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.

  • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    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.

    • Cosmonauticus@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      That’s still an embarrassing amount of ppl wanting an incompetent failure running the sheriff department

      • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        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.

      • Illuminostro@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        They’re afraid the guys at the bar will call them a pussy for not voting “conservative.” Fear rules their lives.

    • derf82@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Nope, in a rural Texas county, the Republican primary is for all intents and purposes the general.

    • Son_of_dad@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Remember how soon after the massacre, Uvalde county overwhelmingly voted to re-elect Abbot?

      These people don’t care about their own children

      • prole@sh.itjust.works
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        8 months ago

        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.

    • mr_robot@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      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.