El Casting de Poder! Primary Elections are here.

Picture South Texas politics as your favorite telenovela, unfolding across the ranchos of Rio Grande City, the bustling streets of McAllen, and the colonias from Roma to Brownsville. The general election in November? That’s the dramatic season finale everyone tunes in for. But the primary election is the crucial “casting episode”—the one where we, the viewers in every colonia corner, decide which characters even make it to that finale.

The dramatic series of Doña Política La del Rancho Estrella is unfolding. And we can’t binge-watch this one.

In this novela, Doña Política La del Rancho Estrella: she oversees the schools, fixes the pothole-ridden roads, funds the clinics, and decides on everything from property taxes to border issues, as an example. Now, two or three cousins are battling to be her new “right hand” for the next season. The primary is that family gathering at the carne asada, where everyone votes on which cousin advances to face the rivals in November. In this case, the Republican Party Candidates.

If only Tío Chisme and the well-connected primos show up, they pick the cousin who looks out for their crowd—El grupo del poder—not the whole familia struggling with flooded streets, underfunded escuelitas, or two jobs just to make ends meet. In South Texas, where one party group often sweeps November, skipping the primary hands the script to a tiny handful of politicians.

Here’s the South Texas twist: in districts from Starr County to Hidalgo, the primary is the big decision. Whoever wins their party’s primary usually cruises to victory later, controlling seats that shape daily life—school funding, healthcare access, fair wages, immigration policies, and even the price of eggs at H-E-B. When everyday gente like maestras, veterans, and small business owners sit it out, big donors and old networks cast candidates who recycle the same tired plotlines: broken promises, corruption, and “next season we’ll fix it.”

Low turnout means our stories—colonias without drainage, kids needing better schools, families hit by rising costs—get sidelined. But when the barrio shows up, the cast refreshes: young organizers and community voices break through, forcing candidates to talk real issues like clinics, jobs, and valley infrastructure.

Rewrite the Script: Make your vote count double.

You’re no extra in this telenovela—you’re a writer with a vote. In Texas’ open primary, anyone can choose a party’s ballot at the polls, no registration hassle. Register if you haven’t (it’s quick online or at the DMV), find your polling place, and show up. That single act sends a plot twist: “Write in more about our lives.”

Rally your comadres, coworkers at the school, and neighbors at the shop. Explain the primary isn’t rehearsal—it’s where power gets cast. Every voice amplifies when turnout surges, shifting from reruns of neglect to fresh chapters of real change.

In the Rio Grande Valley, the primary election is our chance to star, not spectate. Don’t let a few rewrite the ending—tune in, vote, and make this novela one for the ages.

Remember if you need members of your family registered, now a simple call will have people who are certified at your home to register you and your family. All you have to do is ask.

@Janie

@alvarezjanie

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