Gabriela Saucedo Mercer Blanks on Public Requests; Unfavorable Facebook Comments Disappear

Gabriela Saucedo Mercer has declined to respond to a Tuscon newspaper's request for guest editorial, even though others, including Libertarian candidate Blanca Guerra contributed.

The Arizona Daily Star asked "What is your economic plan to ensure the US does not end up where Europe is today?."

In Mercer's case, for Oct. 7 they published the following response:

"The Star invited Southern Arizona's congressional candidates to answer that question.
This is the first of three Sundays of guest commentaries by the congressional candidates.
District 3 Republican candidate Gabriela Saucedo Mercer declined our invitation".

 Mercer Libertarian opponent Blanca Guerra's response can be found here.

Soon after this item was published, a visitor to Saucedo Mercer's Facebook page asked:

"The AZ Daily Star states that you declined their request to offer your thoughts on how to improve the economy. If that's accurate, I am just wondering why." -Erin Simpson Oct 7 8:30 pm PST

This post has since been deleted.

In the days previous, as details surrounding the death of Border Patrol agent Nicholas Ivie unfolded, Saucedo Mercer acknowledged that the story had changed when she offered this in response to her original post on the matter, claiming that agent Ivie had been "killed by illegals" despite no evidence to support that claim:

 Gabriela Saucedo Mercer "And yet another one of our finest Border Patrol Agent is murdered by illegals and one seriously wounded." The FBI is looking into the possibility that there was "friendly fire", however Mexico has arrested 2 people under suspicion of having fired on the agents."  Saturday at 1:09am

Mercer made this statement even though no reports had suggested that the arrests in Mexico actually had anything to do with Ivie's death. Over the weekend Mercer fielded the following comments on her Facebook page:

Lisa Seifert Border Patrol officers accidentally killed their own person. Tragic, but not to be blamed on immigrants, legal or illegal. Saturday at 12:40pm

This comment is still online, Oct 9.

One visitor to Mercer's  Facebook page, Margaret Engle Reyes, demanded,

 "Myself and my family - those in AZ Are anxiously awaiting you forthcoming apology for blaming those NOT responsible for shooting the Border Patrol agents- I have friends in USBP and they certainly don't need u or those like u making their job harder by fanning the flames of dissension and hatred

When will the retraction and apology be forth coming?"

As of  9:25 am PST Oct 6, this post from Reyes was deleted from Mercer's Facebook page without a response from Mercer or her staff, but a new visitor, Richard M. Ponce, had commented:

"Your condemnation of an illegal shooting a Border Patrol Agent before the all the facts were presented and a valid conclusion rendered, shows that you, like most Tea-Party members and associates, have the bad habit of issuing statements that have absolutely no merit or validity. Your platform should be "Hang 'em first and high, then release the facts."

This post has also been deleted as of 8 p.m. Oct. 6, with no statement or response.

A third visitor,  Tracy Frank added this:

"Heads up Tucson peeps: vote for Raul M. Grijalva...we cannot allow Gabriela Saucedo Mercer to get one step closer to Washington. Her funding is already drying up, kinda like her career, because other Republicans are already onto her BS. While I am known to fight for a woman candidate - we need more of 'em in DC! - I wouldn't vote for this woman to be my county dog catcher. She lies like she took a class for it in college...remember that when you hit the polls on Nov. 6th."

By 5:30 pm Oct 7 this post was removed. No response from Mercer.


Monday morning Oct 8 Genaro Alcantara commented:

"hahahhahahahah shame on you it was friendly fire that killed our officer not the "illegals" as u proudly said !!!"

Oct 11:

Pablo Carrillo Murdered by illegals? Hmmmm would you like to retract? It's a concern of mine how you seem impulsive in your statements ie " the middle eastern mess". Win my vote please.5 hours ago via mobile

Michael Russell Not likely Pablo, she wont win mine..4 hours ago via mobile

Candidate Mercer has not responded to requests for a statement.

See The Goldman Immigration Blog where Tuscon attorneys Goldman and Goldman state, "by censoring detractors and fact checkers, her actions demonstrate that she is undeniably unprepared to be a congresswoman and deal with individuals who disagree with her or protect our constitutional right to free speech."