questions to his attorney, Mission lawyer Ric Salinas. Salinas did not return several calls for comment.

No trial date has been set in Saenz’s case.

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Jeremy Roebuck covers courts, law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4437.