By Marfa Public Radio Staff
Click here for live election results in notable races in West Texas and around the state.
Editor's note: This post includes results for notable primaries in Far West Texas and the Permian Basin. All results are unofficial until certified by the state. Incumbents are marked with an asterisk, and the name of the winning candidate in each primary is bolded. Per state law, if no candidate in a race receives more than 50% of the vote, the race will go to a runoff.
Election results for the March Primary were last updated on March 11.
Notable Local Races
Brewster County
Update March 21: Newly canvassed results from the recount for the Brewster County Treasurer race in the March Democratic primary show incumbent Julie Morton has won by a single vote.
Morton's challenger, Lorene Villanueva formally called for a recount after the race flip-flopped between both opponents.
According to the final canvass of the recount, Morton received 386 votes while Villanueva got 385 votes.
There was no GOP candidate in the race.
Original story:
In a closely watched Big Bend-area race, both the Democratic and Republican primary contests for Brewster County Judge are headed to a runoff.
On the GOP side, chief Brewster County sheriff's deputy Ryan Skelton will face off in May against Terlingua Fire and EMS chief and businessman Greg Henington. Former federal prosecutor Monty Kimball failed to get enough votes to advance to a runoff.
In the Democratic primary, local community and political organizer Oscar Cobos is set for a runoff against attorney and Big Bend Gazette Publisher Mimi Smith. Benjamin Barrientes, a professor at Sul Ross State University, failed to get enough votes to advance to his party's primary runoff.
In the race for Brewster County's Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace, challenger Scott Wassermann beat out incumbent Bob Steele for the Republican nomination. No Democrats filed in the race.
The Democratic primary race for Brewster County Treasurer was still too close to call on Wednesday.
Mary Bell Lockhart, the local Democratic Party chair, said with preliminary results showing the race between incumbent Julie Morton and challenger Lorene Villanueva hinging on just a handful of votes, the outcome will likely not be clear until an official canvass of votes happens. Even a small number of provisional ballots that are counted in the coming days could flip the race either way.
"That's why we say to people these are unofficial, preliminary counts. They may change," Lockhart said. "I tell everybody, 'just sit tight.'"
Brewster County Judge | Republicans: Greg Henington (36.18%), Monty Kimball (21.32%), Ryan Skelton (42.50%) Democrats: Benjamin Barrientes (14.23%), Oscar Cobos (47.41%), Mimi Smith (38.36%) |
Brewster County Justice of the Peace, Pct. 1 | Republicans: Bob Steele* (34.69%), Scott Wassermann (65.31%) Democrats: N/A |
Brewster County Treasurer | Republicans: N/A Democrats: Julie Morton* (50.26%), Lorene Villanueva (49.74%) |
Ector County
In the race for Ector County Judge, Dustin Fawcett defeated incumbent Debi Hays and has secured the Republican nomination. Fawcett has no Democratic challengers, making it likely he’ll win the general election in November.
Long-time incumbent Greg Simmons defeated two challengers in the Republican primary for the Precinct 2 spot on the Ector County Commissioners’ Court.
Current Precinct 4 Commissioner Armando Rodriguez was defeated by Savannah Castellon Morales in the Democratic primary. Castellon Morales will face Republican Billy Hall — who ran unopposed — for Precinct 4’s seat on the commissioners’ court in the fall.
Ector County Judge | Republicans: Debi Hays* (42.71%), Dustin Fawcett (57.29%) Democrats: N/A |
Ector County Commissioner, Pct. 2 | Republicans: Ryan D. Patton (23.66%), Greg Simmons* (53.95%), Billy Tripp (22.39%) Democrats: N/A |
Ector County Commissioner, Pct. 4 | Republicans: Billy Hall Democrats: Savannah Castellon Morales (60.90%), Armando S. Rodriguez* (39.10%) |
Jeff Davis County
Incumbent Jeff Davis County Judge Curtis Evans has fended off a challenge in the Republican primary from Fort Davis I.S.D. Superintendent Graydon Hicks III. No Democratic candidate filed to run for Jeff Davis County’s top executive seat, so Evans will likely retain his seat in the November general election.
Jeff Davis County Judge | Republicans: Curtis Evans* (67.70%), Graydon Hicks III (32.30%) Democrats: N/A |
Midland County
Incumbent Midland County Judge Terry Johnson beat out challenger Jonna Smoot in the Republican primary. No Democratic candidate filed, so Johnson will likely retain his seat in the fall.
In the Republican race for Precinct 2 County Commissioner, Jeff Somers prevailed over incumbent Robin Donnelly. Somers has no Democratic challengers.
No candidate received a majority of the vote in the Republican contest for Precinct 4 Midland County Commissioner, so the race is headed for a runoff between Dianne Anderson and incumbent Randy Prude.
Midland County Judge | Republicans: Terry Johnson* (66.02%), Jonna Smoot (33.98%) Democrats: N/A |
Midland County Commissioner, Pct. 2 | Republicans: Robin Donnelly* (35.93%), Jeff Somers (64.07%) Democrats: N/A |
Midland County Commissioner, Pct. 4 | Republicans: Dianne Anderson (40.78%), Charles Charlie Hall (24.94%), Randy Prude* (34.28%) Democrats: N/A |
Presidio County
In the Democratic primary in Presidio County, incumbent Precinct 4 County Commissioner Buddy Knight has lost a challenge to David Beebe, a former Justice of the Peace for the county. The win sets Beebe up for a November general election contest against Republican Garey Willbanks, who ran uncontested for the seat in the local GOP primary.
In the Presidio County Precinct 2 commissioner's race, Presidio Police Chief Margarito Hernandez won the Democratic primary contest over current Presidio City Council member Abel "Billy" Hernandez (no relation). With no Republican candidate in that race, Margarito Hernandez is likely to secure that commissioner's seat in the November election.
In the county's Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace race, incumbent Dina Jo Marquez narrowly won the Democratic primary contest over challenger Raul Lara by just eight votes. With no GOP candidate in that race, Marquez will likely retain the seat in the November election.
Incumbent Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Juanita Bishop easily won that Democratic primary race against challenger Brenda Pando-Covos. There's also no GOP candidate in that race.
Presidio County Commissioner, Pct. 2 | Republicans: N/A Democrats: Abel Billy Hernandez (47.38%), Margarito Hernandez (52.62%) |
Presidio County Commissioner, Pct. 4 | Republicans: Garey Willbanks Democrats: David Beebe (58.95%), Frank "Buddy" Knight* (41.05%) |
Presidio County Justice of the Peace, Pct. 1 | Republicans: N/A Democrats: Raul Lara (49.32%), Dina Jo Marquez* (50.68%) |
Presidio County Justice of the Peace, Pct. 2 | Republicans: N/A Democrats: Juanita Urias Bishop* (61.58%), Brenda Pando-Covos (38.42%) |
Statewide Races
Governor | Republicans: Don Huffines (11.85%), Danny Harrison (0.55%), Allen B. West (12.28%), Rick Perry (3.2%), Chad Prather (3.82%), Paul Below (0.57%), Greg Abbott* (66.52%), Kandy Kaye Horn (1.21%) Democrats: Joy Diaz (3.19%), Rich Wakeland (1.23%), Michael Cooper (3.04%), Beto O'Rourke (91.29%), Inocencio (Inno) Barrientez (1.24%) |
Lieutenant Governor | Republicans: Daniel Miller (6.83%), Trayce Bradford (6.54%), Dan Patrick* (76.5%), Aaron Sorrells (3.96%), Todd M. Bullis (2.31%), Zach Vance (3.87%) Democrats: Mike Collier (41.76%), Carla Brailey (28.01), Michelle Beckley (30.22%) |
Attorney General | Republicans: Louie Gohmert (17.06%), George P. Bush (22.82%), Ken Paxton* (42.65%), Eva Guzman (17.47%) Democrats: Lee Merritt (19.34%), Joe Jaworski (19.62%), S. "TBONE" Raynor (5.43%), Rochelle Mercedes Garza (43.37%), Mike Fields (12.25%) |
United States Representative, District 23 | Republicans: Tony Gonzales* (77.93%), Alma Arrendondo-Lynch (15.31%), Alia Garcia-Ureste (6.76%) Democrats: Priscilla Golden (43.92%), John Lira (56.08%) |
Railroad Commissioner | Republicans: Tom Slocum Jr. (14.34%), Dawayne Tipton (11.48%), Sarah Stogner (15.15%), Wayne Christian (47.12%), Marvin "Sarge" Summers (11.91%) Democrats: Luke Warford |
State Board of Education, District 1 | Republicans: Lani Popp (36.28%), Michael "Travis" Stevens (63.72%) Democrats: Melissa N. Ortega (46.11%), Omar Yanar (18.37%), Laura Marquez (35.52%) |
State Representative, District 81 | Republicans: Casey Gray (20.05%), Brooks Landgraf* (79.95%) Democrats: N/A |
State Representative, District 31 | Republicans: Kevin Sparks (54.84%), Tim Reid (22.78%), Stormy Bradley (16.31%), Jesse Quackenbush (6.07%) Democrats: N/A |