The eight term Democratic  United States Congressman from El Paso, Silvestre Reyes, got whipped in the Democratic primary.

Reyes

There were lots of reasons for this, but the main, overriding, and why-the-hell-can’t-people-see-this-tsunami reason is that his opponent favors legalizing marijuana.

Every day the good people of El Paso see the failure of the drug war across its border with Mexico.

El Pasoans are well aware that the Mexican narcos spilling all that blood purchase their high-powered weapons with the more than $30 billion that cartels earn annually trafficking drugs to Americans – the lion’s share of which comes from the sale not of heroin or cocaine or methamphetamine, but marijuana.

Legalize marijuana and you rob the major source of funding for drug cartels.  You also can save police work for major deadly drugs.

The folks in El Paso see that and they elected Beto O’Rourke, who sat on city council when they unanimously voted to legalize marijuana.  Unanimously.  The mayor vetoed it.

It was a five person race and one man got over 50% of the vote – the man who got attacked for favoring reform of marijuana laws.

On the campaign trail, Reyes touted his experience and connections, the El Paso Times reports, while blasting O’Rourke for his support for marijuana legalization. The campaign turned especially negative in the final week of the race as Reyes attacked O’Rourke’s character.

Some folks I know tried like the dickens to get a referendum on the Texas Democratic ballot to say that we favor legalization of marijuana.  It couldn’t get the votes to pass the executive committee.

I truly hate to lose Reyes because he’s a good man, but if he didn’t see this coming a mile off, he can’t see lightning or hear thunder.  I wish Beto O’Rourke good luck in Washington (whoever wins the Democratic primary in El Paso wins the election) and hopes he keeps his word to the people.