Torres wins election outright to TSC board, Garza faces runoff

The race for Place 1 on the Texas Southmost College board of trustees came down to basic grass-roots politics on Saturday.

Adela Garza, a former Los Fresnos school board member got most of the votes, but not enough to avoid a runoff with political newcomer Jaime L. Silva. The appointed incumbent, Jose Angel Herrera Jr., was the odd man out.

Garza received 2,981 votes, or 44.89 percent of the total , to Silva's 2,082 and 31.35 percent, according to complete preliminary - but unofficial - results. Herrera received 1,578 votes, for 23.76 percent of the total.

To win the race, 50 percent of the votes plus one was required, university officials said.

Herrera has represented Place 1 since being appointed late last year to fill out the term of Dino Esparza, who resigned.

For Place 2, former UTB-TSC professor Rene Torres defeated Tita Esparza Tamez, also a former educator, receiving 3,951 votes (61.05 percent) to 1,956 votes for Tamez (38.95 percent.)

The TSC board is the governing body for the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College.

"We worked really hard," Garza said. "We did a lot of grass-roots politicking. If it's about hard work, I can do it. If it's about buying it, I can't."

Garza said she walked every neighborhood in Brownsville and visited voters in Los Fresnos and Port Isabel as well.

Silva said he was pleased with his finish and would seek to better communicate his message with voters. He had blanketed Brownsville with election advertising promoting his candidacy.

"You learn that it takes more than just your intention to help the community" to win votes, he said.

Torres attributed his victory to good organization and hard work.

"About two months ago we had a family meeting, and we had about 175 people," Torres said. "Everybody brought 20 names with them, so we had a good foundation."

"I'm pleased with the 61 percent, extremely pleased," he said. "But we worked very hard for those votes."

glong@brownsvilleherald.com