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A Mission attorney who announced he was running for judge of the 464th state District Court on Nov. 6 instead filed to run for the 332nd court on Monday, which was the Dec. 11 deadline for filing.
Abiel Flores made the announcement on Facebook but as of Wednesday afternoon, his campaign Facebook page was still titled “Elect Abiel Flores for 464th District Court.”
Flores posted photos on that Facebook page indicating that he had drawn a place on the ballot and showed new campaign signs that said he was running for the 332nd state District Court.
On the day he said he filed for the 332nd, he posted a photo on social media of him campaigning in a shirt that said he was running for the 464th, according to his campaign’s Facebook post.
Upon learning of the development, The Monitor emailed Flores’ law firm, his 464th state District Court campaign email and two people associated with the Nov. 6 announcement.
The Monitor, which had not received a news release or campaign announcement about Flores switching races, asked whether he had sent one to local media.
The Monitor also asked when Flores decided to switch races. A person associated with Flores’ campaign and an email address from Flores’ law firm that was copied in the exchange issued a release more than two hours later.
In that release, Flores said he “announced today” that he made the decision after learning that 332nd state District Judge Mario Ramirez Jr. is not seeking reelection.
He also said in the release that he filed his application Tuesday, the deadline for filing.
In his Nov. 6 campaign announcement, Flores said: “All I have ever wanted is to serve the community I call home. If given the opportunity, I want to bring fairness and transparency to the court but most importantly I want to bring compassion to the 464th District Court.”
In the release issued Wednesday, Flores said his desire is to serve citizens by bringing his compelling “talents and skills to impart justice fairly and judiciously.”
The release indicated his decision to switch races was because Ramirez is retiring, which means no incumbent.
Joe Ramirez is currently the incumbent in the 464th state District Court.
