(Editor's Note: This post was updated on Nov. 9 at 5:09 p.m. to include statements provided to the Hays Free Press by Miguel Zuniga, Amanda Stark, Bear Heiser, Michelle Guiterrez Cohen and Ruben Becerra)
By ASHLEY KONTNIER
There will be two new faces on Kyle City Council after Miguel A. Zuniga topped incumbent Robert Rizo for the District 3 spot. Rizo, the current mayor pro tem, has served on council since May of 2019.
Thank you to everyone that supported me on this amazing election run and to all my supporters, campaign manager, and especially to my beautiful wife and family," Zuniga said in a statement. "I want to recognize the work and service of Robert Rizo and wish him the best in his future endeavors. When I began this campaign, I promised to be a candidate that would help grow our city together and improve the quality of our city in every direction. To achieve these outcomes there will be lots of work ahead of us and opportunities to improve as we continue to grow. As a new City Council member, I am going to promote collaboration and focus on priorities to find solutions for our city. Again, I am honored to be elected for Kyle City Council District 3 and committed to serving our community."
There will be a run-off election held on Dec. 13 between Amanda Stark and Bear Heiser to determine who will be named the District 1 Kyle City Council member. This seat was previously held by Dex Ellison, prior to his resignation in August 2022.
"With five candidates in this race, my team and I knew this was always going to be a marathon and not a sprint. There's still work to be done. I plan to keep knocking on doors in Easy Kyle and West Kyle, so I can best represent all of us, not just some of us," Heiser said in a statement. "I believe in a government that works for the people. I believe good policy comes from balanced representation. I believe your elected officials always should be accessible."
"I am thankful. As a local parent and long-time Kyle resident, I bring family and citizen awareness to Kyle. Having been on the Parks board for four years and engaged with council activities for even longer, I will leverage my awareness of Kyle’s needs to balance the growth with affordability and individual needs," Stark said in a statement.
Both Heiser and Stark encourage voters to learn about both candidates and cast their ballot in the December runoff.
County Judge Ruben Becerra maintained his position in a close race with challenger Mark Jones.
"Alongside my colleagues, I’m working on building out a robust Public Defender Office; a Mental Wellness Center; a countywide Pet Resource Center; and responsibly reducing our jail population, including the termination of the private-prison contract," Becerra said in a statement. "I placed my campaign on a different path — one that compared two incumbents without personal attacks. Our community deserves unity and harmony, and that is what I intend to continue providing even if we don’t all see eye-to-eye. Peace is paramount."
Michelle Gutierrez Cohen will be assuming as Hays County Commissioner for Precinct 2.
"I’m just super excited and honored to have the people’s vote. I’ve been working in the community for over two and a half years because of the pandemic. I think with that work, people saw that I was willing to work as a regular citizen,” Gutierrez Cohen said in a statement. “I think they know my work ethic and I think those people showed out yesterday."
The three bond propositions on the ballot for Dripping Springs ISD failed to gain voter approval. Voters gave approval for the city of Kyle road bond proposition with a strong margin.
Nearly 83,000, or 48.65%, of registered Hays County voters, headed to the polls during the Nov. 8 general election. Candidates from across the county were vying for numerous positions, including county judge, clerk and treasurer, criminal district attorney and justice of the peace, as well as two council seats in the city of Kyle and a seat on the Wimberley ISD board of trustees.
These are the unofficial election results as of 11:44 p.m. Results will remain unofficial until canvassed and certified.
Hays County Judge
Ruben Becerra (incumbent) (D): 44,214 (50.44%)
Mark Jones (R): 43,439 (49.56%)
Hays County Commissioners
Precinct 2
Michelle Gutierrez Cohen (D): 10,847 (60.81%)
Mike Gonzalez (R): 6,991 (39.19%)
Precinct 4
Walt Smith (incumbent) (R): 15,189 (54.14%)
Susan Cook (I): 12,865 (45.86%)
County Clerk
Elaine Cárdenas (incumbent) (D): 46,188 (53.29%)
Linda Duran (R): 40,493 (46.71%)
County Treasurer
Daphne Sanchez Tenorio (D): 45,206 (52.23%)
Britney Bolton Richey (R): 41,342 (47.77%)
District Clerk
Avrey Anderson (D): 44,155 (51.03%)
Beverly Crumley (R): 42,369 (48.97%)
District Attorney
Kelly Higgins (D): 46,299 (53.06%)
David Puryear (R): 40,956 (46.94%)
Justice of the Peace Precinct 5
Sandra Bryant (incumbent) (D): 9,159 (56.76%)
Karen Marshall (R): 6,976 (43.24%)
Kyle City Council
District 1
Marina Tupikov: 1,648 (15.37%)
Neal Breen: 607 (5.66%)
Marc McKinney: 2,046 (19.09%)
Amanda Stark: 3,120 (29.10%)
Nick Madsen: 1,082 (10.09%)
Bear Heiser 2,217 (20.68%)
District 3
Robert Rizo (incumbent): 5,044 (46.87%)
Miguel A. Zuniga: 5,717 (53.13%)
City of Kyle Prop A
The issuance of bonds in the amount of $294,000,000 for streets, bridges and sidewalks and the levying of a tax in payment thereof.
For: 8,543 (64.64%)
Against: 4,674 (35.36%)
Dripping Springs ISD Bond Election
Prop A
The issuance of $199,280,000 of bonds by DSISD for school facilities including a new elementary school and middle school expansion, the purchase of the necessary sites for school facilities and the purchase of new school buses and the levying of a tax in payment thereof. This is a property tax increase.
For: 9,483 (48.30%)
Against: 10,1049 (51.70%)
Prop B
The issuance of $275,350,000 of bonds by DSISD for school facilities including a new high school and the purchase of the necessary sites for school facilities and the levying of a tax in payment thereof. This is a property tax increase.
For: 9,063 (46.20%)
Against: 10,553 (53.80%)
Prop C
The issuance of $6,505,000 of bonds by DSISD for instructional technology and the imposition of a tax sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds. This is a property tax increase.
For: 9,092 (46.45%)
Against: 10,483 (53.55%)
Wimberley ISD Board of Trustees
Place 5
Chad Canine: 3,960 (50.72%)
Lindsey Deringer: 3,847 (49.28%)
