Pat Haggerty's mom endorses State Rep. Joe Moody

    Eleanor Keily Haggerty, a Republican whose sons include current and former officeholders in El Paso, has thrown her support to Democratic state Rep. Joe Moody in the November election.
    In doing so, she snubbed Republican Dee Margo. It was Margo who defeated her son, Patrick Haggerty, in a heated Republican primary election two years ago.
    Margo, 58, then lost the general election to Moody, 29. Now they are in a rematch for the House District 78 seat.
    Moody is “a good man,” Eleanor Haggerty said. “He's young but he's honest and he is learning. Dee Margo I despise. He ran against Pat, and he was a liar and a cheat.”
    In 2008, Margo's campaign tried to paint Haggerty as a tax-and-spend liberal who was too close with Austin lobbyists.
     Haggerty in turn ran commercials that called Margo a carpetbagger who moved into the district with support from then-House Speaker Tom Craddick.
    Margo said he has earned the support of residents in the district, including some who had been in Pat Haggerty’s camp. He highlighted an endorsement he received from another member of the family, Republican County Commissioner Dan Haggerty.
    “She's a good mom and she's defending her son,” Margo said.
    But, Margo said, he would focus the homestretch of campaign on the economy and other important issues, not on her political leanings.
    Eleanor Haggerty, 90, wrote her endorsement in a letter, which Moody’s campaign then sent to more than 7,000 homes this week.
    In it, she said she voted for Moody in 2008 and she plans to do so again because she believes he is the better candidate. She said she could never vote for Margo because she was deeply hurt by his “slanderous” and “negative” campaign against her son.
    She said Moody had continued the work that her son began on the Franklin Mountains State Park, property tax relief for veterans and combating gangs.
    “Obviously, being the matriarch of a family that has been in public service she knows what leadership takes,” Moody said. “I am very proud to represent her because I think she recognizes hard work and leadership.”
    Margo said he did not believe that her endorsement will sway voters.
    He added that Pat Haggerty's new role as a lobbyist for the city would require them to bury their differences and work together if he is elected. Pat Haggerty said he does not plan to make an endorsement in the race.
    Dan Haggerty donated $100 to both Moody and Margo. He has appeared on campaign literature supporting Margo.
    “It's funny because of course our family has been kind of at odds with Margo and I've always loved Joe Moody. I think he's a nice guy,” Dan Haggerty said. “I thought I would wave a little olive branch there and went to one of (Margo's) fundraisers and dropped $100 in the bowl because he is a Republican.”
    After that donation, Haggerty said, he received a phone call from Margo asking if he would endorse him in the race. Haggerty agreed.
    “We'll do well with either one of them,” Haggerty said. “I appreciate what Joe did in his first term. He did a fine job. Dee's a little full of himself, but I think he'll do a good job. He's got some good connections down there.”

Comments

[MJ]

WOW!!!! What a scoop. Makes Mom looks like a petty old woman

[el paso voter]

if she is against Margo that only makes me want to vote FOR him

[andrew wallace]

Both Mrs. Haggerty and son Dan have Dee Margo pegged: he's a liar and full of himself.

Joe Moody has done an outstanding job for us in Austin. He has earned re-election.

[L Grossinger]

Mom sounds pretty bitter. Heck I have a carton of sour milk in my fridge; that isn't as bitter as she is.

[JH]

Right, wrong or indifferent, it's politics and you need to have thick skin. Folks have a right to move to whatever part of town they chose for whatever reasons. If you're the incumbent, it's your office to keep or lose...don't blame the result on a new neighbor!

[Desiree]

How shocking! Her "republican" (they're really democrats in disguise) drunken sons are supported by their mommy... and Mommy also supports Moody... of course she does! Why would she want her immoral children to support someone who has morals?

Source: I was in the civic association for years under Stan Roberts Sr. and had the displasure of seeing the Haggerty clan at their worse. I remember when Pat Haggerty stood up to speak and about fell over drunk. Shameful what El Pasoans vote for when they choose to remain unimformed.