UTEP has become a major issue in the campaigns of Sen. Eliot Shapleigh and challenger Dee Margo for the Texas State Senate District 29 race on Nov. 7.

Republican challenger Margo and Democrat incumbent Shapleigh have made it clear that UTEP and El Paso education are priorities of their campaigns.

A recent University of Texas System (UT System) performance report was published, revealing UTEP’s graduation rates at less than 5 percent of students graduating in four years.

“Any El Paso senator must make education number one,” Shapleigh said. “Our future depends on education and if we educate our workforce, we have a thriving community. From public education through college education we must de a better job.”

Shapleigh, a student team from UTEP led by Analisa Cordova, and students from other universities worked together over the last three years to develop the 2015 plan to increase graduation rates. This online degree plan allows students to map out their educations including advising, a contract for tuition during the four years of college, specialized honors programs, as well as scholarship and internship opportunities for high school juniors.

“Every great Southwestern city has a great university at the heart of her economic and educational endeavors. For El Paso to succeed, UTEP must succeed. It’s all about the students,” Shapleigh said.

Shapleigh’s challenger Margo said he decided to run for the Senate after growing tired of the “slams” on UTEP.

“I’m a novice and I’ve never run for political office and never intended to, but I became very frustrated that we have no seat at the table with our existing representation,” Margo said.

In regards to education, Margo said he wants to make sure UTEP gets its proper funding and will work with the administration to meet the needs of the students. A focus point of his campaign is to develop a better way to fund schools and make sure a greater percentage of education dollars go directly into the classroom.

“I’d like to see UTEP have as much flexibility and class scheduling as possible. In order to do that, it’s got to have the resources it needs without balancing the resources on the backs of the students,” Margo said.

Both Margo and Shapleigh have dealt with negative publicity over their involvement with UTEP in recent times.

Margo was recently criticized for the use of an authorized photo with former basketball coach Don Haskins for campaign purposes.

“The insert (of a letter received) was done with the picture and my staff in Austin assumed we had permission because I had received financial support from the Haskins family. It was a screw-up and I have personally written Coach Haskins. The response to the letter has been overwhelmingly positive,” Margo said.

Shapleigh has also received criticism over comments he has made about UTEP and its administration. After he referred to President Diana Natalicio as a “Queen Bee” and the university as being a constriction on the academic pipeline, he clarified his position.

“We support students, we care about students, we involve students and students teach us. Conflict is with administration not students,” Shapleigh said. “Calling Natalicio a Queen Bee was a mistake for which I apologized immediately. When we have differences, they are based on issues. The purpose of an academic university is academics, and that’s the issue with this administration. It’s how we improve academics, how students graduate faster, how to lower overall tuition costs and how students can get value for their degrees.”

Shapleigh said that often conflict is necessary for change and he does not fear controversy if it produces a positive outcome.

Margo’s campaign issues

Margo has lived in El Paso for 30 years and is the CEO of JDW Insurance. He has made it clear that one of the main reasons he is running for the Texas Senate is because of his frustration with the current representation.

“I think it’s imperative that our state senator positively advocate on behalf of UTEP. It’s critical to have that representation and I don’t believe we have that now,” Margo said.

Margo’s initiatives include:
* Better schools for El Paso children
* Safer streets, neighborhood and border
* New jobs and a growing economy
* Greater access to quality, affordable health care

As a community leader, Margo has participated in various organizations throughout El Paso, including The Border Fund, Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce, El Paso Empowerment Zone Commission and the City-County Board of Health.

Shapleigh’s initiatives

Shapleigh, a seasoned politician and incumbent senator of 10 years, said politics is the highest calling in his family.

“Making a difference in our community is the reason I run. Right now, I want to be the best senator ever. Campaigns are the best way to talk about a great record; we feel we have the best record ever as an El Paso senator, yet we have so much more to do,” Shapleigh said.

Among Shapleigh’s initiatives are:
* Education
* Health Care
* Medical School of the Americas
* Regional Mobility Authority

As a Texas state senator, Shapleigh has a list of various accomplishments achieved for both the state and city of El Paso. He increased funding at UTEP, passed S.B. 652 that created a $250 million Texas Military Value Fund to enhance existing military bases, founded the Border Health Foundation and created the El Paso Pride Program to improve the city’s highways and neighborhoods.

Margo and Shapleigh both have strong ties to the community and both say they want the best for El Paso and education on all levels.

“The fact remains that this district is the fifth-highest for democratic support,” said Gregory Rocha, associate professor of political science. “This district was created for a Democrat to win. He (Shapleigh) has been the incumbent for 10 years, so we’ll see how it goes. He’s got to be considered the favorites but he hasn’t been challenged in 10 years. His opinions are pretty strong and he has a strong opponent.”

There will be a live candidate forum in October at the KTEP studio that will be moderated by Louie Saenz, news and public affairs director for KTEP, and Rocha. Listeners will be able to call into the live show with questions.

Despite the controversy and political maneuvering surrounding UTEP, the administration has refrained from either endorsing or opposing either candidate.

“I don’t try to predict the outcome of any election,” Natalicio said. “UTEP always does its best to work with all elected officials. We will continue to provide all members of the El Paso legislative delegation with information about UTEP, its opportunities and its challenges.”