More Counties Sign in Support of Declaration of Invasion

And, Sex Pest Allegations Continue to Roil RGV Congressional Race

Hello Friends,

Since our last newsletter, another five counties have signed some form of declaration of invasion, or another sign of support for one. It becomes technical, in some ways, because there’s roughly three different behaviors in play.

It all begins with a temporary measure first passed by a local county judge, which then has to be signed on to and ratified by local county commissioners. Counts can vary around the internet, depending on whether or not one is including counties that have only had a county judge issue their solo declaration without the ratification of their associated commissioners.

Also too, some Texas counties that are not especially impacted by the border crisis have decided to issue statements of support, rather than declaring an outright invasion in their communities.

In any event, the count is up to 27 Counties that have either declared invasions, or support for a declaration and had their measures ratified by County Commissioners.

Details are here.

Readers may also want to have a look at this piece in the Texas Tribune by reporter James Barragan. Barragan puts together a pretty comprehensive-feeling look at what may be some shifting political trends on the border— following signs that certain “blue” strongholds may turn “red.”

Other outlets have also covered this, but Barragan’s piece seems to avoid most statewide and national consultants and their blather, and instead goes straight to county level party chairs and voters all up and down the border area.

It’s pretty clear the Tribune paid some money to send him and a photographer out in person to different counties including Maverick and Terrell county— areas that most organizations try to cover by telephone, so kudos to them for that. The effort shows, and deserves to be appreciated.

The piece paints a pretty even-handed picture of what appear to be communities in transition over illegal immigration, with concerns over jobs, safety and border security possibly driving longtime Democrat voters toward the Republican party.

It’s not all wine and roses for Republicans, however. Expecting places like Maverick County and Webb County to suddenly vote red across the board is a huge ask.

In the Rio Grande Valley, many have been excited by the rise of Congresswoman Mayra Flores— a Republican originally born in Mexico— who won a recent special election to finish a Democrat’s unexpired term. The former seat holder resigned to become a lobbyist. She’s now being challenged by a seasoned Democrat with history in the area, and the financial backing of the national party, named Vicente Gonzalez, and there are signs of trouble in her campaign.

Gonzalez (D) vs. Flores (R) NBC News Graphic, created via Getty Images

One of her staffers, now resigned, has been accused with what seem to be reliable claims of sexually harassing female staffers and interns.

We’re linking to Texas Public Radio’s reporting of the allegations. As they note, the news first broke on the alt-right Texas news blog “Current Revolt,” which we’ve been following as well— tickled by their tongue-in-cheek claims of being the State’s newspaper of record. Their main beat appears to be inside the triangle of San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas, but as their profile grows, one can expect more stories from outside that area to come their way like this one has.

It still remains to be seen if this bump in the road will severely impact the Flores and Gonzalez race.

In the final analysis, however, the GOP doesn’t have to sweep any one border county. Simply holding on to Flores’ seat, and making inroads in one or two other races along the border would represent a tectonic shift in the Texas political landscape and a huge win for the GOP.

Barragan and the Tribune have another piece out, detailing cutbacks in the numbers of Texas Military forces deployed for Operation Lone Star. The Governor’s office is referring to the change as a normal rotation of soldiers.

As many as 10,000 Texas Soldiers were deployed to the border at the height of things, but apparently that number has shrunk to somewhere around 5,700.

Officially, the word is that Texas Military officials have found new “efficiencies” in their efforts that have allowed them to send home quite a few soldiers— many of them associated with logistics.

This should not be unexpected. It costs a lot of money to have Texas troops deployed like that, and it’s also entirely possible that the Governor’s Office is wanting to see what happens with the midterm elections before committing to any other major expenses.

Many analysts suspect leaders in Austin have been banking on a big red wave in Congress and some resulting increases in federal aid to help defray some of the costs associated with Operation Lone Star.

The sun is up. It’s time to get crackin’. Have a great morning and we’ll see you again soon. As always, any expressions of opinion, errors, or other misdeeds contained in this newsletter are ours alone, and should not be mistaken for any sort of official expressions or statements on behalf of Kinney County, which employs us.

This newsletter predates said employment, and is maintained out of a sense of obligation to our readers and our own enjoyment.