FATE, TX — Voters in the City of Fate have removed Councilwoman Codi Chinn from office following a successful recall election held May 2, 2026, according to unofficial results released Saturday night.

With UNOFFICIAL VOTE TOTAL: 56.34% FOR RECALL / 43.66% AGAINST | TOTAL VOTES CAST: 1711, a majority of voters supported removing Chinn from her seat, ending her term nearly a year early. The results remain unofficial until canvassed by the City Council, but the margin indicates a clear outcome.

The recall follows a rapid petition effort earlier this year in which residents gathered 396 verified signatures, well above the 351 required under the city’s home rule charter. Once validated, the council was legally required to call the election, leaving no discretion to delay or deny the process.

Chinn was elected in June 2024 after defeating Cinnamon Krause in a runoff, securing 835 votes (56.92%) to 632 (43.08%). Some have argued that her success in the election was a surprise, given how she became increasingly caustic on social media during the final days of early voting. The recall petition alone represented nearly half of her original vote total, signaling early and organized opposition that ultimately carried through to election day.

Saturday’s results confirm that the dissatisfaction reflected in the petition effort translated into votes.

Social Media Strategy Backfires

In the days leading up to the election, Chinn and some of her supporters attempted to push back against the recall with a social media campaign that included imagery and messaging encouraging supporters to “flip off” critics—widely interpreted as directing a middle finger at fellow Fate residents.

Rather than diffusing tensions, the approach appears to have hardened opposition. Several residents cited the messaging as emblematic of broader concerns about tone, conduct, and representation at City Hall.

With the recall approved by voters, Chinn’s seat will be declared vacant upon official canvassing of the vote.

Looking Forward

Under the city charter, the remaining council members are expected to appoint a replacement to serve until the next general election. Normally, this would be the following May 2027, as the remainder of the term is for less than 12 months. However, in this situation, it will likely be in November 2026, where an election will be scheduled to consider the recall of three other council members, as well as the Mayor. At that time, voters will be asked to pick a replacement to fill the unexpired term of Place 1, which will be May of 2027. Assuming things go according to schedule.

FATE, TX – Attorneys for former Department of Public Safety Chief Lyle Lombard have sent a demand letter to the City of Fate seeking preservation of evidence and offering a pre-suit compromise, while also pursuing a federal lawsuit against the City of Fate and Michael Kovacs alleging unlawful termination, violations of due process, and infringement of constitutional rights.

The lawsuit has not yet been filed. According to the demand letter and proposed complaint, Lombard intends to file in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas if a settlement is not reached, alleging he was terminated in November 2025 in violation of Texas Government Code § 614.022 and his rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments.

According to the complaint, Lombard began working for the City of Fate in April 2018 and received positive performance evaluations throughout his tenure. The filing states that after a series of social media posts by his spouse criticizing city leadership, Lombard received a negative performance review on October 30, 2025.

On November 12, 2025, Kovacs informed Lombard that he would be discussed in executive session and offered him a separation agreement that included two months’ severance.

The lawsuit further alleges that during a City Council executive session, Councilwoman Codi Chinn presented anonymous complaints regarding Lombard. The following day, Kovacs issued Lombard a written complaint summarizing those allegations, and Lombard was required to surrender his badge, identification, and service weapon. He was terminated on November 21, 2025.

Lombard claims the City improperly relied on anonymous, unsigned complaints in taking disciplinary action, which he argues violates Texas law requiring signed complaints against law enforcement officers.

The lawsuit also alleges that Lombard’s termination was motivated, at least in part, by his spouse’s protected speech, constituting retaliation in violation of the First Amendment.

Lombard is seeking reinstatement, damages, injunctive relief, and attorneys’ fees. A pre-suit demand letter sent to the City requested $440,000 to resolve the matter prior to litigation.

The case remains pending, and the allegations have not yet been adjudicated in court.

Opinion and Analysis

The legal filings outline the formal claims, but previously reported evidence raises additional questions about how the City of Fate arrived at its decision to terminate Lombard.

Pipkins Reports has previously published details of a recorded conversation made by Councilman Mark Hatley in which City Manager Michael Kovacs can be heard alleging that Councilman Mark Harper threatened to terminate him (Kovacs) if Lombard was not removed. If accurate, that statement suggests the termination decision may have been influenced by council-level pressure, despite the expectation that a city manager operates independently in personnel matters. Harper has refused to confirm or deny the allegations.

A second recorded conversation involving Codi Chinn adds another dimension. In that audio, Chinn discusses the need to compile complaints from Department of Public Safety personnel into a format suitable for executive session review. However, based on the documents referenced in the lawsuit, and our Open Records Requests, the only material ultimately presented was the now-central “anonymous letter” provided to Kovacs. No other complaints or documents were ever provided.

In the same recording, Chinn also references Lombard’s wife and her social media activity. Chinn stated: “…it’s unfortunate because it didn’t have to be that way, but I think if he [Lombard] wasn’t so involved politically. You can’t do the things that you’re doing on an operational level that suck. And then have a bad attitude and a bad wife on top of it.”

That statement is notable because it aligns directly with one of the core allegations in the lawsuit—that Lombard’s termination was influenced, at least in part, by the protected speech of his spouse. The filings argue that such consideration would implicate First Amendment protections, a claim that will ultimately be tested in court.

Taken together, the recordings and the legal filings raise questions about whether the termination process was influenced by political pressure, reliance on anonymous complaints, and factors outside standard disciplinary procedures.

TEXAS, 15th Congressional District – A South Texas congressional race, veered into the realm of bizarro when a decades-old video clip resurfaced, casting a blanket over a newly minted Democratic nominee. What should have been a straightforward primary victory became a flashpoint, as a Republican incumbent Monica De La Cruz amplified a controversial video clip of her Democratic opponent, Bobby Pulido.

Tejano singer Bobby Pulido, a well-known figure in Texas music circles, secured the Democratic nomination earlier this month in Texas’ 15th Congressional District, according to results reported by the Texas Secretary of State and coverage from regional outlets including The Texas Tribune. Pulido, who has built a career as a performer with a loyal following across South Texas, entered politics as part of a broader Democratic effort to reclaim the historically competitive district.

His opponent in the general election, Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz, wasted little time drawing contrasts. Within days of the primary result, De La Cruz reposted a video clip circulating online that appears to show Pulido under a blanket, making suggestive movements that some viewers interpreted as simulating a “sexual act”. The video’s origin is not entirely clear, though it has been described in online discussions as footage from earlier in Pulido’s entertainment career.

De La Cruz’s campaign did not produce the video, but her decision to repost it on social media drew immediate attention. According to archived posts and reporting from local political blogs, the video had already been circulating among political activists before it reached a broader audience through the congresswoman’s platform.

Pulido has not denied that the video depicts him, but allies have characterized the clip as an out-of-context moment from a performance or comedic setting, arguing that it is being weaponized for political gain. As of this writing, Pulido’s campaign has not issued a detailed public statement addressing the specifics of the video, though supporters have pushed back on what they describe as a “smear tactic.”

The 15th Congressional District, which stretches from the Rio Grande Valley northward toward Seguin, has become a political battleground in recent cycles. De La Cruz flipped the seat for Republicans in 2022, defeating Democratic incumbent Vicente Gonzalez after redistricting reshaped the district’s partisan balance. National observers, including Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball, have since rated the district as competitive, making it a target for both parties.

Pulido’s candidacy reflects a Democratic strategy aimed at leveraging cultural recognition and regional identity. As a Tejano artist, he carries name recognition that traditional political candidates often lack, particularly among Hispanic voters who form a majority in the district. His campaign messaging has emphasized economic opportunity, healthcare access, and immigration reform, themes consistent with broader Democratic priorities.

De La Cruz, for her part, has leaned into a law-and-order message and economic conservatism, aligning closely with House Republican leadership. Her campaign website highlights border security, energy independence, and opposition to what she describes as “Washington overreach.”

The resurfaced video has complicated what might otherwise have been a conventional contrast between policy agendas. Political analysts note that such controversies can have unpredictable effects, particularly in districts where personal image and cultural familiarity carry weight.

“Voters often say they want substance, but moments like this can dominate the narrative,” one South Texas political consultant told The Monitor. “The question is whether it sticks, or whether it backfires.”

There is also the matter of tone. While negative campaigning is hardly new, the use of suggestive or potentially embarrassing footage raises questions about where campaigns draw the line. The Federal Election Commission does not regulate the content of political speech in this context, leaving such decisions largely to candidates and, ultimately, voters.