By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Members of the Val Verde County Republican Party attended the Jan. 1 swearing-in ceremony in support of Republican candidates elected to district and county positions in the 2022 November General Election.
After the ceremony, Val Verde County Republican Party Chair Sharon Petitt spoke about the significance of the day’s event.
“It’s very historical. We’ve just been chipping away, little by little, putting Republican candidates in our local government, and I am a very firm believer that our local government is extremely important. We are thrilled, not only to have re-elected Republicans, but to have a new Republican elected also,” Petitt said.
Petitt referred to the victory of Republican Esther Chapoy, who defeated the incumbent Democrat, Generosa “Janie” Ramon, in the election for Val Verde County Clerk.
Local Republicans who won their re-election bids in the 2022 General Election included 83rd Judicial District Judge Robert E. Cadena, who was unopposed in his race, and Justice of the Peace Pct. 3 Pat Cole, who was re-elected by a landslide over a write-in candidate.
Petitt also spoke about the growth of the Republican Party in Val Verde County, a traditionally Democratic Party stronghold.
“I can’t speak about 10 years ago, because I just got into it about two or three years ago, getting active and seeing the need for it, knowing that I needed to step up and do my part, but the party has grown here, and we want to continue to grow,” Petitt said.
“We have a goal to grow the Republican Party here in Val Verde County as much as we can, especially in the next year,” she added.
Other local Republican Party leaders, including former chairs Fernando Garcia and Anna and Gene Chapman, as well as Petitt’s husband, Gene Petitt, a local precinct chair, and Sandy Sassano, Maverick County Republican Party Chair, also attended the swearing-in ceremony, which was held in the second floor courtroom of the historic Val Verde County Courthouse.
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