EDINBURG — A bitter contest for an Edinburg CISD board seat came to an amicable end Tuesday evening.
Incumbents Miguel “Mike” Farias and Carmen Gonzalez were both sworn onto the board for another four-year term, along with freshman trustee Louis “Luis” Alamia.
Farias and Gonzalez both handily defended their seats against challengers in the Nov. 3 election while Alamia ousted longtime board trustee Robert Peña Jr. after a lively campaign that included attack ads and mailers lobbed at both candidates.
Despite the caustic campaign, spirits were high Tuesday and the passions of the campaign had been (at least publicly) extinguished.
“One of the many people I want to thank is Mr. Robert Peña for serving his 12 years at ECISD here on the ECISD board. It’s an honor to follow in his footsteps as we move Edinburg forward,” Alamia said after being sworn in to his Place 7 seat.
Alamia also thanked Jesus Christ, the current district leadership, his family and the community at large.
“I want to thank you Edinburg for allowing me to serve you. This position isn’t mine — it’s yours, and I will represent you all to the best of my ability,” he said.
Peña was recognized for his service at the meeting and spent a few minutes reflecting on his time on the board and wishing the district his best.
“I’ve spent the last two weeks thinking back to all the amazing things that we’ve done and accomplished over the years, and it certainly far goes and it certainly takes us further than any disappointment I may have had with other things we didn’t get to finish or didn’t get to do,” he said.
The board also voted in new leadership Tuesday, electing Farias as board president, Dominga “Minga” Vela as vice president and Leticia “Letty” Garcia as board secretary.
“I look forward to working together with this board. I look forward to going and facing the challenges, but I see them as opportunities to succeed,” Farias said. And as a board, we can move forward and go and address those challenges; not just to survive, but to conquer and overcome.”
