News
POSITIVE CHANGE vs. MORE OF THE SAME
We have run a positive campaign of good ideas and specific plans to move toward universal health care, raise classroom teachers’ salaries to at least the national average, make college tuition rates affordable for middle-class families again, bring down soaring electric costs, clean up the toxic fumes in our children’s old diesel school buses, and stand up against the Republicans who want to impose a voter I.D. bill next session.
While our opponent has done little more than level false negative attacks, we’ve put our money where our mouth is, funding our own campaign with help from friends and supporters right here in South Texas, not Republican special interests in Austin.
Tomorrow, you get get to choose between positive change and more of the same.
We believe that the community we love has the courage to change, stand up for our civil rights, show up for work when people are counting on us, and keep our commitments. It’s a new day and a new direction. More…
SAENZ: ‘AWOL AARON MISSES CANDIDATE DEBATE’
Embattled Incumbent Fails to Show But Pockets Tens of Thousands More From Republican PAC Under Criminal Investigation, Pro-Voucher Advocates, Swift Boat Funder, Anti-Lawsuit Group
(EDINBURG) — Embattled incumbent Aaron Pena failed to show up for a scheduled candidate forum on Monday but did manage to cash new campaign checks from a Republican political action committee under criminal investigation for violating state statutes prohibiting “legislative bribery,” pro-vouchers advocates, the GOP donor who funded the Swift Boat for Veterans attacks against Democrat John Kerry, and the leading group trying to limit Texas citizens’ access to the court system they pay for with their taxes.
“I’m not surprised that my opponent failed to show up last night to defend his record of failing to show up to defend his district,” Saenz said.
The candidates forum, sponsored by the Edinburg Review, was held Monday evening at the Dustin M. Sekula Memorial Library. Pena sent an aide instead of participating himself.
Last week, the national media criticized Pena for abandoning Sen. Hillary Clinton’s campaign with just days to go before next Tuesday’s presidential primary. Washington Post political reporter Dana Milbank even told an MSNBC television audience, “Clearly, this is not a man you want in your foxhole.” More…
SAENZ: “AARON PENA’S LATEST FLIP-FLOP BETRAYS HILLARY CLINTON AND HER SOUTH TEXAS SUPPORTERS”
(EDINBURG) — Democratic House challenger Eddie Saenz today said that Aaron Pena’s appearance at a rally for Barack Obama and published comments against Hillary Clinton are the latest in a long line of flip-flops and outright betrayals of the voters of South Texas.
“Senator Clinton has now learned what our community learned long ago — you can’t trust Aaron Pena,” Saenz said. “His word means nothing when his personal ambition gets in the way.”
Saenz noted that Pena has spent months representing himself as one of Sen. Clinton’s top Rio Grande Valley supporters and was even introduced by her during a rally last week in McAllen. Yet, he appeared earlier today at a rally for Clinton’s opponent, Illinois Senator Barack Obama, and was quoted in the respected political newsletter Rio Grande Guardian saying that “it appears to be increasingly evident who is going to win.”
Pena was referring to Obama in the quote. http://www.riograndeguardian.com/rggnews_story.asp?story_no=28#
More…
SAENZ TO PENA: “SOUTH TEXAS VOTERS DESERVE AN HONEST ANSWER — WITH REPUBLICANS RAISING MORE CAMPAIGN CASH FOR YOU TO FUND NEGATIVE ATTACKS, EXACTLY WHO ARE YOU WORKING FOR?”
(EDINBURG) – Democratic House challenger Eddie Saenz today called on his beleaguered opponent, Aaron Pena, to explain why Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick is making fundraising calls this week to raise campaign cash that Pena plans to use in negative attack ads.
“My opponent has his Republican political boss making money calls on his behalf,” Saenz said. “South Texas voters deserve an honest answer — exactly who is Aaron Pena working for?”
Pena last month pocketed $50,000 from Craddick in a controversial cash transfer that is now the subject of a criminal charge filed with Travis County prosecutors. A few days later, Pena wrote two checks totaling that same amount, plus and additional $10,000 from Swift Boat funder Bob Perry, to a Republican consulting firm that is working for other candidates recruited by the Republican establishment in Austin to run against Democrats.
This week, Craddick has been calling Republican donors, asking them to “double down” by sending even more money to Pena, who seconded the nomination of Craddick as House Speaker last year and then voted with the Republican on key legislative measures. More…
A NEW DAY IS JUST A VOTE AWAY!
On this second day of early voting, South Texans are streaming to the polls to vote for positive change and a new direction.
“The momentum is countywide. We are busy countywide,” says Hidalgo County Elections Administrator Teresa Navarro. http://www.themonitor.com/news/county_9207___article.html/voters_early.html
Join us in working for a new day and a new direction! More…
SAENZ CHALLENGES VALLEY MAN CAUGHT IN CAMPAIGN CORRUPTION SCANDAL TO SAY WHAT HE KNEW AND WHEN HE KNEW IT
(EDINBURG) — Democratic House challenger Eddie Saenz today called on a high-profile Rio Grande Valley man implicated in the growing corruption scandal surrounding Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick and his illicit campaign contribution to Aaron Pena and other lawmakers to explain publicly what he knew about the donation and when.
“This scandal is shaping up to be one of the biggest political memory, and anyone involved should either clear his name or apologize to South Texas voters,” Saenz said.
The controversy erupted earlier this week when criminal charges were filed against Craddick for a $50,000 campaign gift to Pena from a political action committee whose board of directors includes Mike Allen of Mission, a South Texas College trustee.
Pena pocketed $50,000 from Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick’s political action committee, a tainted donation that violated state statutes prohibiting speaker candidates from trying to buy their election with what is known as “legislative bribery,” according to the complaint, filed on Monday with the Travis County District Attorney by the election watchdog group Texans for Public Justice. More…
SAENZ: ‘CRIMINAL COMPLAINT AGAINST MY OPPONENT MAKES IT EVEN MORE URGENT THAT HE GIVE BACK REPUBLICANS’ CORRUPT CAMPAIGN CASH’
Democratic Challenger Says Watchdog Group’s Charges Against Aaron Pena Underscore His Troublesome Ties to Austin Leadership That Stripped Eligible Kids of Health Care and Tried to Take Away South Texans’ Right to Vote
(EDINBURG) — A criminal complaint filed against Aaron Pena today underscores his troublesome ties to the Republican leadership in Austin that stripped hundreds of thousands of eligible children of their health care benefits and passed a hated voter identification law with his help that took away the legitimate right of South Texas citizens to vote, Democratic challenger Eddie Saenz said today.
“Today’s criminal compliant against my opponent makes it even more urgent that he give back the Republicans’ corrupt campaign cash and apologize to South Texas voters for betraying them,” Saenz said.
Pena pocketed $50,000 from Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick’s political action committee, a tainted donation that violated state statutes prohibiting speaker candidates from trying to buy their election with what is known as “legislative bribery,” according to the complaint, filed today with the Travis County District Attorney by the election watchdog group Texans for Public Justice. More…
EDDIE SAENZ LAUNCHES TV CAMPAIGN FOR POSITIVE CHANGE
Democrat Calls For Universal Health Care, Teacher Pay Raise, Affordable College For Middle-Class Families
(EDINBURG) — Eddie Saenz, the longtime community leader challenging an embattled incumbent in next month’s Democratic primary, today launched a new television ad campaign, calling for universal health care, a teacher pay raise, and more affordable college tuition for middle-class families.
“The stakes in this election are high, and I want to make my case directly to voters that we can improve our quality of life in South Texas if we have the courage to change,” Saenz said.
The spot opens with still photographs of the candidate as a high school graduate, at his wedding, behind his desk in his successful civil engineering firm, and with his family: wife Sandra and daughter Cassandra. A narrator tells the story:
Like many of us,
Eddie Saenz had worked hard to get an education,
build a business, raise a family,
and take a leadership role in our community.
Texas League of Conservation Voters Endorses Eddie Saenz – Dist. 40
The following press release was sent by the Texas League of Conservation Voters.
(AUSTIN) — Texas League of Conservation Voters (TLCV), a coalition of Texans committed to clean air, clean water, and access to public lands, water, fish and wildlife, today officially endorsed Eddie Saenz for state Representative in District 40, saying that his commitment to improving the environment for South Texas families is “a breath of fresh air.”
“As a father and a small businessman, Eddie Saenz understands that protecting the natural environment is good for families and good for business,” said TLCV’s executive director, Colin Leyden.
Leyden noted that Saenz’ opponent, incumbent Aaron Peña, had one of the worst records on environmental issues of any Democrat in the Texas House — including a critical vote against protecting children from toxic fumes and diesel emissions inside old school buses. He was one of only three South Texas Democrats to vote against the common-sense proposal, which would have provided funds to clean up the school buses. More…
EDDIE SAENZ CAMPAIGN UPDATE
The Texas League of Conservation Voters (TLCV), a coalition of Texans committed to clean air, clean water, and access to public lands, water, fish and wildlife, today endorsed Eddie Saenz for the Texas House, saying that “his commitment to improving the environment for South Texas families is a breath of fresh air.”
“As a father and a small businessman, Eddie Saenz understands that protecting the natural environment is good for families and good for business,” said TLCV’s executive director, Colin Leyden.
Saenz’ opponent had one of the worst records on environmental issues of any Democrat in the Texas House — including a critical vote against protecting children from toxic fumes and diesel emissions inside old school buses. He was one of only three South Texas Democrats to vote against the common-sense proposal, which would have provided funds to clean up the school buses. More…
