Old Line Republican Calls Mayor Of McAllen A RINO...

 

By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ

McALLEN, Texas | They're friends, he says midway through the morning conversation. Othal Brand Jr and McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos know each other well. Villalobos, Brand tells us, helped him in one of his own campaigns for mayor.

But Brand still calls Villalobos a RINO - "Republican In Name Only".

The mayor prides himself in being a New Republican, something Brand (shown in photo above) acknowledges with a smile, noting that "Javi plays both sides, and that's a RINO."

Both sides of an issue, is what Brand means. Real Republicans, is the insinuation, stick to their side and damn the other one. "Javi's a nice guy," Brand goes on. "We're friends."

Mayor Villalobos is shown in photo at right.

Brand has softer, yet equally biting words for boisterous Republican candidate for Congress Mayra Flores. He agrees that she's being "handled" by out-of-state Republican bigwigs, and then says she's "still green".

Asked about Harlingen's new mayor, Norma Sepulveda, Brand says she's "a Democrat," leaving it at that, although he goes on to say she's still "wet behind the ears".

Brand's father, Othal Brand Sr., is still regarded as the most famous mayor of The City of Palms.

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