ABC-7 Xtra Recap: Highlights Democratic congressional forum

Carrillo asked viewers to vote their conscience, and Tilgham directed his question to Fenenbock. Chavez, Fenenbock and Garcia chose to direct their one question to Escobar.

When the candidates were questioned on their individual campaigns, Fenenbock was asked about her ads alleging Escobar hired EPISD Board Trustee Susie Byrd $60,000 to solicit donations from district vendors.

“Dori, that’s a lie, and you know it,” replied Escobar. “El Paso knows my record on fighting corruption spoke out against rigged bids, I fought about them. You, on the other hand, Ms. Fenenbock, you voted for a rigged bid, and you pushed it through. I have the audit, I have the evidence. It’s pretty clear.”

All six of the Democratic candidates vying to fill Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s seat were guests on a special edition of ABC-7 Xtra Sunday.

The candidates weighed in on their campaigns, important issues to the Borderland and had the opportunity to ask their opponents a question.

Guests included:
KTEP public radio executive John Carrillo
former state representative Norma Chavez
former El Paso County Judge Veronica Escobar
former El Paso Independent School District Board President Dori Fenenbock
El Paso attorney Enrique Garcia
Retired Army Major Jerome Tilgham

Escobar was referring to an audit of favoritism, insider information and bid tailoring within EPISD.

“The audit cleared the superintendent of any wrongdoing, whatsoever,” said Fenenbock. “You use Susie Byrd to make a scandal out of something that has been audited and investigated fully, and in which I was never implicated. I have connected the dots, of what looks like corruption, and Veronica, unfortunately in El Paso, what looks like corruption, probably is corruption.”

Click here to watch the full debate.

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