By MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ
Managing Editor
editor@sbnewspaper.com
Although there’s now a clear victor in the Precinct 3, Place 1 Justice of the Peace race, the incumbent who lost by an eight-vote margin has expressed plans to request a recount.
Challenger Guadalupe Ayala emerged as the winner in the Democratic runoff for Pct. 3, Pl. 1 Justice on Tuesday following a meeting of the Democratic Provisional Ballot Board in Cameron County. The Board met the morning of June 3 to review 36 countywide provisional votes cast in the May 27 Primary runoff. The review confirmed that an additional four ballots were cast for Ayala, making him the victor by just eight votes over incumbent Manuel Flores Jr.
County Elections Administrator Christopher J. Davis said six of the 36 provisional ballots were accepted by the Board and four were cast in the Pct. 3, Pl. 1 JP’s race.
“Ayala got all four of those votes,” Davis said.
Specifically, Ayala received 868 votes to Flores’ 860. According to a voting breakdown provided by the County Elections office, Ayala won the mail-in vote (11-10), Election Day (348-333), and he lost early voting (517-505). Ayala held a four-vote margin of victory prior to the reviewing of the provisional ballots on Tuesday.
“I want to thank God first before anything else,” Ayala said Tuesday of his victory.
However, Flores said his opponent’s narrow margin of victory and what the JP called “discrepancies” prompted him to consider petitioning for a recount.
“I’m still going to go through with the recount, only because there were some discrepancies with ballot boxes,” Flores said. “I’ll do that and hope for the best; it’s such a narrow margin.”
Davis said the judge has until 5 p.m. Monday to request a recount with the County’s Democratic Party and that a $1,700 deposit is also required. The deposit is refundable if the outcome of the race changes following a recount.
In the meantime, runoff votes will be canvassed Thursday, June 5; ballots cast in the Pct. 3, Pl. 1 JP’s race will be re-canvassed at a later date in the event of a recount.
Concerning Flores’ plans, Ayala said, “That’s his right if he wants to have a recount, I have no problem with that. I may have done the same thing depending on how wide the margin of victory was.”
“Like when I was a police officer, I want to be courteous and professional with everyone,” Ayala added when asked if a recount cements his victory. “I know it was a hard campaign, and I want to thank my supporters for all their hard work… Team Ayala was faithful.”
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