A Bit of Good News - Laredo, Texas

More than 14 hours after the recount of the ballots cast in the April 8 runoff for the Webb County sheriff's race began, a new victor has emerged.Sheriff Rick Flores was declared the winner over challenger Martin Cuellar by 133 votes. Flores garnered 13,128 votes to Cuellar's 12,995. Flores initially was reported to have lost the contest by 37.

A packed house at the Webb County Justice Center waited until well past 10 p.m. for any sign that the more than 26,000 ballots cast had been finished being recounted when a smiling Flores eventually emerged from the Central Jury room, claiming victory. He was followed out of the Justice Center by a crowd of cheering supporters.

Meanwhile, a calm but disappointed Cuellar remained behind thanking supporters and thinking over his options.

"We're kind of disappointed, but I want to thank the voters for their support," he said. "They've been very, very supportive, and we're going to make it. I'll talk to my attorneys and look at my options. I want to make sure and protect the will of the voters."

Asked if he thought any fraud or corruptive element was behind the swing, Cuellar's campaign manager, Colin Strother, said the numbers indicated something peculiar.

"That big of a change is highly unusual, and there are considerable questions about the process," he said.

Tensions ran high after the announcement, with Cuellar's supporters claiming that the election judge who oversaw the recount, Jose Salvador Tellez Sr., should not have been selected.

Tellez told supporters that they were out of line and warned them to be careful of what they said.

Dozens of people for both candidates began arriving at the Justice Center in the late afternoon and waited anxiously as Webb County Democratic Party Chair Sergio Mora made brief, sporadic appearances and indicated that the counters were working diligently but carefully to ensure an accurate outcome. He said the results were final and had been signed off by himself, Tellez and representatives from both camps.

Despite the outcome, the contest may not be over even after a victory after the recount, with an election contest still possible. Strother said an election contest should be given priority by the courts and begin promptly if filed.

The recount followed a week that saw several different controversies surrounding the election.

On Wednesday, Webb County election officials stated that several Republican voters, at least 34, voted in the March 4 primary election and the April 8 Democratic runoff, violating state election laws.

Earlier in the afternoon, Webb County Elections Administrator Oscar Villarreal confirmed his office delivered to the Webb County District Attorney's Office documents revealing the names of several of those voters. A spokesperson at the District Attorney's Office confirmed they had received the names and were waiting on more information from Villarreal's office. That said, however, those votes did not factor into the recount Thursday. Villarreal said that if the issue is raised again, it would be during an election contest should one be filed.

The recount followed week of allegations from county officials, including Flores, that indicated problems in the Elections Office may have adversely affected the legitimate outcome of the election.

(Julian Aguilar may be reached at 728-2557 or by e-mail at jaguilar@lmtonline.com)