BND board gets three new faces

Voters in the Brownsville Navigation District made their choices clear Saturday, electing Ralph Cowen and John Reed to the board by sizeable margins while also extending a vote of confidence to unopposed candidate Sergio Lopez.

"I'm very grateful to my family and all my supporters and so many wonderful people that I have known through the years and new people that I met along the way" said Cowen, who captured Place 1 on the board.

"Like Pedro Vargas, muy agradecido, muy agradecido, muy agradecido," said Cowen, referring to the Mexican composer's song about gratitude. "It's been a very good journey and I congratulate my opponent for running a very clean race," Cowen said.

Cowen led in both the early votes and election day tally. He received 1,896 early votes and 1,052 votes on election day, plus 285 mail-in votes for a total of 3,233 votes (61.07 percent).

This compares to 1,201 early votes cast for Eliceo Muñoz, who received 751 on election day and 109 mail-in votes for a total of 2,061 votes (38.93 percent).

Cowen will take the seat that Peter M. Zavaletta presently occupies.

Muñoz extended his congratulations and best wishes to Cowen. "I am eternally grateful to my supporters and we did the best we could and God bless them. Thank you and I can't say enough," Muñoz said, adding, "It's been a tremendous, rewarding experience for me."

John Reed also thanked voters and supporters who catapulted him to victory with 2,954 votes (55.55 percent), of which 1,730 were early votes, 1,064 election-day votes and 160 mail-in votes.

"We worked very, very hard," Reed said of the many supporters who joined in his election effort. Reed thanked his family and supporters. He had hoped for a larger voter turnout.

Don DeLeon received 1,402 early votes, 744 on election day and 218 mail-in votes for a total of 2,364 (44.45 percent). DeLeon could not be reached for comment.

Reed will take the seat now occupied by Luigi Cristiano, who decided not to seek re-election.

Sergio Lopez was unsuccessful in a 2006 bid, but found no opposition this year after Roy de los Santos, who would have been the incumbent, withdrew his candidacy for personal reasons.

Lopez also could not be reached for comment.

 Brownsville Navigation District board election results.

Place 1 Early Election Day Mail-in Total

Eliceo "Cheo" Muñoz: 1,201 751 109 2,061

Ralph Cowen: 1,896 1,052 285 3,233

Place 3

John Reed: 1,730 1,064 160 2,954

Don DeLeon: 1,402 744 218 2,364

Place 5

Sergio Tito Lopez: 1,915 1,067 188 3,170