Texas Town Elects Dead Man as Mayor
It seems like in every election cycle there are a few stories that leave you scratching your head wondering, "Wow, how did that happen?" This brings us to the town of Palmhurst, Texas.
Palmhurst is a small town in south Texas near McAllen. Ramiro Rodriguez Jr. was first elected as Mayor in 1999 and was running for reelection one more time. Rodriguez Jr., who served as Mayor for 23 years, passed away at the age of 68 on April 5th, and on Saturday, more than a month later, he won reelection.
Because his death occurred after the deadline to remove candidates from the race, his name could not be removed, according to the Houston Chronicle:
Texas election code states that if a deceased candidate's name has been certified by the secretary of state for placement on the ballot, then it cannot be removed without authorization.
Following his death last month, Rodriguez Jr. was remembered for his service to the community of Palmhurst. The town of about 2,700 residents received numerous business advancements under his leadership, Valley Central reports. House Rep. Henry Cuellar announced Rodriguez Jr.'s death in an April 6 Facebook post. "Mayor Rodriguez served South Texas with pride and dignity during his many years of service as Mayor of Palmhurst," Cuellar wrote. "He was known as a passionate public servant and was a pillar of the community."
City officials will have to call a new election in order to elect a new mayor for Palmhurst.
Maybe it was a nice and fitting memorial to win reelection one more time. It also shows you that anything can happen in an election.