By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
The dust has – mostly – settled from the March 5 Democratic and Republican Primary Elections, but a May 28 runoff will determine party nominees for two county commissioner seats.
Both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party county chairs canvassed the votes cast in their respective elections Thursday, and the results of the elections are now considered “official.”
Val Verde County Democratic Party Chair Rose Hernandez released the “official” totals to the 830 Times after they were canvassed late Thursday afternoon.
In the seven-man race for the Democratic Party nomination for County Commissioner Pct. 1, the official totals for the candidates were given as follows:
- Sergio Rodriguez – 86
- Carlos “Charlie” Robles – 39
- Enrique R. Treviño – 128
- Sergio Diaz – 124
- Bruno Lozano – 95
- David Allen Medina – 27
- Kerr Wardlaw – 214
Since none of the seven candidates received enough votes to win the nomination outright, Hernandez said there will be a runoff between Wardlaw and Treviño.
The winner of the runoff election will face Alfinio “Al” Flores, the Republican Party nominee for County Commissioner Pct. 1, in the November General Election.
Hernandez also noted that Diaz, the third-place candidate, has filed a petition requesting a recount of the votes cast in the race. Hernandez said she will discuss the petition with county election officials Friday.
There will also be a runoff on the Republican Party side of the house.
Val Verde County Republican Party Chair Sharon Pettit met with members of the party’s executive committee, precinct chairs and candidates in the Sunblossom Room at the Ramada Inn to formally conduct the canvass Thursday evening.
Pettit went over the final vote totals for the local races, noting that the Republican Party’s candidate for the office of Val Verde County Attorney, Jacques De La Mota, would now be classified as “ineligible,” since De La Mota voted in the Democratic Party Primary Election on March 5.
Pettit also went over the final numbers in the four-man race for the Republican Party nomination for the office of County Commissioner Pct. 3:
- Miguel Zuniga – 182
- Eddie Amezcua Jr. – 651
- Raul Alatorre – 240
- Fernando Garcia – 596
Since none of the candidates had enough votes to win the nomination outright, there will now be a runoff election between Amezcua and Garcia to determine the party’s nominee.
There was no Democratic Party candidate for the office, so the Republican Party nominee will likely run unopposed in the November General Election.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com
