Primary Election

Last week’s Primary Election capped off a number of local contests while also setting up a runoff election and multiple general election match ups.

Hays County Sheriff Gary Cutler won the Republican Primary, staving off challenger Dave Graham.

Cutler received 11,304 votes to Graham’s 3,347. The incumbent advances to face Democratic challenger Alex Villalobos, who won his primary with 74.32% of the vote. Villalobos tallied 15,319 votes in the Democratic Primary, while Dickey Haverda amassed 5,294 votes.

Hays County Constable Precinct 3 Ray Helm received 2,543 votes — 83.65% — while challenger Jessica Deatherage tallied 497 votes — 16.35%. Helm does not have a Democratic challenger.

In the State Representative District 45 contest, Democratic incumbent Erin Zwiener held off challenger Liliana Posada. Zwiener tallied 15,300 votes to Posada’s 6,906.

The Republican primary will head to a runoff between Carrie Isaac and Kent “Bud” Wymore. Issac amassed 6,995 votes in Hays County, while Wymore secured 6,301 votes. Austin Talley didn’t advance to the runoff election after he only tallied 1,623 votes.

With all votes counted, according to the Hays County Elections website, 40,907 of the county’s 141,395 registered voters, 28.93%, cast their ballot during the primaries. In the Republican Primary, 15,558 went to the polls or voted by mail. On the Democratic side, 25,349 voters turned out for the primary.

COUNTY DISTRICT JUDGE, 22ND JUDICIAL DISTRICT

Republican incumbent R. Bruce Boyer was the lone candidate on the ballot.

DISTRICT JUDGE, 453RD JUDICIAL DISTRICT

Republican Incumbent David Junkin and Democratic challenger Sherri Tibbe ran unopposed in their respective primaries.

JUDGE, COUNTY COURT-AT-LAW NO. 3

Democrat Millie Thompson advanced to the general election to face Republican incumbent Tacie Zelhart, who ran unopposed. Thompson tallied 16,180 votes, 77.87%, while Tony Fusco amassed 4,599 votes, 22.13%.

TAX ASSESSOR-COLLECTOR

Tax Assessor-Collector was uncontested in both primaries with Republican incumbent Jenifer O’Kane and Democratic challenger Daphne Tenorio in the race.

COMMISSIONER, PRECINCT 1

Hays County Commissioner Precinct 1 was an uncontested race with only Democratic incumbent Debbie Gonzales Ingalsbe on the ballot.

COMMISSIONER, PRECINCT 3

Hays County Commissioner Precinct 3 was an uncontested race in each primary with Republican incumbent Lon Shell and Democratic challenger Lisa Prewitt headed to the general election.

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE, PRECINCT 1, PLACE 1

Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1, Place 1 was an uncontested race with Democratic incumbent Joanne Prado in the running.

CONSTABLE, PRECINCT 1

Democratic incumbent David L. Peterson outlasted Cody Cheatham with 3,711 votes to his challenger’s 3,402. Peterson will face Republican Eliseo Galarza, who ran unopposed in Tuesday’s election, in November.

CONSTABLE, PRECINCT 2

Constable, Precinct 2 was an uncontested race on both sides of the primary with Steve Avalos running in the Republican side and Michael Torres in the Democratic race.

CONSTABLE, PRECINCT 4

Constable, Precinct 4 only had one candidate in the election — Republican incumbent Ron E. Hood.

CONSTABLE, PRECINCT 5

Only one candidate was on the ballot for Constable, Precinct 5 — Republican incumbent John Ellen.

STATE STATE SENATOR, DISTRICT 21

Democratic incumbent Judith Zaffirini will face Republican challenger Frank Pomeroy in November’s general election. Both candidates ran unopposed in their respective primaries.

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, DISTRICT 5

Texas State University professor, Rebecca Bell-Metereau, won the Democratic Primary with 68.5%. She’ll face the winner of a runoff between Republican candidates Robert Morrow and Lani Popp.

RAILROAD COMMISSIONER

Chrysta Castañeda and Roberto R. “Beto” Alonzo advanced to a runoff in the Democratic Primary. Castañeda had 592,770 votes to Alonzo’s 503,666. San Marcos’ own Kelly Stone finished in third with 380,236 votes.

FEDERAL

President Donald J. Trump won the Republican Primary with 1,887,772 votes in Texas, with 99.5% of precincts in the state reporting. In Hays County, Trump received 5,431 votes — 91.62%.

On the Democratic side, Joe Biden won the Texas Primary. The former vice president rode a wave of momentum after winning the South Carolina Primary on Saturday. Biden received 715,897 votes in Texas, with 99.5% of precincts in the state reporting. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders was close behind with 622,237 votes, while former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg was in a distant third with 298,838 votes.

In Hays County, Sanders earned the most votes with 9,772. Biden had the second most votes in the county at 7,028, while Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren finished in third with 3,852 votes.

In the U.S. Senate race, Republican incumbent John Cornyn won his primary with 76.3% votes with 99.5% of state polling locations counted. Cornyn received 11,808 votes, 79.22%, in Hays County. On the Democratic side, Mary “MJ” Hegar and Royce West appeared to be headed to a runoff with 99.5% of the vote tallied statewide. Hegar received 22.4, while West tallied 14.5% of the vote. Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez was in a close third with 13.7% of the vote.

Hegar received 6,623 votes, 29.51%, in Hays County, while Annie “Mamá” Garcia had the second most votes in the county with 4,506.

In U.S. Congressional races, incumbents won their primaries: Republican Roger Williams for House District 25; Democrat Lloyd Doggett for 35th House District; and Republican Chip Roy for House District 21.