Bruce Boyer hugs his wife Toya as they hear the final results of the Republican Primary runoff for 22nd District Judge. (Photo by Veronica Gordon)
by VERONICA GORDON
Hays County voters favored David Glickler in the Republican Primary runoff for 22nd District Judge, but it wasn’t enough to win the race that includes Hays, Comal and Caldwell counties.
While Glickler had the support in Hays County, it was his opponent, former New Braunfels Mayor Bruce Boyer who won, with the help of the Comal County contingent.
Overall, Boyer received 63 percent of the votes to Glickler’s 36 percent.
Glickler and his wife Holly and their children and friends gathered in San Marcos to watch returns Tuesday night.
“I feel good. I feel good about my efforts. I feel good about Hays County. I feel good about the people of Comal County who supported me,” Glickler said.
While the mood remained subdued as returns slowly trickled in, Glickler said he worked hard in his first race just to get name recognition. Since then, he said, he has picked up 20 percent in support.
“That tells me that the citizens in three counties responded to the message,” he said. “I take that as a sign that eventually, the residents want someone in the future with court experience.”
Ultimately the race boiled down to New Braunfels, which had the larger Republican base and which could turn out dedicated Republicans in the run-off, which is notorious for only pulling out hard-core voters.
Even though Hays County has an overall larger population, the number of Republican voters is fewer, and thus the influence and subsequent number of voters from Hays County is watered down.
With Glickler from Hays County/Buda and Boyer from Comal County/New Braunfels, the election returns reflected the dedication and persistence of voters who were willing – and knowledgeable enough – to get back to the polls for a runoff election.
Boyer and his supporters convened at Wursthalle in New Braunfels Tuesday night awaiting election results.
As early voting numbers came in Boyer jumped up from his computer and told the crowd that he was ahead of Glickler.
By 9:15 p.m. the results confirmed that Boyer was the winner.
Boyer thanked his supporters and family and promised to make them proud.
“I’m very humbled,” he said. “I want to thank everyone for your friendship and trust. I also want to thank David Glickler for a great race. It’s been very civil and I wish him well. I couldn’t be more pleased. I thank my lord and savior for the strength to get through this very long process.”
Boyer wiped tears from his eyes as he hugged his wife Toya Ohlrich Boyer who has been working on the campaign. She was overcome with relief after learning the results.
“Wow, wow, it’s been a long year,” she said. “And a long campaign of trying to get out and convince people that he’ll do a good job. They’ll be very happy with him.”
Toya said many people in Comal County know Bruce and trust him. But that he was not as well known in Hays and Caldwell counties.
“It helps that he’s a former mayor and district attorney and city prosecutor,” she said.
Comal County Commissioner Donna Eccleston said she’s known Boyer for many years.
“He’s a very fair, balanced person,” Eccleston said. “He’ll make a great judge.”
Comal County Sheriff Bob Holder patted Boyer on the back and wished him luck.
Boyer’s daughter Shelley Minus said she was ready to have the campaign come to an end.
“We were left hanging last time,” she said. “Now it’s here all of a sudden and we’re grateful for a victory.”
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In other races, former state Solicitor General Ted Cruz won the Republican nomination to the U.S. Senate over Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. Emergency room physician Dr. Donna Campbell prevailed over incumbent state Sen. Jeff Wentworth for San Antonio’s District 25.
