It is a constant rumor in El Paso that if a candidate aspires for a county-wide office they must run on the Democratic Party ticket. Running as a Republican is difficult with many believing that some office holders are Republicans disguised as Democrats so that they can win their offices.
On July 7, 2021, current Canutillo School District trustee Blanca Trout setup a Facebook page announcing her candidacy for County Commissioner Precinct 4. The Precinct 4 incumbent is Carl Robinson. On July 11, 2021, according to her Facebook campaign page, “Blanca Trout officially announced her campaign to run for County Commissioner Pct.4 under the Democratic Ballot.” Trout is running as a Democrat.
However, a review of Blanca Trout’s historical votes cast shows that since at least 2014, Trout has consistently voted in the Republican primaries. In Texas, party affiliation is set by the votes cast in the last primary. In 2014, Trout voted in the Republican primary. In the 2016, 2018 and 2020 election cycles, Trout cast a vote as a Republican in the primaries and the primary runoffs. Not once has she cast a vote in Democratic Party primaries in the last seven years. In Texas, that makes her party affiliation as Republican.
Now, as readers can observe, Trout is running as a Democrat.
A review of Blanca Trout’s Facebook page also shows a clear history of supporting the local Republican Party as far back as 2018. According to pictures she posted on her Facebook page, Trout attended the 2018 Republican Convention in San Antonio, Texas.
Readers may remember that earlier this month Texas governor Greg Abbott put out a call for all states to send law enforcement officers to help Texas with what Abbott said was “in defense of our sovereignty.” Abbott has been touting the Republican talking points of an immigrant crisis on the southern border.
Days after the major outlets declared Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 elections, Greg Abbott issued a statement saying that “Democracy depends upon fair and open elections,” adding that “illegal votes do not” count alluding to Trump’s Big Lie that the election was stolen. [1]
Most recently Abbott has threatened to arrest Democrat legislators that fled Texas to break quorum to keep Abbott’s special legislation session trying to enact legislation against “voter fraud” that has yet to be proven to be a significant problem in Texas from moving forward.
In a June 15, 2018, picture that Blanca Trout posted on her social media, she was not only wearing a Keep America Great! red hat that has come to symbolize anti-immigrant rhetoric, but she was also embracing Abbott.
Abbott symbolizes that chasm between El Paso’s Democrats and Republicans.
Canutillo High School
Blanca Ortiz Trout is currently a Canutillo Independent School District trustee. She serves as a district at large trustee. She last ran in the November 3, 2020 general election. Her current term ends on November 5, 2024. Because school boards are nonpartisan, she did not have to declare a party affiliation to run for that seat. As a school board trustee, she can remain in office while seeking another public office.
However, prior to running in the November general election, Trout ran in the Republican Primary to represent the Republican Party in the House of Representatives, the seat currently held by Veronica Escobar. Trout lost in the Republican Primary and then ran in the General election for the Canutillo seat.
Trout Accused of Threatening Teacher
In January 2020, KFOX TV ran a report alleging that Blanca Trout had threatened a Canutillo teacher. According to KFOX TV, in the summer of 2018, “former president of the board Blanca Trout” was accused of “threatening a teacher’s job for personal reasons.” [2]
According to the complaint, Trout allegedly threatened a teacher’s contract because of “an issue concerning Trout’s daughter who was a student.” [2]
Trout is now a board trustee.
Asked about the allegation, Blanca Trout told KFOX TV that she “was acting as a parent.” [1]
Trout added in her statement to KFOX about the teacher, “she is a very violent teacher, she will scream and yell over there in the halls and everybody knows the way that she is,” she said.
In 2020, the Texas Education Agency presented a corrective action plan to the school district suggesting that the trustees and the superintendent “take a refresher training on ethics” by the summer, apparently as the result of the Trout incident. [2]
El Paso Politics sent a request yesterday to Blanca Trout’s Canutillo email address asking for comment. Trout did not respond to our queries before press time. Should we receive a response from Trout we will update this article.
Footnotes:
- Stacy Fernández, “Gov. Greg Abbott doesn’t acknowledge Joe Biden as president-elect, calls for vote counting and recounts to continue,” Texas Tribune, November 9, 2020.
- Marisa Saenz, “Canutillo board member accused of threatening teacher,” KFOX TV, January 22, 2020.
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