McALLEN — The commission set a date for the runoff election that will decide who will be the next city commissioner for District 4.
McAllen commissioners agreed to hold the runoff election on Feb. 26 with early voting to be held from Feb. 14 through Feb. 22.
The runoff will pit the two candidates who received the most votes during the special election held Saturday — Pablo D. Garcia and Rodolfo “Rudy” Castillo.
Garcia received the most votes with 247, or more than 45% of the votes, while Castillo received 225 votes, or about 41% of all votes, according the election returns which the city council canvassed on Thursday.
In third place was Javier Salazar, a realtor, who received 71 votes or about 13% of all votes.
Since none of the candidates received the necessary 50% plus one vote to win outright, the top two vote-getters must face off in a runoff.
Garcia and Castillo are running to replace District 4 City Commissioner Tania Ramirez.
Ramirez resigned from the position to run for Hidalgo County judge, but continues to serve on the city commission as a holdover until her replacement is elected and sworn into office.
Castillo, a business owner, has said security and drainage are his main priorities for the district, as well as improvements to street lighting and the creation of more parks.
He also mentioned wanting to put a stop to speeding in the area in an effort to make it safer for families.
Garcia, board treasurer for the Camara de Comercio Internacional or the International Chamber of Commerce, said he also wants to invest in parks and other recreational facilities for families in the district and supports investing in improvements to the drainage system.
