Early voting opens Monday for May 6 San Benito, Harlingen elections

Fernando Del Valle, Valley Morning Star, Harlingen, Texas
·3 min read

Apr. 22—SAN BENITO — Candidates are turning up the heat in some of the city's hottest elections in years.

On Monday, early voting opens for the May 6 election, which could shift the balance of power on the San Benito city commission and the school district's board of trustees.

The early voting period runs through May 2.

City commission

On the city commission, seven candidates are running in the election, with three seats up for grabs.

In one of the city's hottest races, Mayor Rick Guerra, a retired Harlingen firefighter running for a second term, faces Commissioner Rene Garcia, a Social Security Administration claims specialist, and former Mayor Ben Gomez, a school district parent specialist.

In a contest that could shift the commission's balance of power, Tom Goodman, a South Padre Island real estate broker, squares off against Eddie Abrego, San Benito High School's assistant principal, in the race for the Place 1 seat which Garcia is vacating after winning office in 2020.

In the race for the Place 2 seat, Commissioner Rene Villafranco, a federal official who first won election in 2009, faces Deborah Ann Morales, the vice president of Texas Funeral Associates who serves on the city's Economic Development Corporation board.

San Benito school board

On the school board, four seats are open in an election that could shift the panel's balance of power.

In the race for the board's Place 4 seat, board member Orlando Lopez, a vascular specialist with a medical company running for a third term, faces Julian Joseph Rios, the manager of Chuy's Custom Sports who serves as the city's EDC president.

In the contest for Place 5 seat, board member Rudy Corona, an AT&T fiber technician running for a second term, squares off against Jack Garcia, a former district official who served as the city's mayor who is working for the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley.

Running for the Place 6 seat, Ramiro Moreno, a Rio Hondo school district principal who's served as the board's president since winning election in 2020, faces Alex Reyna, a retired San Benito school district police officer.

In the race for the board's Place 7 seat, board member Frutoso Gomez, a former longtime Cameron County chief appraiser whom the school board appointed to fulfill Janie Lopez's term after she won the new state House of Representatives District 37 seat, faces Michael Vargas, the assistant public affairs director with the city of Pharr whom a group of residents removed as the school board's president in 2019.

Harlingen school board

In Harlingen, two seats are up for grabs in the school district's election.

In the race for the school board's Place 1 seat, Gina Cano-Monreal, an administrator, faces Lorraine De Leon-Galarza, a retired registered nurse.

In the contest to fill the Place 2 seat being vacated by Javier DeLeon, Ricky Leal, vice president of First Community Bank, squares off against Israel Aguilar, a university professor.