blogginallthingsbrownsville.com, Saturday, December 08, 2007
Brownsville attorney John "Roca" Shergold announced today that he's ready to give long-time incumbent State Rep. Rene Oliveira the run he's looking for.
Oliveira (D-Brownsville, District 37) told The Brownsville Herald that anyone wanting to run against him better put on their running shoes, because he's running hard.
"I've got my Nikes," Oliveira told The Herald.
Shergold was presented with a pair a sneakers at his candidacy announcement today at Brownsville's Linear Park.
"They don't have fancy running shows where I got these -- Wal-mart," he said. "It's not going to be an easy race, but Shergold's army has assembled."
About 65 people were in attendance demonstrating their support. Still, Shergold gave credit where he said credit was due.
"I know my opponent has been in office for 24 years, and he (Oliveira) should be credited," he said. "But it's time for a change, because our community has changed."
Shergold pointed out what he considered questionable decisions made by his opponent.
"I like basketball, but I didn't get a Spurs ticket," he quipped.
Oliveira's ethics were addressed when he accepted $1,000 worth in Spurs tickets as a gift from TXU Corp. Shergold said Oliveira had voted against an electric bill that would have decreased rates across the state.
He added that when an incumbent has no opponent, he should not raise campaign funds.
He also addressed Oliveira's voting record on certain bills.
Shergold said he'd be an advocate for consumer protection and mentioned he supports complete disclosure when an insurance company opens a car repair shop. He said Oliveira voted against such disclosure.
According to Shergold, Oliveira also voted against HB 2030 in the 79th Legislature that requires legislators to designate a permanent residence. Shergold said if a candidate is to represent this community, the candidate should reside here and not vacation here.
"I think that's a shame," Shergold said. "I'm proud to live here in Brownsville."
Shergold said Oliveira may have all the money to run a campaign, but that it wasn't a problem for him.
"Your vote counts as much as any individual," he said.
District 37 includes Brownsville , Port Isabel, Laguna Vista, Bayview, and part of Los Fresnos.
