WASHINGTON CO. VOTERS REJECT EXPO BOND MEASURE, SUPPORT INCUMBENTS FOR SENATE, HOUSE & CONGRESS
Voters in Washington County made their voices heard on Tuesday during the November midterms, from a county bond proposition to a slate of state and federal races.
According to unofficial results from the Washington County Elections Office, a total of 15,694 ballots were cast, including 11,764 during early voting, 3,456 on Election Day and 474 by absentee. With a listed registered voter total of 26,377, the voter turnout was 59.5 percent. Results are considered unofficial until they are canvassed by county commissioners.
County Bond Measure
Voters rejected a proposal to build a new multi-purpose facility at the Washington County Expo. The $15.45 million bond proposition received 5,377 votes in support and 9,367 votes against.
The facility was designed to act as a weather-protected, year-round venue to host events for livestock, equine, rodeo, agricultural and the community, as well as events like trade shows.
State Senate, State House, U.S. Congress
While Washington County had no contested county office positions, voters were able to decide on their representation in Austin and Washington, D.C.
According to figures from the Texas Secretary of State’s Office as of this (Wednesday) morning, in the race for Texas Senate District 18, Republican incumbent Lois Kolkhorst leads with 186,562 votes over Democrat Erica Gillum’s 150,103. The Secretary of State’s website shows precincts yet to be reported in Fort Bend County.
Washington County, Kolkhorst’s home county, cast 11,471 ballots for Kolkhorst and 3,796 for Gillum.
For Texas House District 12, Republican incumbent Trey Wharton won re-election with 51,069 votes to Democrat Andie Ho’s 21,621.
Wharton won Washington County with 11,464 votes, while Ho received 3,757 votes.
For U.S. Congressional District 27, Republican incumbent Michael Cloud is leading with 144,467 votes to the 137,927 votes for Democrat Tanya Lloyd.
Washington County voted 11,377 – 3,947 in favor of Cloud.
Other State, Federal Races
Amid a massive shakeup in which Democrats won election to statewide and federal offices in Texas for the first time in decades, Washington County kept with historical trends of voting Republican.
For U.S. Senate, Republican Ken Paxton received 10,780 votes in Washington County, while Democrat James Talarico tallied 4,366. Libertarian Ted Brown attained 334 votes. Talarico went on to win the Senate seat of John Cornyn.
The Texas governor’s race drew 11,143 votes in Washington County for Republican incumbent Greg Abbott, 4,158 for Democrat Gina Hinojosa and 235 for Libertarian Pat Dixon. Hinojosa won the governor’s seat.
For lieutenant governor, Republican incumbent Dan Patrick was the top vote-getter at 11,066, followed by Democrat Vikki Goodwin with 4,035, Libertarian Anthony Cristo with 263 and Green Party candidate Kevin McCormick with 106. Goodwin won the race for lieutenant governor.
The attorney general’s race had 11,222 votes cast for Republican Mayes Middleton, 3,949 for Democrat Nathan Johnson, and 230 for Libertarian Tom Oxford. Johnson won election to become the next attorney general after Ken Paxton declared for the U.S. Senate seat.
For comptroller of public accounts, Washington County cast 11,216 votes for Republican incumbent Don Huffines, 3,913 for Democrat Sarah Eckhardt, 199 for Libertarian V. Alonzo Echavarria-Garza and 40 for Green Party candidate Shehla Faizi. Eckhardt won the race to become the new comptroller.
For general land office commissioner, Republican incumbent Dawn Buckingham tallied 11,303 votes, with 3,809 for Democrat Benjamin Flores and 243 for Libertarian Neill Snider. Flores was the winner of the race.
In the agriculture commissioner’s race, 11,141 votes were cast for Republican Nate Sheets, while Democrat Clayton Tucker attained 3,896 votes and Libertarian Austin R. Kelly had 260. Tucker won election to become the new agriculture commissioner after incumbent Sid Miller lost in the Republican primary.
For railroad commissioner, Republican Bo French received 10,988 votes to 4,014 for Democrat Jon Rosenthal and 247 for Libertarian Arthur DiBianca. Rosenthal was the winner and will join the three-member board.