by Julian Aguilar, contributing writer, The Texas Tribune
In a place where a surname could carry with it perks that range from getting out of a speeding ticket to a landslide election victory, a newcomer from the Rio Grande Valley with name recognition is insisting he is his own man.
His opponent, a two-time candidate married to a former elected official, is also taking steps to be an independent voice despite the benefits that come with name-dropping in Texas politics.
Sergio Muñoz, Jr., 27, is the son of former Rep. Sergio Muñoz. He will face Sandra Rodriguez, the wife of former state District Judge Fernando Mancias, in his bid to replace embattled Rep. Ismael "Kino" Flores, D-Palmview.
Flores announced last month he would not seek reelection for another term in HD-36 following his indictment by a Travis County grand jury for allegedly failing to disclose required information on personal finance statements.
In the world of Texas border politics where patronismo — the long-standing tradition of bully politics and quid-pro-quo campaigns — runs rampant, Muñoz Jr. realizes he is prone to attacks accusing him of being from the old guard.
Not so, he said.
"The decision to run was made on my own and I am thankful to have the support of my family," he said from his law office in Edinburg.
Rodriguez could be considered the savvy veteran in the race after losing the 2008 Democratic Primary to Flores by less than 1,000 votes, or about four percent.
The former school-board trustee for the Pharr-San Juan Alamo Independent School District said that one aspect of patronismo politics has taken a back seat this time, with Flores out of the running.
"People are not intimidated anymore," she said. "People will sit down and talk to me."
Rodriguez' experience as a candidate has at least one Rio Grande Valley heavyweight predicting she will be part of 2011's freshman class.
"While he (Muñoz) has some name recognition, it's his first time running and so he's going to have to get organized pretty quickly," said State Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, D-McAllen. "The additional plus is that she's a woman," he added.
"Here in Hidalgo County women tend to vote for women," Hinojosa said. "It's just a trend that's taking place here in South Texas. You look at the (Thirteenth) Court of Appeals. Out of six judges, five are women."
He stopped short of endorsing anyone and said he would support the eventual Democratic candidate. He cautioned, however, against leaning too much on the "double-edged sword" of a familiar political name.
"It could be positive or it could be negative, but my take is that people will associate Sergio Muñoz Jr. with his dad," he said. The perceived allegiance in the district between the Muñoz and Flores families might not bode well for the younger candidate either, he added.
"They could be very loyal to Rep. Flores and probably follow his lead but at the same time, as we all know, Rep. Flores has some issues," said Hinojosa.
Muñoz said he plans to reach out to state Reps. Eddie Lucio III, the San Benito Democrat and son of Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., and Solomon Ortiz Jr., D-Corpus Christi, the son of U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz Sr. Those lawmakers have been able to make their own paths, he said.
Married to a former state district judge, Rodriguez also could depend on a proven ballot name. She's chosen not to, using her name instead of his.
"Going back to the patrón system, there were men who had a hard time supporting me to run with the Rodriguez last name," she said. "They kept telling me, 'You need Mancias to win. You need Mancias.' I've been out there and I've always been Sandra Rodriguez."
Next year's primary election will likely determine the seat, despite a new effort by the Republican Party of Texas to convince Hispanics in traditionally Democratic districts to look its way.
Texas GOP Executive Director Eric Opiela, a native of South Texas, conceded the party could be more proactive, particularly on the border, and that putting forth a winning Republican candidate in HD-36 next year was more than a long shot. But fans of Spanish-language media outlets should expect to hear more messages from the GOP that it is the party that best represents Hispanic values.
And in a move reiterating that name-dropping is not just enlisted by Hispanic Democrats, Opiela said the Texas GOP has recruited George Prescott Bush, grandson of Bush (41) and nephew of Bush (43) to deliver Spanish-language messages on Univision stations across the state.
Add to that a small list of "shining stars" already in the Rio Grande Valley, like Cameron County Judge Carlos H. Cascos, and GOP prospects are improving along the border, Opiela said.
Hinojosa sees no cause for alarm.
"I think Republicans have shot themselves in the foot," he said. "When they criticize the immigration policies their shots are so broad that they don't differentiate between Hispanics who are here legally and those who are not."
A year before the 2000 General Election, Bush held a slight advantage – about 2 percent – among Texas' Latino voters over Vice President Al Gore, according a poll conducted by the Willie C. Velasquez Institute. At the ballot box during the General election, however, Bush landed only 33 percent of that vote to Gore's estimated 66 percent. Later, Bush's support for construction of the border fence enraged many Texas Hispanics and contributed to the president's plummeting approval ratings his second term.
