Hispanic Republicans Get Organized For Local Midterm Elections

By Sito Negron El Paso Inc.

Early voting for the mid-term elections begins Monday, and in El Paso the most hotly contested race is steaming toward conclusion with TV ads and waves of volunteers and campaign staff who have been beating the bushes for Democratic state Rep. Joe Moody and his Republican opponent, Dee Margo.

A month before the election, the candidates reported a combined $246,000 in the bank: $192,000 for Margo and $64,000 for Moody. The reporting period covered from July to the end of September, during which they raised a combined $295,000 ? $110,000 for Moody and $185,000 for Margo. They spent a combined $180,000 ? $71,000 for Moody and $109,000 for Margo.

Much more can be expected during the campaign?s last 30 days, when candidates ramp up the TV advertising. In 2008, when Moody and Margo first faced each other in the campaign for state representative District 78, Moody reported taking in $391,000 and spending $268,000 between Sept. 26 and Oct. 25. Margo reported $236,000 and $299,000, respectively, for the same period.

From Oct. 26 to Dec. 31, 2008, the next reporting period, Margo took in $72,000 and spent $191,000, and finished with $5,000 in the bank; in the same time period, Moody took in $107,000 and spent $140,000, and finished with $27,000 in the bank.

Margo is touting his conservative credentials, particularly an anti-tax agenda ? the subject of his most recent ads ? while attacking Moody as a liberal and tying him to Democrats who poll poorly in the district. A Margo mailer has a picture of Moody with outgoing state Rep. Norma Chavez, who was defeated in the Democratic primary by Naomi Gonzalez.

Read the full El Paso Inc. article here.