McAllen school board candidate dies days after campaign bid

Rojelio Aleman II

McAllen ISD is mourning the death of a man who just ran for its board of trustees on Saturday.

McAllen ISD announced the death of Rojelio Aleman II on its Facebook page Monday morning. Aleman was on the ballot for the May 3 General Election, vying for the Place 7 seat for the McAllen ISD Board of Trustees.

“We appreciate Mr. Aleman for his willingness to step forward and serve the McAllen ISD school community,” the Facebook post read. “During his candidacy, he attended our Board meetings and always stayed afterward to ask insightful questions to better understand the district. We want to extend our heartfelt condolences to the Aleman family during this difficult time.”

Aleman was born in La Villa and raised in McAllen. He was a disabled veteran who served in the U.S. Army from 2001 to 2010.

He had previously run for the Place 5 seat in 2023. On Saturday, Aleman was unsuccessful in his bid.

“I fought for our country to make it better and I will fight for our students and our parents to make sure that … McAllen ISD is the best,” he said during a recent candidate forum in April.

He described himself as a student with special needs during his time in school. During the forum, he said that he hoped to be an advocate for others in the community.

“I want to be a role model and an advocate for them on the school board,” he said. “If you see me around and you have a problem, you can come up to me.”

The circumstances of Aleman’s death aren’t immediately clear.

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