Local candidates switching to the Republican Party

Letter to the Editor

Diana Olvedo-Karau

Submitted by Diana Olvedo-Karau

  As 2023 comes to an end, the 2024 election campaigns will go into full gear. In Uvalde County, for the first time in more time than anyone can remember, the Republican ticket will have a record number of candidates vying for several important offices.
  As a conservative, it certainly would be a cause for celebration that so many individuals have stepped up to run on the Republican ticket. However, for many of us, it is a concerning reality, as several of the candidates running for these seats are identified as “Hard Democrats” by the GOP Data Center. These candidates include John Yeackle, Roy Kothmann, Emmanuel Zamora & John Dodson.
So are these individuals running on the Republican ticket because they’ve actually seen the light and recognize the error of their political ways? Or are they running on the Republican ticket because it’s a presidential election year and we all know during presidential election cycles more people vote, and most of them vote Republican in Uvalde County? 
The March Primary will decide who will serve as County Commissioner for Precinct 1 and 3. Who will serve as County Attorney. Who will serve as County Sheriff. Will Uvalde voters re-elect the incumbents who failed this community before and after May 24, 2022? How will Democratic voters who have voted the incumbents into office, vote in the Primary?
Uvalde voters, please vet your candidates. The last candidate I want to see elected to office is one that is a career politician, a liberal conservative, or one that is really a Democrat running as a Republican.