(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) A California border town, Calexico, has ousted its transgender mayor in a recall election, alongside the one of the City Council member’s “allies” on the Calexico City Council, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Almost two-hirds of voters in the April 16 special election voted to recall Raúl Ureña, who began accepting the use of all pronouns with a preference for “she” only after winning the initial election in 2020.
Shortly after being reelected in 2022, Ureña came out as gender fluid and transgender, and began wearing dresses in public.
Ureña also began speaking in Spanish during public meetings with political ally and fellow Council member Gilberto Manzanarez, who is described as a young progressive.
In the same April 16 recall, Manzanarez was recalled by 73% of voters.
Both Ureña, 26, and Manzanarez, 30, both claimed that the recall campaign was animated by transphobia, and that they would continue to fight for “social justice.”
Ureña reportedly remains “hopeful and optimistic, even with these results.”
“We will not give up on social justice in the Imperial Valley,” Ureña said. “We’re not going anywhere.”
Manzanarez said that he considered the move a political ploy on the part of the local establishment.
While the two were blamed for the implementation of radical policy changes that resulted in skyrocketing crime and other problems—similar to blue-run cities throughout the country that began to deemphasize law and order during the 2020 George Floyd riots—Manzanarez insisted that the issues predated his arrival.
“It’s very easy to point to downtown and make sure that people understand that it’s not OK,” said Manzanarez, who was elected in 2022.
“How long has it been that way?” he continued. “Did it start being that way in 2022? Absolutely not.”
Nonetheless, opponents like Maritza Hurtado, a leader of the recall campaign and former mayor, have accused the duo of using transphobia and sexism accusations “as a card this whole time” to deflect genuine criticism of their incompetent leadership..
According to Hurtado, Ureña and Manzanarez did little to address public drug use, homeless squatting and other issues that people care about, instead opting to install publicly-funded electric car chargers throughout the impoverished town.
Despite the opposition, as the recall election was happening, Ureña said that there was a “great party.”
“I did not stop dancing,” Ureña added. “Nothing gets through my happiness.”
