I have been involved in Houston politics since the early 1970s. I have run for several positions, never thinking I could win, but sometimes just to make sure someone challenges the person who will represent me. I don’t take money from people, and I am not rich. But I know how to stretch a dollar.
This time, I ran because Gracie Saenz was helping Celina Garza, so I decided she needed a distraction. I managed that by sending letters to her Jewish constituents who supported her but did not know that Saenz was pro-life. I convinced her to stay out of the Fraga race; Fraga did win the race.
I miss the Houston Post; they would say nice things about me. The Chronicle has always had a racist tendency.
Latino politics: fun and games
By Juan R. Palomo
One of the most fun things about living in Houston and having this job is being able to watch the political goings-on in the city’s Mexican-American community as they get crazier and crazier.
The way things are shaping up this year ensures that we’re going to have another typically bizarre year.
On the surface, things don’t look that strange. Councilman Ben Reyes is again being challenged by W.R. Morris in District I. In District H, accountant Celina Garza and school board Trustee Felix Fraga are preparing to face each other for the right to go into an expected run-off as the Latino candidate. And at-large Councilwoman Gracie Saenz is being challenged by Manuel Barrera.
Simple, clean-cut races, right? Wrong — especially when you start looking at all the intrigue involving who is backing whom and who’s mad at whom for backing whomever.
Take the District H race. Fraga’s home used to be in Reyes’ district but was put in the Heights district as part of the shuffling to create a second Hispanic district. And, as we well know, Garza had to move several times to end up in the district.
Fraga’s campaign manager is Manuel Barrera. Yes, that’s the same Manuel Barrera who is running against Gracie Saenz. He apparently feels he can do both.
Reyes: common foe
Now, Barrera can’t stand Reyes. Neither can Marc Campos, who is handling Garza’s race. That should mean that Reyes has no candidate in this race. Not according to Campos, who claims that Fraga is Reyes’ favorite because Reyes does not want to see another strong independent Hispanic on the council.
Garza, a Republican, is viewed with suspicion by many Hispanics in the district, especially the die-hard Democrats. They say she has had little community involvement before being hand-picked by Saenz to run and fear that, like Saenz, she will not be a strong advocate for Hispanics. The Garza camp says Saenz did not push Garza to run, but that Saenz is backing Garza.
But many of these people aren’t excited about Fraga either. Almost anybody you ask about Fraga will describe him the same way: “He’s a nice guy but …,” meaning that he lacks the aggressiveness to be either a good candidate or councilman. A lot of people believe Fraga would be incapable of standing up to Reyes, so he wouldn’t even try.
Now there’s talk about a third Hispanic candidate, Continental Airlines employee Liz Lara, a former member of the Democratic National Committee. She is supposed to be Frumencio Reyes’ candidate. You didn’t think Frumencio Reyes would stay out of this, did you? Lara’s problem is the same as Garza’s: Activists resent somebody who hasn’t been involved at the grassroots level suddenly wanting to be a leader.
Plenty of money
The interesting thing about District H is that the new lines don’t ensure a Hispanic win since non-Hispanics still are a majority there. All this infighting could lead to an Anglo (or black) being elected.
Barrera is running against Saenz because he shares the frustrations of a lot of Hispanics regarding her failure to be very active or vocal on Hispanic issues on the council. They say she has hardly been in the Hispanic community since her election and that only recently has she started showing up at Hispanic affairs.
But, as an incumbent, Saenz should have plenty of money for her race, and there is a question as to how effective a challenger Barrera can be. He is an earnest man who cares passionately about education (he has a law degree but prefers to teach) and other community issues. But too often he comes across as intense and angry. Even his supporters admit he’s got an image problem.
Barrera, however, believes Saenz is vulnerable on a number of issues. He apparently will try to put together a broad coalition that will include anti-zoning activists, blacks, Hispanics, pro-choice advocates and gays.
Few expect Ben Reyes to have trouble with Morris, although some point out that the district now has more Anglos who are potential anti-Reyes votes. Also, Reyes is reportedly backing former foe Roman Martinez for the state Senate next year. That is said to have angered backers of state Reps. Mario Gallegos and Yolanda Flores, who are planning to run for that post.
Welcome to Funsville.
