PRINCIPALS IN CONSTABLE'S RUNOFF TAKE OFF KID GLOVES

By Juan Montoya
One of the candidates has gone as far as to take a polygraph test and challenge the other to take one too and answer the same questions he did.
The other turned around and interviewed the technician who administered the test to his challenger and got him on tape saying that he knew the other had lied when he took the test.
Meanwhile, as an amazed electorate looks on, the runoff contests between incumbent Pete Avila and challenger Abel Gomez spirals violently toward early voting (Monday) and election day (July 31.)

On Sunday, Avila ran a newspaper ad and repeated the same questions he had answered in the polygraph test and again challenged Gomez top take one.

1."Have you ever extorted money form 8-liner operators?
2."Has the FBI ever questioned you regarding the Judge Limas case?"
3."As a constable, have you ever protected any drug dealers?"
4."Have you ever fixed a DWi case of any bondsman?"
It didn't take long for Gomez to come back with a challenge of his own. In an ad that has been circulated and is scheduled to appear in the newspapers serving the Pct. 2 Constable's jurisdiction, Gomez takes Avila to task charging that while Avila "has campaigned on his integrity versus that of his opponent," he has "failed to inform the citizens and voters of Pct. 2 that he has been sued for sexually assaulting his former secretary."
Gomez said that while Avila has responded that he hired the woman in spite of knowing she had lied on past applications and records, yet he still hired her. What woman," the ad asks, "would want to get exposed to a public scandal."
This type of behavior, the ad continues, cost taxpayers money to defend and settle. Stop Abuse Against Women!! Say No To Avila."
Meanwhile, unsigned and unattributable mail-outs in blank envelopes have started to appear in some local voters' mailboxes identifying Gomez as "Conrado Chiquito," a reference to convicted former Cameron County Sheriff Conrado Cantu. The card indicates that if you vote for Gomez he will;
...continue to take bribes within the DA's office
...continue to fix cases with the DA's office
...continue to extort money within the DA's office
...continue to protect 8-liners within the DA's office
...continue to protect drug dealers within the DA's office.
But, the card reads, "None of the above has been proven YET."
It's been a while since such vigorous campaigning has been witnessed for this relatively low position on the political totem pole. However, if you have read some of the other posts on this blog, the trend seems to be towards a no-hold barred approach to politicking as the last days of the election approach.
We doubt that Gomez will take Pete's offer. And we doubt that the sexual harassment case will come to a court before July 31. For now, however, the fireworks have begun and there is no end in sight.