Federal and state investigations are underway following raids on the homes of Democratic campaign workers, volunteers, and a Texas House candidate in South Texas. Attorney General Ken Paxton ordered the raids to investigate alleged election fraud and voter harvesting during the 2022 midterm elections. “Voter harvesting” involves collecting completed absentee ballots from voters and delivering them to polling places or election offices. However, Ramon Palomares, the national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, stated that the raids were not related to voter harvesting and accused Paxton of voter intimidation. Protests erupted outside the attorney general’s office, with affected individuals and state Senators in attendance. The raids targeted individuals associated with the campaign of Democratic Texas House District 80 candidate, Cecilia Castellano, including former Bexar County Democratic Party Chairman Manuel Medina. Lidia Martinez, an 87-year-old LULAC member, spoke out about her home being raided and her belongings seized. Castellano believed that the raids were politically motivated to help the Republican Party in the upcoming elections. The warrants in Bexar, Atascosa, and Frio counties came after reports of the high cost of Paxton’s voter integrity unit with minimal outcomes. The affected individuals expressed concerns about the excessive use of force in the raids and calls for further investigations into the attorney general’s actions.
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