One of the earliest pieces of advice I received as County Commissioner was to be cautious about endorsing candidates. Answering questions about who you’re voting for? Fine. Privately reaching out to voters on behalf of another candidate? Ok. Anything further than that? No way.
The risks are too many. Your candidate will lose and the winner might not cooperate with you. Or the candidate you vouched for will win, and they will only disappoint you and the community after they take office. Either way, you will alienate one base of voters, jeopardizing not only your political standing, but your personal relationships in a county where everyone is connected.
But I’ve seen good people lose. And Dilley did not elect me to sit in silence.
Vote for Aaron Ibarra for County Clerk.
If you read nothing else in this post, vote for Aaron Ibarra for County Clerk.
He’s been through the fire. Aaron was appointed to County Clerk last year, and he walked into that courthouse like Ethan Hawke in Training Day. Hazed by some of the old guard in that building. Tested by a clique hoping to see him fail.
But he stuck with it. Thrived. Learned all aspects of the job. Reshaped communication between Frio County and the public. Personally, I lean on Aaron constantly for records in preparation for meetings.
This job is more important than most of the public gets to see. County Clerk Aaron Ibarra recently asked for a debate, attempting to start a new cycle of candidate evaluation and accountability, something we desperately need in Frio County.
After his opponent refused, Aaron walked into the fire again, setting up an online forum on social media. If asked, I would have advised against it. But he showed what he was made of. And if the tone of a candidate’s supporters tells you anything about the candidate, I think his Ask Me Anything forum told a story of two starkly different choices for County Clerk, and potential future of Frio County.
Read the thread here:
Thank you,
Jose Asuncion
Frio County Commissioner, Pct. 4