PRESS Staff Report
BROWNSVILLE, TX —Decorated and lifelong law enforcement officer Ronnie Saenz is making a bid for Cameron County Sheriff.
Born and raised in Brownsville, Saenz was the youngest child and only son of seven children.
His father was a U.S. Army Infantry Veteran who served in Japan from 1946-1948. He then served as a police captain for the Brownsville Police Department where he later retired after 34 years of service.
Ronnie Saenz’s mother spent the first years of Ronnie’s life providing her children with a nurturing family environment, and she later worked in retail to help support the household.
In a statement, Ronnie Saenz explained that his parents passed on their diligence to all of their children, and Ronnie followed the hard work and humble upbringing modeled by both his parents and six older sisters.
The candidate followed in his father’s footsteps when he became a Texas Police Officer in Brownsville. He started his law enforcement career with the Texas Southmost College Police Department and later joined the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office where he served under three sheriff administrations.
Saenz has a background and extensive experience in the patrol, criminal, narcotics, and administrative divisions of law enforcement. During his time at the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office, he was promoted multiple times from Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Captain, and also served on the Executive Command Staff for Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio.
According to Saenz, he also served as the Cameron County Safety Risk Officer, becoming the first-ever safety risk officer to serve Cameron County and State of Texas. He’s also put his experience to work training countless police cadets for numerous police departments throughout the Rio Grande Valley in his position as a Police Academy Instructor at the University of Texas-Brownsville Police Academy.
He is currently employed by a federal contractor corporation where he manages and supervises federal security officers in direct support of the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Protective Service mission.
In 2001, Saenz and his wife Sandra established their own successful business, Spanky’s Burgers, a Brownsville eatery. Through that business, the couple has been able to provide continuous employment opportunities and economic growth in their community.
Saenz said that his life is driven by his commitment to his faith and his family. Ronnie and Sandra have been married for 41 years. They are the parents and grandparents of three children, five grandchildren and are parishioners of Mary Mother of the Church in Brownsville.
Saenz faces first-term Democratic incumbent Eric Garza in a sheriff’s primary which also includes challengers Manuel “Manny” Trevino and Jesus Rosas, Jr.
The Democratic Primary is set for March 5, 2024. The winner of the Democratic Primary will advance to face Santiago “Jimmy” Manrrique — the lone Republican Cameron County Sheriff’s candidate — in the November 2024 General Election.
Early voting commences on February 20, 2024, at various locations, and runs through March 1, 2024.
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