Uvalde schoolchildren were massacred under a sheriff’s watch. He was still undefeated on Super Tuesday
Sheriff Ruben Nolasco won re-election despite pressure from victims’ families to step down and a Justice Department report finding ‘cascading’ failures among the law enforcement response that day
For nearly two years, a Texas county sheriff has refused to step down after a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in 2022.
Instead, on Super Tuesday, Uvalde County sheriff Ruben Nolasco faced voters for the first time in the wake of the massacre.
And he won re-election with roughly 39 per cent of votes against three Republican challengers, according to preliminary results.
The sheriff has repeatedly rebuffed calls to resign or withdraw his candidacy for re-election despite overwhelming public pressure from victims’ families, demands that he face criminal charges, and a federal investigation that detailed a minute-by-minute timeline exposing “cascading” failures in the law enforcement response that day.
It's the Republican primary, not the general election
And 39% for the incumbent in a primary is far from a decisive win
He probably won't win the general.
That's still an embarrassing amount of ppl wanting an incompetent failure running the sheriff department
Only if you forget the sample is republican primary voters...
Hell, it's probably less votes than trump got. When even trump voters are turning him down, he ain't gonna win the general.
They're afraid the guys at the bar will call them a pussy for not voting "conservative." Fear rules their lives.
Nope, in a rural Texas county, the Republican primary is for all intents and purposes the general.
Remember how soon after the massacre, Uvalde county overwhelmingly voted to re-elect Abbot?
These people don't care about their own children
The parents of the actual children cared enough to campaign against them... But as for the rest of the voters: it isn't their kids.
America is the world capital of "rugged individualism," and it's basically Texas' whole schtick. These people don't give a shit until it happens to them. Like directly to them.
Was there nobody else willing to stand up and do the job? Even someone in the same party, with the same principles should be able to look at an assessment of the Sheriff’s department’s actions and realize a leadership change is necessary for the general safety of the community.
If you are a conservative living in Uvalde, Texas with a couple of kids, wouldn’t you want the peace of mind to know the local Sheriff’s office is under new management?
I wouldn’t feel safe having my kid in school with that guy in charge.
I've said it before, Uvalde had a chance to bring about change and they immediately voted Abbott back in and their community reelected the same sheriffs and judges who did nothing while their kids died. After a point my sympathy is used to for these people, if they don't care about their own kids and community, why should I?
Republicans have repeatedly proven that dead kids are a price they’re willing to pay if it means they don’t have to elect a democrat.
Every school shooting ever is proof of that. They want to keep that barrier against gun control in place at any price.
The guy won against 3 other republican contenders, so it's not even about party politics
That’s just sad.
He only got the plurality vote though l, so it's likely the contenders split the vote against him.
Yep. This is why I stopped feeling sorry for people in red states.
The victims of Republican policies deserve no sympathy because they committed the sin of being outnumbered?
No, because there is only so much compassion someone can have before needing to become practical.
Republicans' victims are disposable so long as they're stuck in red states. Loud and clear.
As a Canadian who lives in Alberta, this pains me.
I despise our provincial government. I vote in every election. I reach out to my electors who I disagree with. And it doesn't matter because a bunch of old "got mine" boomers rich on oil money, keep voting in their shitty friends who are looting the public in plain view.
Why don't I move? Because the whole fucking world seems to be going this way, and the housing market is insane.
This is also why it’s worth living in a place like Vancouver or San Francisco. Yes it’s expensive but you’re safe and will be respected by the people around you.
It’s infuriating.
How can you live in that community and be happy with this as an outcome?
Zero accountability for anyone with the blood of literal children on their hands but I’m sure they’ll go after the corrupting influence of ‘woke’ Democrats.
Texans are some of the most delusional people on the planet.
Once you realize this, a lot of their behaviors start to make sense.
That's a wild take. lol. I'd never let the beliefs of others factor in my support for... kids.
I can't do anything for their kids. They can. And they won't and don't care.
Me supporting their kids is nothing but empty words.
Because their police standards and practices are, by and large, our deep blue city police standards and practices. Some minor differences sure but you transplant people from one department to another and they'll fit right in.
There's just no fucking hope for these people. I have no words
Yes, there is no helping Texans at this point.
The only solution is to leave and let them implode on their own.
If we could just declare schoolchildren to be embryos, Republicans might consider their lives to have value and be worth protecting.
Nope.
In Alabama, as soon as the Republicans realized their craziness impacted their own lives, changing the rules became the top priority of the state. They are doing a perfect job of showing us they could do their jobs super efficiently, but have zero desire to.
Also, their workaround will protect the businesses and the doctors, but not the patients.
Cruelty to the 'others' is the point.
Why are positions like Sheriff and Coroner elected? Shouldn't they be appointed/hired based on ACTUAL FUCKING QUALIFICATIONS and experience?
Because they are left over from the 1800's and people are too stupid to fix it.
Not stupid, just they know they can use the shitty system to their advantage.
It makes them independent of the mayor, who appoints the police chief and is effectively in control of the police department (if the chief doesn't cooperate with them they'll appoint a new one). The mayor is just as likely to be corrupt as the sheriff, so having 2 separate law enforcement agencies that are able to investigate each other seems like a good idea. In an ideal situation they'd keep each other honest.
Checks and balances...
How do coroner run anyways? Like...what are their platforms?
They rarely run opposed. But if they do I assume it’s based on qualifications or local trust.
Interestingly, basically no one has any checks on sheriffs. We can "vote them out" but that's extremely difficult, and sheriffs can interfere with they're competitors with no consequences.
The police department can investigate them. Do you think there are more checks on the mayor?
Many counties the sheriff is the primary elected official. They are generally the local executive, outside of cities that are largely enough to need a more formal government.
The most Texan thing ever.
Voting. It just works.
What happens when a system that only works with an educated, engaged, and intellectually honest population starts attacking education, engagement, and honesty?
Good things, surely.
In this case I think it's more the indifference of voters without children or sympathy to those who do don't care as long as they aren't affected.
Republicans care about kids SO MUCH that they'll HAPPILY REELECT someone who allowed 19 Schoolchildren to be GUNNED DOWN!
Always Mess with Texas
Please Tread on me
And Biden is winning the Democratic vote while supporting Genocide. More news at 11.
To be fair, what alternative is there?
Trump and participating in the genocide.
What alternative was there for the GOP Texas voters?