Low turnout marks 2018 primary

County Commissioner Daniel Ford and Precinct 3 & 4 Justice of the Peace candidate Pat White were the big local winners last Tuesday, March 6, when local voters went to the polls.

Turnout was markedly low with less than one-third of registered voters bothering to participate in the process. A total of 675 voted out of 2,199 who were registered, a turnout of 30.7 percent. Republicans cast 672 local votes, and 37 Democrats voted in their party’s primary.

In the Republican Primary, Ford was challenged for his Precinct 2 seat by Randy Bond, but was he retained his party’s nomination, 128-113.

Justice Denise Bertrand was challenged for her position in Precincts 3&4 and lost the nomination to White, 161-119. Bertrand’s second term ends at the end of this calendar year.

Neither Ford nor White are facing any Democratic opposition in the November General Election.

Donley County Republicans rejected weeks of negative campaigning against State Sen. Kel Seliger and State Rep. Ken King, giving them solid local wins of 64 and 59 percent respectively. Seliger and King also both received a majority of votes throughout their districts and avoided the specter of a runoff election. Seliger is unchallenged in November, but King will face Democrat Ezekiel Barron.

Clarendon’s hometown congressman, Rep. Mac Thornberry was unchallenged on the Republican ticket and will face Democratic challenger Greg Sagan this fall.

In statewide offices, US Sen. Ted Cruz picked up more than 84 percent of local GOP support and easily won the party nomination statewide. He faces Beto O’Rourke this fall.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott saw similar local support and won statewide. Democrats Lupe Valdez and Andrew White will be in a runoff for their party’s nomination. Local Democrats were split on the governor question with seven liking Valdez, seven preferring Grady Yarbrough, and six voting for White.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had a tougher time locally but still picked up a majority, 65 percent, of Donley Republicans and carried the state easier. His Republican challenger Scott Midler has since endorsed the Democratic primary winner Mike Collier, who was the local Democrats’ choice.

Majorities of local voters in both primaries approved of the non-binding propositions put forward by their parties.
Going into the General Election, only one local race will be challenged. County/District Clerk Fay Vargas is running for re-election on the Democratic ticket and will face Republican Bobby Woodard in November.