Democratic congressman to get second recount

[Freddie Stubbs]

By T.A. Badger

The Associated Press


LAREDO - A judge ruled Tuesday that U.S. Rep. Ciro Rodriguez can conduct a new recount of ballots cast in Webb County in the March Democratic primary and that those ballots can be inspected for evidence of tampering.

However, Judge Joseph Hart denied a bid to challenge the residency of hundreds of Webb and Zapata county voters who Rodriguez says should not have been allowed to vote in the House District 28 election.

Rodriguez trails Henry Cuellar by 203 votes for the Democratic nomination after a late March recount in Webb and Zapata counties turned up hundreds of ballots that were missed in the original count.

Cuellar, a Laredo lawyer and businessman, received most of those votes. He contends that nothing improper occurred. Rodriguez, he said, is grasping at straws to try to keep his congressional seat.

more: http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/state/8593866.htm