South Texas woman didn't put address on candidate application

12:00 AM CST on Saturday, January 7, 2006

By PETE SLOVER / The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN – Local Democratic officials have thrown out a South Texas homemaker's application to run against her estranged husband, a state representative.

Jessica Reyes-Martinez failed to fill in her address – an election code violation – when she filed Monday to run against Rep. Armando "Mando" Martinez, said Juan Maldonado, the Hidalgo County Democratic Party chairman.

"The lady just wrote in 'Weslaco, TX,' " Mr. Maldonado said. He said he consulted with state party officials and the secretary of state's office after noticing the omission.

"I tried to find a way that would be OK to accept, and everybody said it's incomplete," he said. "If I did, then I would violate the law."

Ms. Reyes-Martinez said that Mr. Maldonado and two other local officials approved her form when she filed it and that she is consulting with attorneys about appealing the decision.

"They're trying to see if we can do it outside Hidalgo County," she said. "The courthouse in Hidalgo County is very political."

Both the local party chairman and Mr. Martinez said that if Mr. Maldonado had not thrown the application out, the courts would have tossed it.

"The law is the law, and it needs to be followed," Mr. Martinez said.

Ms. Reyes-Martinez said she won't give up, no matter the outcome of the couple's divorce or the election dispute.

"This fight isn't over, even if I'm not allowed to run in 2006," said. "I will continue the fight in 2008."

E-mail pslover@dallasnews.com