Socorro City Council Drama: Man Asks For Mayor’s Resignation

Council chambers were compared to a circus by one city representative during Thursday evening’s meeting.

“I guess the circus is back,” said Gloria Rodriguez, who represents District 2.

Under that analogy, the main attraction in Thursday’s meeting was when one men stepped up to the podium and asked Socorro’s mayor pro tempore to step down.

“(Jesse Gandara Jr.) needs to resign. He needs to step down for the fact that he needs to prove himself in court first,” said Ralph Duran, a citizen of Socorro.

Gandara addressed Duran’s comments.

“Statements like that would make it seem like I’m under indictment,” he said.

Gandara is not under indictment, but Duran maintains Gandara still has reasons to turn in his resignation. “Our mayor pro tempore is under investigation for official oppression in regards to a sexual harassment case,” said Duran. When asked what evidence he had to back up those claims, Duran referred to an article written by the newspaper El Diario.

“Any type of insinuations that I would be involved in any kind of sexual assault is disgusting to me. It is reprehensible that they would be allowed to print that in the paper,” said Gandara.

A spokeswoman with the sheriff’s office said Jesse Gandara Jr. was not currently involved in any sexual harrassment case. The sheriff’s office confirmed it has investigated sexual harrassment claims against a Socorro police sargeant, Refugio Orta. Orta is close friends with Gandara. However, the sheriff’s office said Gandara is not involved in the investigation against Orta at all.