AREA ELECTION RESULTS – GERDES RE-ELECTED AS HD-17 REP, PESCHEL WINS AUSTIN CO. JP2 SEAT, SPLIT VOTES ON SCHOOL PROPOSITIONS

  

Area counties had several races of note on Tuesday, from county offices to school propositions.

In the State Representative District 17 race, Republican incumbent Stan Gerdes won re-election over Democrat Desiree Venable.  According to the Secretary of State’s website, Gerdes received 61.2 percent of the vote and won all five counties in the district: Bastrop, Burleson, Caldwell, Lee and Milam.

For Austin County Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace, Independent Wesley Peschel defeated Republican incumbent Todd Morris to fill the unexpired term of Wilfred Krause.  Peschel received 2,325 votes to Morris’ 1,858.

A tax rate ratification election in Sealy ISD was rejected, with 3,500 votes against and 2,635 votes in favor.  The proposition would have increased the district’s maintenance and operations (M&O) tax rate by 3 cents per $100 of property valuation.

Another tax rate ratification election in Round Top-Carmine ISD passed with 963 votes of approval and 310 votes in opposition.  The proposition called for a 2 cent increase above the maximum M&O rate that could be adopted without an election.

In Grimes County, the Precinct 3 Commissioner position will have a new face, as Republican challenger Michael Raska defeated Democratic incumbent Barbara Walker 1,557-936. 

Nine votes made the difference in Anderson-Shiro CISD’s $60 million bond proposal to build a new elementary school and renovate the current elementary campus to accommodate junior high students.  The measure passed 1,306-1,297. 

In Waller County, the Tax Assessor-Collector race between Republican Carolyn Miedke and Democrat Rebecca Richard saw Miedke claim victory with 17,426 votes to Richard’s 9,063.  Ellen Shelburne did not seek re-election. 

Waller County’s Precinct 1 and 3 Commissioners both won new terms.  Precinct 1 Republican incumbent John Allen Amsler defeated Democratic challenger Lee Jones Jr. by a tally of 3,846 to 1,667.  Precinct 3 Democrat Kendric D. Jones bested Republican challenger Brent Davis 4,063-2,818.

In the Waller County Constables races, Precinct 1 will be represented by Republican Justin Lane after defeating Democrat Gerald Robinson 3,853-1,697.  The current Precinct 1 Constable, Bo Hashaw, did not run for re-election.  Meanwhile, Precinct 3 Democratic incumbent Herschel Smith will retain his position after winning against Republican challenger Marvin Hood 4,018-2,831.

Waller ISD had two school bond propositions totaling $713.5 million.  The first proposition for $702.5 million passed with a vote of 6,364-5,031.  It will fund the construction of two new elementary schools, a new junior high school and a new high school, as well as the purchase of the necessary sites for school buildings and new school buses.  Meanwhile, the second proposition for $11 million, covering the acquisition, installation and updating of technology equipment in the district, failed by a vote of 5,284-5,987.