Garcia Denied Candidacy For National LULAC President At 84th Annual Convention

Margaret "Margie" Moran, Domingo Garcia and Darryl Morin

Photos: FB

Moran was easily re-elected as the National President of LULAC after main opponent, Domingo Garcia was ousted from elections in the Las Vegas 84th Annual National LULAC Convention. 

By H. Nelson Goodson

June 24, 2013

Las Vegas, Nevada - On Saturday,  Margaret Moran of San Antonio, TX was re-elected as the National President of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and Darryl Morin of Milwaukee,  WI was elected as LULAC's National Vice President for the Midwest at the 84th Annual National Convention in Neveda. Moran has been a LULAC member for 33 years and served in various positions throughout her membership. She has served as LULAC National Parliamentarian, National Vice President for Women, Texas State Director, Texas Deputy State Director, San Antonio District XV Director, District XV Treasurer and President of Council #4421.

Moran was first elected in 2010 and is the third woman elected as National President since the organization was created in 1929. The first woman president was Belen Robles and the second to hold the position was Rosa Rosales. LULAC is the oldest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, according to the LULAC's website.

Morin a self proclaimed Republican is president and CEO of Advanced Wireless, Inc. in Franklin. In 2008, the United Migrant Opportunity Services (UMOS) organization after his name was nominated, Morin was selected as Hispanic Man of Year.

Morin in Wisconsin has served LULAC as Council President, Deputy State Director, State Director and at the national level as Convention Co-Chair and as Advisor to various National Presidents, according to Morin's dot org. 

An unprecedented election was held by members of LULAC before the actual presidential election on Saturday. An estimated 2,000 LULAC members attended the event. The first election process drew controversy and a decision by less than 2/3 voting membership was made to disqualify Moran's main opponent Domingo Garcia from Dallas, TX. Garcia needed at least 2/3 of the membership vote to challenge and stay in the presidential elections.

Apparently, Garcia did not serve as a full member for three consecutive years as required to run for president, according to LULAC's legal advisory board decision. 

LULAC in March filed a lawsuit in Dallas in an attempt to keep Garcia, a former Texas State Representative and Dallas mayor pro tem from seeking LULAC's presidency. LULAC claimed, Garcia didn't pay his LULAC Council 102's membership dues in 2012. Garcia, who has a lifetime membership claims, Council 102 attempted to pay the dues in September and December, but LULAC applied it to their dues for 2013.

Garcia filed a counter lawsuit in April claiming the LULAC Board rewrote rules to technically prevent him from running for president and that the 2012 dues "payment was manipulated by incumbents and applied to 2013," according to Garcia's Facebook posting of Dallas News dot com article about the lawsuits.

In May, a Dallas County judge denied Garcia a temporary or permanent injunction to keep LULAC from keeping him off the ballot for president. The judge cited that the organization had a Board to resolve their own issues, membership was voluntary and members were expected to follow set rules.
At least 100 of Garcia's young supporters from the Phoenix, Arizona area and Texas were stripped from their right to cast a vote at the convention, even though they were in good standing with LULAC. Because their candidate Garcia was disqualified. With Garcia ousted, Moran easily won re-election. 

Garcia and other LULAC members at the convention alleged dirty politics and Moran's supporters of suppressing the membership vote from those who have paid their dues. 

Domingo Garcia's lawsuit filed in Dallas at link: http://bit.ly/11XMTxH