Over several weeks there have been persistent rumors that several individuals, including a former elected official had formed a political consulting firm in El Paso. It was assumed that it was Politico Campaigns that was the company that was being organized. As we reported previously, Eddie Holguin, Lily Limón and I formed Politico Campaigns last week. However, there is another political consulting firm that was recently organized.
Fair Data, LLC was organized on June 2, 2022, by David Saucedo II, according to public records. The members of the consulting firm are former county commissioner Vince Perez, Jeremy Jordan, Chris Hernandez and Carlos Sierra. Saucedo rounds out the firm’s five members. Hernandez has run several political campaigns in recent elections.
El Paso News reached out to Fair Data for a comment. Carlos Sierra, managing partner said, “Fair Data, LLC is a tech start-up that will provide public affairs and political candidates the tools needed to win their campaigns.” Sierra added that “We currently have a beta version that includes a CRM system, texting capabilities, and walk application.” Sierra also said that “When complete, our political technology will be unmatched because it is created by consultants, for consultants, and will be available to everyone regardless of party affiliation.” When asked how his firm was unique, Sierra said that “formerly, we were bitter rivals having been on opposite sides of each other in very heated campaigns,” adding that, “we’ve come together using our experience to create this much-needed political technology.”
Eddie Holguin, Politico Campaigns managing partner said of Fair Data that “the new political consulting firm is a welcome addition to El Paso’s political sphere.” Holguin added that “for too long El Paso has suffered from political consultants looking to line their pockets instead of working for their candidate.” The Fair Data group “adds professionalism to political campaigning in El Paso and I look forward to seeing what they do for their clients,” Holguin concluded.
In addition to Fair Data and Politico Campaigns there are two other known political consulting firms operating in El Paso. One of them is the Forma Group, who we exposed as the company behind the secretive mailout supporting Dee Margo who was being challenged by Oscar Leeser in 2020. The mailer supporting the incumbent office holders, including Margo, was created and mailed to voters by the Forma Group without disclosing who paid for the mailer. Leeser went on to win in the runoff against Margo.
In 2013, Financial disclosure forms released by The El Paso Tomorrow PAC disclosed that the Forma Group was paid $201,332, or 94% of the PAC’s funds in 2012. The El Paso Tomorrow PAC was created to promote the 2012 Quality of Life bonds. Most of the PAC’s funding came from Mountain Star Sports, LLC, the owners of the Chihuahuas baseball team. Mountain Star is controlled by Woody Hunt and his family.
The other political consultant operating in El Paso is Mark Smith. Smith operates Mark Smith Public Affairs and is closely linked to Hunt’s companies. Smith ran the $668.7 million El Paso Independent School District (EPISD) bond request in 2016. Voters approved the EPISD bonds in November 2016 with 55% of the voters supporting the measure.
Several other individuals occasionally offer political consulting services in El Paso as individual contract employees offering their services to those seeking office.
The two newest political consulting firms, Fair Data and Politico Campaigns include former elected officials. Vince Perez is a principal in Fair Data and Eddie Holguin and Lily Limón are principals in Politico Campaigns. Marisa Marquez is the former elected official at the Forma Group.
Mark Smith has not held office before.
Martín Paredes became a partner of Politico Campaigns, a political campaign management firm, in June 2022. The views and opinion expressed in our publication are those of Paredes and do not necessarily represent the views of the firm or its other partners. El Paso News is funded primarily by Paredes, in part by donations from readers and online advertisement. Politico Campaigns plays no role in our reporting. El Paso News has an open editorial policy encouraging any author to submit any article from any point of view for consideration to be published on El Paso News.
Let me get this straight, Carlos and Vince are now working together? Did I just read that right? WTH is going on.
We’ll I guess the rumors were true. Vince dropped Abeytia. I guess Vince didn’t consider Abeytia family like Jaime did. When is Abeytia going to learn that he is just a fat useful idiot.
Vince was one of only persons left that tolerated Abeytia, I wonder who he’s going to latch on to now. I know Lyda Ness and Monique Velarde use him since they have represented him in his criminal activities.