REGIONAL RACES TO WATCH IN PRIMARY RUNOFF ELECTION
The primary runoff election tomorrow (Tuesday) will set the stage for the November election or decide the winner outright in several races around the area.
The Texas House District 12 race between Republicans Trey Wharton and Ben Bius for the seat held by Kyle Kacal, who is not running for re-election, impacts six counties: Washington, Grimes, Madison, Robertson, Walker and a portion of Brazos. Wharton and Bius collected the most votes in a three-way primary race that also featured John Harvey Slocum, but none of the three received over 50 percent of the vote.
The winner between Wharton and Bius will appear on the Republican ballot in November against Democrat Dee Howard Mullins and Libertarian Robert Profili.
The State Board of Education District 10 race pits Republican incumbent Tom Maynard against challenger Mary Bone, after finishing as the top two candidates out of three in the primary. The district covers 27 counties, with ones in the more immediate area including Washington, Austin, Brazos, Burleson, Colorado, Fayette and Lee.
The runoff winner will face Democrat Raquel Saenz Ortiz, Green Party candidate Daniel Caldwell and Libertarian Gerald McAlexander in the November election.
For the 14th Court of Appeals District, Place 3, two Democrats are vying for the party nomination after receiving the most and second-most votes out of four candidates in the primary: Velda Renita Faulkner and incumbent Jerry Zimmerer. The court serves 10 counties, most of them concentrated around the Houston region. They are Washington, Austin, Colorado, Grimes, Waller, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston and Harris.
The winner in the runoff will face Republican Chad Bridges in November.
Some area counties also have county-specific races that voters will participate in.
Grimes County
The Grimes County Precinct 3 Constable race advanced to a runoff after two Republican candidates, both challenging incumbent Wes Male, finished first and second place in the primary.
The runoff will have Gary Bender facing Courtney Armstead. The winner will not have a Democratic opponent come November.
Waller County
Waller County’s Tax Assessor-Collector and Precinct 3 Commissioner seats are featured on the runoff ballot.
For Tax Assessor-Collector, Ellen Shelburne is not running for re-election, and two Republican candidates moved to a runoff out of three in the primary. The winner between Jessica Weaver Holloman and Carolyn Miedke will face Democrat Rebecca Richard in November.
The Precinct 3 Commissioner runoff includes incumbent Kendric Jones and Carla Richardson Foster on the Democratic ballot, after they achieved the most votes out of three who ran in the primary. Whoever wins will go up against Republican Brent Davis in the November election.
Colorado County
Colorado County’s runoff will have voters deciding on the races for Tax Assessor-Collector and Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace.
For Tax Assessor-Collector, incumbent Erica Kollaja is challenged by Melinda Zajicek after the two advanced out of three Republican candidates in the primary. No Democratic opponent will appear on the November ballot.
The Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace race has Republican incumbent Donald Clark and challenger Bennie Zajicek. As with the Tax Assessor-Collector’s race, the winner of this runoff will not be opposed by a Democrat in November’s election.
Brazos County
The race for Brazos County Precinct 1 Commissioner had three Republican candidates in the primary, with incumbent Steve Aldrich and challenger Bentley Nettles advancing. Out of the two, the winner will face Democrat Maria Shelton in the fall election.