The race for Hays County Judge is now set after Ruben Becerra claimed a lopsided victory over Abel Velasquez in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.
With the win, Becerra, a San Marcos small business owner, advances to face former Hays County Pct. 3 Commissioner Will Conley for the County Judge seat in November. Conley, who stepped down as the Pct. 3 Commissioner to run for County Judge, was unopposed in the Republican primary.
Becerra, a San Marcos business owner, won the seat by consistently holding nearly 70-percent of the 10,488 ballots cast in the race.
Meanwhile, a vitriolic Republican primary for the County Court-at-Law No. 2 seat ended with challenger Chris Johnson claiming victory over incumbent judge David Glickler.
Johnson, a Hays County misdemeanor and felony court attorney, won by securing 60 percent of the 6,306 total votes. Johnson claims the seat as no challenger filed in the Democratic primary.
Incumbent Hays County Pct. 3 Commissioner Lon Shell won the right to fight for his seat in November by holding off challenger Colin McFerrin in the Republican primary. Shell earned roughly 57 percent of the vote and won by 556 votes.
Shell advances to take on Jimmy Alan Hall, who ran unopposed in the Democratic Primary.
The stage is also now set for the Pct. 4 Commissioner race as Walt Smith defeated Jimmy Skipton to secure Tuesday’s Republican primary. Smith, a Dripping Springs resident and lobbyist, moves on to face Omar Baca, who ran unopposed in the Democratic Primary, in November.
While the majority of local races are looking toward November, a local state representative primary is seemingly heading toward a May runoff.
Rebecca Bell-Metereau, a Texas State University professor, will face off against Erin Zwiener, a Driftwood-based educator, in a runoff for the State Rep. 45 Democratic nomination. Metereau held an eight percent lead over Zwiener after Hays County early voting results were released, which later expanded to a 16-percent gap at the end of the night. Les Carnes finished in third place with 23 percent of the vote.
The winner of the State Rep. 45 Democratic primary will square off against Ken Strange, a Wimberley ISD board trustee, in November. Strange rolled past four other candidates in the Republican primary.
Roughly nine percent of the 121,446 registered Hays County voters cast ballots in the Democratic primary. Ten percent of Hays County voters took part in the Republican primary.
