Progreso voters elect 3 new school board trustees

PROGRESO, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Voters in Progreso elected three new school board trustees on Saturday.

Juanita “Janie” Sarmiento, a retired elementary school counselor, defeated Robert Garcia, the only trustee who ran for re-election.

Voters also elected Paola Daylee Candanoza, another retired elementary school counselor, and Agapito Perez Jr., a local businessman.

“I just want to thank the community,” Perez said. “And God bless our school district and our city of Progreso.”

The campaign pitted a team of three candidates, who campaigned together under the slogan “Unidos Por Un Progreso Mejor,” against four independent candidates.

Mayor Hugo Gamboa, City Councilwoman Sandra V. Estrada, school board Trustee Yadira Flores and school board Trustee Carmen Acosta supported the Unidos Por Un Progreso Mejor candidates.

They campaigned hard, but Unidos Por Un Progreso Mejor limped across the finish line. Sarmiento was the only Unidos Por Un Progreso Mejor candidate who won.

“More people, now, want to get involved, which I think is a positive thing,” Sarmiento said. “Because before, everybody was so afraid to run.”

Other politicians in Progreso — including school board President Juan J. Ramos Jr., school board Trustee Berenice Martinez and City Councilman Ruben Abundiz — supported Paola Candanoza, who ran an independent campaign.

“I’m very excited,” Candanoza said. “And I can’t wait to prove everybody right.”

Perez also mounted an independent campaign.

“My family, we’ve never been politicians,” Perez said. “We’ve never been in politics.”

The mixed results could spell trouble for the political coalition that backed Unidos Por Un Progreso Mejor.

“I wish the results had been a little bit different,” Estrada said. “But I’m sure everybody can work together and move forward.”

Place 1

The race for Place 1 pitted Trustee Robert Garcia against Juanita “Janie” Sarmiento.

Garcia, who works for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, joined the school board in May 2016.

“It was basically the community that pushed me to run for re-election,” said Garcia, 46, of Progreso. “I was on the fence. I wasn’t too sure.”

He faced off against Sarmiento, a retired elementary school counselor. Sarmiento also served on the school board from 1998 to 2001.

The Progreso Independent School District, which suffered through a series of scandals during the past two decades, can’t move forward without the right people in place, Sarmiento said.

For years, school board campaigns served as a proxy for power and control in Progreso.

Sarmiento said voters are tired of that.

“And they want better things for their kids,” said Sarmiento, 52, of Progreso.

Nearly 57% of voters supported Sarmiento, according to preliminary results published by the Hidalgo County Elections Department.

Place 2

Trustee Francisco “Frank” Alanis resigned from Place 2 in May 2024, about seven months after Homeland Security Investigations arrested him on federal drug charges.

The school board appointed retired U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Joel Martinez to serve the remainder of his three-year term. Martinez, however, decided not to run for a full term.

That created an opening for Agapito Perez Jr., 44, of Progreso, who co-owns Enlighten Electric Co.

“My family and I financed this campaign 100%,” Perez said.

Perez kick-started his campaign with an $8,500 loan in December and followed up with another $7,500 loan in March, according to a campaign finance report filed with Progreso ISD.

About 55% of voters supported Perez, according to preliminary results published by the Elections Department.

Perez defeated Jose “Morro” Garza, 56, of Progreso, who campaigned as part of Unidos Por Un Progreso Mejor.

Place 3

Trustee Lizett C. Villarreal, who represented Place 3, didn’t run for re-election.

Three candidates campaigned for the vacant seat.

Oscar Esparza, 48, of Progreso Lakes ran with Unidos Por Un Progreso Mejor. Jazmin Candanoza, 43, of Progreso campaigned solo.

Nearly 47% of voters, though, supported Paola Daylee Candanoza, 40, of Progreso Lakes.

Paola and Jazmin aren’t related.

“I decided to run because when I was working for the district, I did see a big need,” said Paola Candanoza, a former counselor at Progreso North Elementary School. “And I just really wanted to help my community.”

All results will remain preliminary until canvassed by the school board.