The frontrunner for Governor in a Mexican border state was brutally assassinated by a ruthless drug cartel.

In an attempt to control the election outcome, gunmen ambushed Rodolfo Torre's branded vehicle en route to Ciudad Victoria airport and executed Rodolfo and four other members of his entourage.

Rodolfo is the highest-ranking official to be assassinated since Luis Donaldo Colosio in 1994 (Colosio was running for President at the time). The attack occurred in Tamaulipas, a region, which borders Texas. Previously, the area has played host to gang wars between the Zetas (one of the most ruthless gangs in Mexico) and the Gulf cartel, a former ally of the Zetas. Torre didn't mention any fear of an attack when met on Sunday with Hernandez, a former state health secretary, to watch Mexico play Argentina in the world cup.

As a show of resistance to the violent attack, President Calderon declared that the election would move forward as planned. Torre was 46 years old at the time of his death yesterday.

Josh Jamison lives in Boston, Massachusetts and writes for The Raw Deal (http://the-raw-deal.com)