September 13, 2019 • Local News
El Paso city attorney says Cassandra Hernandez can run for her City Council seat
El Paso city attorney says Cassandra Hernandez can run for her City Council seat
East-Central city Rep. Cassandra Hernandez is allowed to run in a special election for her El Paso City Council seat, the city attorney said.
Hernandez has filed to run in a Nov. 5 special election that the City Council approved last week.
City Attorney Karla Nieman issued a statement Thursday evening saying that Hernandez is allowed by law to run in the special election for her District 3 seat.
Last week, the City Council in a 4-3 vote decided that Hernandez was required to resign under state law following a Facebook post by a former campaign volunteer announcing that she was running for mayor.
"The Council has been following legal process required by Representative Hernandez’s decision to announce her candidacy for mayor," Nieman said. "The City Council was required to call the special election to fill the vacancy."
Hernandez maintains she didn't authorize the inadvertent Facebook post and that she has not announced her candidacy for any other office than her seat on the City Council.
Hernandez, who is mulling a lawsuit to stop the special election, remains on the council until the November election.
The special election will be on the same ballot as the city's $413 million public safety bond election. The filing deadline for the special election is Sept. 26.
Hernandez's constituents have gone to the El Paso County Attorney's Office to ask that the county review the City Council's actions.
However, County Attorney Joanne Bernal said there's nothing the county can do about the council's vote to hold the special election for Hernandez's seat, adding that the county would conduct its own research in case a similar issue happened with a county official.
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