Dee Margo, Joe Moody laud endorsements

Endorsements in the House District 78 race are pouring in, and both candidates are trying to use them as a way to connect with voters.

State Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, announced Monday that the Texas Medical Association was endorsing him because of his commitment to improving health care. Republican challenger Dee Margo last week announced that a new group, the Hispanic Republicans of Texas, had endorsed him.

Margo, 58, the CEO of an insurance company, is in a rematch with Moody, who defeated him two years ago. Moody, 29, is an attorney seeking a second term in the House.

Early voting begins Monday, and the election is Nov. 2.

Though coveted, endorsements in El Paso County elections have not had much impact, as voters prefer to choose candidates on their own, said Richard Pineda, a University of Texas at El Paso professor who specializes in political communications. In past elections, candidates have lost even though unions or business associations endorsed them.

That happened last spring, when 13-year state Rep. Norma Chavez lost a primary to Naomi Gonzalez, despite support from public employee unions.

"What's more important about the endorsements here is what you get from them," Pineda said. "When a group endorses you, they will generally block walk for you or give you campaign contributions. Other than that, endorsements in El Paso are of minimal value."

Moody held a news conference on Monday to announce that the Texas Medical Association, the El Paso

County Medical Society and other health care groups were supporting him.

"This was a great day for our campaign to receive the backing of our medical community," Moody said.

He has also been endorsed by the Texas Parent political action committee, the Mexican American Bar Association in El Paso and the Texas State Teachers Association.

Margo has been endorsed by two Republicans who hold statewide office, Attorney General Greg Abbott and state Comptroller Susan Combs. Another of his endorsements came from the Texas Association of Business. Texas Railroad Commission Chairman Michael Williams came to El Paso to block walk with Margo.

One endorsement that Margo is glad he did not receive was that of the Sierra Club. It endorsed Moody.

Margo said the Sierra Club is a major supporter of the American Clean Energy and Security Act. The act aims to limit greenhouse emissions and make homes more energy efficient. Opponents of the act said it will cost homeowners thousands of dollars to comply with the federal building codes.

"When our number one issues right now are jobs and the economy, I can't see any legislation being looked at favorably that detrimentally impacts our ability to create jobs," Margo said.

Moody said he was glad to have the Sierra Club's endorsement. He called Margo's criticism a baseless political attack.

"They endorsed me because I'm working on a state agenda to improve the state's parks, including our Franklin Mountains State Park," he said. "They also endorsed me because I'm working on renewable energy legislation and on better environmental policies in the state of Texas."