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SAN JUAN — Dozens of people crammed inside a burger joint here on a Saturday morning in late July, buzzing with energy. They fed on free breakfast tacos and drank coffee as they waited for the quarterly meeting of the Hidalgo County Democratic Party to begin.

On the agenda for the party's county executive committee was the appointment of about 55 precinct chairs, loyal party members who organize at the neighborhood level. It would be a significant addition to the 70 already on the roster.

The addition was meant to be a celebration for a party that has lost ground in recent elections. But the meeting quickly devolv

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