Serigo Porras
Sergio Porras announced on Sept. 8 he was withdrawing his candidacy for Uvalde City Council, which leaves Eloisa R. Medina as the sole candidate for the open District 3 position.
“My withdrawal as a candidate will allow the city the opportunity to cancel the special election for the District 3 position being that Ms. Medina will be the sole unopposed candidate,” Porras said in the letter submitted to the city.
“It will also be an opportunity for Ms. Medina to serve as the next District 3 council representative for the City of Uvalde.”
Porras said he was withdrawing for personal reasons, which will also save the city the expense of holding an election. He further said he feels Medina will bring a needed diversity to the council, which currently comprises four men.
Porras noted only three other women have served on the city council, including Ann Vaughan and Connie Boyle, circa the early 1990s and late ‘90s, respectively.
In the past decade, the only female member of the city council was the late Margaret Palermo, a U.S. Army veteran who was formerly an award-winning journalist and crime reporter for the Uvalde Leader-News. Palermo was elected in May of 2014, and served until her death on Feb. 13, 2018.
City secretary Sorayda A. Sanchez said the special election, which was set for Nov. 8, will be canceled and Medina will be sworn in to the council at a date to be determined.
The District 3 position came open after the resignation of Pete Arredondo, who won in a landslide over three other candidates on May 7.
City council members are paid a stipend of $25 per month, and the mayor receives a stipend of $50 per month. Currently, there are four sitting councilmen in addition to Mayor Don McLaughlin Jr.
Everardo “Lalo” Zamora holds the District 1 council seat; Hector R. Luevano, District 2; Stephen E. Balke, District 4; and Ernest W. “Chip” King III, District 5. Council members serve four-year terms, with the mayor elected at-large.
Eloisa R. Medina
