June 22, 2019 Date for Runoff Elections

By J. Noel Espinoza/RioGrandeInfo.com

Despite voters removing current Mayor Tony Martinez at the May 4 municipal elections in Brownsville, voters again will decide who will lead the City by the Sea at a runoff election scheduled for June 22.

The Brownsville City Commission already decided the date at a meeting last month. The battle for mayor will be between attorney Trey Mendez, who garnered the most votes with 4,328, against former city manager Charlie Cabler who took 3,396. Martinez acquired 2,893 votes after unofficial returns.

Mendez, the leader of the pack, took 40.76 percent of the votes in comparison to Cabler who took 31.99 percent, and 27.25 percent for Martinez.

The At-Large A seat, vacated by former commissioner Cesar de Leon earlier this year after resigning in controversy, will be between candidates Jessica Puente-Bradshaw and John Cowen, who will square off also in the runoff. Cowen took 49.45 percent of the votes, 5,194, while Puente-Bradshaw received 27.26 percent of the votes, 2,863.

The other two candidates, Carlos Guerrero took 14.28 percent of the votes and Ismael Hinojosa 9.01 percent, 946 votes. They are disqualified for the runoff.

The other commissioners’ race, District 1, will be between the longtime commissioner and incumbent Ricardo Longoria who received 30.75 percent, 598 of the votes, and Nurith Galonsky who garnered 35.48 percent with 690 votes.

The other two ineligible candidates, William Garza received 8.79 percent with 171 votes and Michael Rodriguez took 24.99 percent, 486 votes.

The only big winner in the May 4 elections was District 2 Commissioner Jessica Tetreau, who acquired a majority of the votes, and won’t have to face Catalina “Caty” Presas or Pat Ahumada.

Tetreau, who’s been reelected for her third-term to represent the industrial part of town around the airport and Port of Brownsville, said her experience is an asset to attract jobs with higher wages.

“We have a $55 million terminal being built up,” Tetreau said during an interview at the Brownsville Public Library. “It’s a state-of-the-art terminal that will be able to hold eight airlines.”