Editor: Shannon Cottngame
March 9, 2022
Several races in both the Republican and Democratic primary elections are headed to May runoffs following the Tuesday, March 1, election date. Local voters will be back to the polls before the general election to vote in statewide runoffs and the Bosque County Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 race.
Michelle Valdez and Leslie Perry will return to the ballot Tuesday, May 24, after none of the three candidates seeking the JP spot received more than 50 percent of the vote. Valdez came out ahead with 42.24 percent (612 votes), followed by Perry with 38.44 percent (557) and then Stan Salome with 19.32 percent.
Hill County resident Angelia Orr won a close race for the newly created Texas House District 13 seat in the Republican Primary. Orr, the former Hill County District Clerk who most recently served as Representative Cody Harris’s district director, narrowly defeated former Limestone County Sheriff Dennis Wilson.
Orr carried Hill County with about 69 percent of the vote—2,828 to 1,245—and Bosque County with about 66 percent—1,869 to 957. Wilson was the favorite in Limestone County, where he received 73 percent of the vote and came out ahead 2,445 to 892.
In district-wide results, Orr led Wilson by 411 votes, receiving 9,984 votes to Wilson’s 9,573.
The Waco Tribune-Herald reported the following day that Wilson was considering a recount, but Hill County Elections Administrator Aaron Torres said that he had not received a request as of Friday morning, March 4.
Orr is expected to face Democratic candidate and Marlin City Manager Cedric Davis in the November 2 general election.
In the race for U.S. Representative for District 6, which will now include Hill County, incumbent Jake Ellzey was selected by Hill County Republicans, receiving almost 60 percent of the vote, and he also won district wide with 71 percent of the vote.
Overall results for District 6 candidates were: Ellzey – 38,460; James Buford – 8,565; and Bill Payne – 6,964.
Ellzey will not face a Democratic challenger in November.
The Republican race for Texas Attorney General is headed to a runoff, with no candidate receiving over 50 percent of the vote. Incumbent Ken Paxton received about 42 percent of the vote in Hill and Bosque counties out of a field of four candidates, about the same as he did in the statewide results. George P. Bush was next in line and received about 27 percent of the local vote, slightly better than he did statewide.
The Democrats will also have a runoff for the attorney general nomination. Rochelle Garza was the front runner with over 40 percent of the vote, and Joe Jaworski had the second most votes of the five Democratic candidates with about 20 percent of the vote.
Both parties will also have a runoff in the race for land commissioner. The race was open as incumbent George P. Bush ran for attorney general.
On the Republican side, Dawn Buckingham was the front runner with 41 percent of the statewide vote and will compete with Tim Westley, who received 14 percent of the vote, in the runoff. For the Democrats, Sandragrace Martinez, who received 32 percent of the vote, will face Jay Kleberg, who had about 26 percent.
Another runoff will be needed for railroad commissioner in the Republican primary. Incumbent Wayne Christian received 47 percent of the statewide vote and will face Sarah Stogner, who received 15 percent, in May.
The Democratic Party will need a runoff to determine the nominee for state comptroller. Janet Dudding received 46 percent of the vote, and Angel Vega received about 35 percent.
Governor Greg Abbott was favored by Republicans in Hill and Bosque counties and throughout Texas in the governor’s race. He received 70 percent of the local vote and also easily carried the state with 66 percent of the vote. He will face Democrat Beto O’Rourke in November, who received 92 percent of the vote in Hill County, 87 percent in Bosque County and was also the overwhelming favorite of Democrats statewide with 91 percent of the vote.
Hill and Bosque county voters selected incumbent Dan Patrick for lieutenant governor, and he was also the winner statewide. Patrick received 77 percent of the Hill County vote, about 82 percent of the Bosque County vote and 75 percent statewide. The Democrats will need a runoff to determine their candidate, with Mike Collier receiving about 42 percent of the vote and Michelle Beckley receiving 30 percent.
Hill County voters cast a total of 4,485 ballots in the Republican Primary and 492 ballots in the Democratic Primary. There are a total of 24,379 registered voters in Hill County.
Bosque County reported 3,159 voters in the Republican Primary and 297 in the Democratic Primary. There are a total of 12,775 registered voters in Bosque County.
See page 7 of The Lakelander for complete election results.
The Lakelander 