STIJA RESULTS FROM RUNOFFS

 The South Texas Independent Journalists Association (STIJA) publishes the most respected poll in the region. Tuesday's results were a mixed bag.

"If you were to put our performance into baseball terms, you could say that we whacked two homers and whiffed on three pitches," said Anthony Starr, STIJA's esteemed president. "There are those associations that are afraid to venture into the on-deck circle, but at STIJA we never think twice about striding into the batter's box and taking our swings."

These are the predictions followed by the results: State Senator Eddie Lucio Jr., 52%; Sara Stapleton-Barrera, 48%. Final: Lucio, 53%; Stapleton, 47%. Sheriff Omar Lucio, 54%; Eric Garza, 46%. Final: Garza, 57%; Lucio, 43%. State District Court #138: Gabby Garcia, 56%; Helen Delgadillo, 44%. Final: Garcia, 57%; Delgadillo, 43%.

"In the State Senator and judge races we hit the ball out of the park as we nailed not only the winners but the percentages also," continued Starr. "When you are within one percentage point, it is an impressive feat.

"But the minute you start bragging about your talents, you will find yourself eating your words that same minute. If we were in the majors, we would be on the next bus back to the minors after the sheriff's fiasco. We embarrassed ourselves, but that's the nature of competition. You are going to get your ass kicked occasionally.

"Where did we go wrong as Garza more than flipped our numbers? There were two issues that undermined Lucio in spite of the fact that he had decades of experience and Garza didn't have a day as a cop under his belt. /DP-M, the publisher of The Brownsville Republic, repeated time and time again that at 84 years of age Lucio should have retired to the bullpen years ago and that the team needed a young starting twirler. That pitch resonated.

"Then there were the Reyna brothers, Gus and Javier. In the long run it wasn't Lucio who suffered the setback. It was the Reynas who hoped to succeed their boss one day, but while Lucio, who has always comported himself like a gentleman and was gracious in defeat, the Reynas have earned the scorn of many detractors over the years. Their critics contend that Gus and Javier's arrogance is insufferable and that part of Lucio's defeat can be attributed to them.

"Of course, you have to credit the victor himself. Initially, he was throwing bean balls at Lucio's head, but he settled into a more conventional strategy with mentor and respected law enforcement veteran Robert Gracia providing him with key guidance. When the dust had finally settled, he had thrown a masterpiece. From a broader perspective, this outcome represented the classic generational change."

"Garcia's triumph over Delgadillo surprised nobody," continued Starr. "She mounted an insurmountable 48% to 31% lead in the primary and rode that momentum yesterday. With a Brownsville base against her foe's Port Isabel base, she had the numbers of her side, but she is a charismatic personality who is hot on the hustings. Delgadillo shouldn't be downcast because she didn't have the manpower or the money to cover the county, but she established the foundation for a future challenge.

"As The McHale Report opined earlier, did Senator Lucio lose in winning?" posed Starr. "With 34 years of experience, deep pockets and friends in high places, he should have buried Stapleton-Barrera, but he didn't. He barely beat the young attorney in Cameron County and only the votes in Hidalgo and three smaller counties allowed him to emit a sigh of relief at the end.

"But what is the Senator's future? He thought long and hard about this undertaking before he committed himself to the campaign. It is no secret that he wants his son, the State Rep, to succeed him, but the latter's 54% to 46% victory against Erin Gamez in the primary was as equally unimpressive as the father's figures last night. Both father and son know that they are no longer the formidable forces they once were in the past. Just like at the end of nine innings, the numbers don't lie. They may remain in first place, but their lead is shrinking.

"So we can close the scorebook on another election, but with the presidential, state, county, BISD, TSC and BND looming in the not-too-distant future, there is still plenty of baseball to be played."