Early voting underway in general election
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TOP STATE GOVERNMENT OFFICES ON BALLOT; ONLY TWO COUNTY RACES CONTESTED
Voters have begun casting ballots in the 2022 general election, and polling stations in county courthouses have opened in advance of election day Tuesday, November 8.
Early voting continues this week and next throughout Texas with a number of key state government positions on the ballot, while many local races feature no opposition to the candidates who prevailed in the primary elections earlier this year for Frio and La Salle counties.
Ballot boxes will be made available at all respective precincts in Frio and La Salle counties from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on election day.
Frio County government elections include contenders from the Democratic and Republican parties and an independent candidate. One race includes an option for a write-in candidate.
In La Salle County, voters are deciding whether to allow the establishment of an emergency district that will fund the county-owned fire brigade and ambulance service, for which a property tax will be levied. Voters are casting ballots in six precincts with separate ballots for those who live inside and outside Cotulla city limits. In all other respects, ballots are identical.
US Congressional District 28, which includes the southern portion of La Salle County and is currently held by Rep. Henry Cuellar (Dem.) of Laredo, is not included on the ballot in La Salle County in the 2022 general election, according to the county elections office, which has consulted with the Texas secretary of state’s office regarding redistricting.
At the federal and state levels, this year’s general election includes candidates for the US House of Representatives, the Texas governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and state comptroller. A write-in option is available in the races for Texas governor and Texas land commissioner. A number of statewide and regional justices’ seats are also on the ballot.
All those elected on November 8 and those who have been declared elected without opposition are scheduled to take office on January 1, 2023.
Ballots published by county clerks and elections administrators in Frio and La Salle counties report the following candidates in this year’s election, with party affiliations listed as Republican (Rep.), Democratic (Dem.), Independent (Ind.), Libertarian (Lib.), and Green (Grn.):
US CONGRESS
Representative, District 23
Tony Gonzales (Rep.)
Josh Lira (Dem.)
Frank Lopez Jr. (Ind.)
STATE OF TEXAS
Governor
Greg Abbott (Rep.)
Beto O’Rourke (Dem.)
Mark Tippetts (Lib.)
Delilah Barrios (Grn.)
Mark V Goloby (Write-in)
Jacqueline Abernathy (Write-in)
Lieutenant Governor
Dan Patrick (Rep.)
Mike Collier (Dem.)
Shanna Steele (Lib.)
Attorney General
Ken Paxton (Rep.)
Rochelle Mercedes Garza (Dem.)
Mark Ash (Lib.)
Comptroller of Public Accounts
Glenn Hegar (Rep.)
Janet T. Dudding (Dem.)
V Alonzo Echevarria-Garza (Lib.)
Commissioner of General Land Office
Dawn Buckingham (Rep.)
Jay Kleberg (Dem.)
Alfred Molison Jr. (Grn.)
Carrie Evelyn Menger (Write-in)
Commissioner of Agriculture
Sid Miller (Rep.)
Susan Hays (Dem.)
Railroad Commissioner
Wayne Christian (Rep.)
Luke Warford (Dem.)
Jaime Andres Diez (Lib.)
Hunter Wayne Crow (Grn.)
Supreme Court Justice, Place 3
Debra Lehrmann (Rep.)
Erin A Nowell (Dem.)
Thomas Edward Oxford (Lib.)
Supreme Court Justice, Place 5
Rebeca Huddle (Rep.)
Amanda Reichek (Dem.)
Supreme Court Justice, Place 9
Evan Young (Rep.)
Julia Maldonado (Dem.)
Criminal Appeals Court Judge, Place 5
Scott Walker (Rep.)
Dana Huffman (Dem.)
Criminal Appeals Court Judge, Place 6
Jesse F McClure III (Rep.)
Robert Johnson (Dem.)
TEXAS REGIONAL
State Board of Education
Dist. 1 Member
Michael “Travis” Stevens (Rep.)
Melissa N Ortega (Dem.)
District 19 State Senator
Robert Garza (Rep.)
Roland Gutierrez (Dem.)
District 21 State Senator
Julie Dahlberg (Rep.)
Judith Zaffirini (Dem.)
Arthur DiBianca (Lib.)
District 31 State Representative
Ryan Guillen (Rep.)
Martha M Gutierrez (Dem.)
4th Court of Appeals Justice, Place 6
Todd McCray (Rep.)
Irene Rios (Dem.)
4th Court of Appeals Justice, Place 7
(Unexpired term)
Lori I Valenzuela (Rep.)
Rebecca “Beckie” Palomo (Dem.)
FRIO COUNTY
County Judge
Jessica Villanueva (Rep.)
Rochelle Lozano Camacho (Dem.)
Jose Asuncion (Ind.)
County Commissioner, Pct. 4
Roy Kallio (Rep.)
Danny Cano (Dem.)
Joe Obregon (Write-in)
LA SALLE COUNTY
Proposition 1
For or against the creation of La Salle County Emergency Services District No. 1 and adoption of a tax on the ad valorem property situated in said district as a rate not to exceed ten cents on the one hundred dollars valuation for the support of the district.
NO CHALLENGE
Candidates declared unopposed in the general election after winning their nominations in the primaries and thereby elected to their respective offices include the following:
STATE & REGIONAL
Court of Criminal Appeals Judge, Place 2
Mary Lou Keel (Rep.)
District 80 State Representative
Tracy O King (Dem.)
81st Judicial District Judge
Jennifer Ebrom Dillingham (Rep.)
218th Judicial District Judge
Russell Wilson (Rep.)
FRIO COUNTY
District Clerk
Ofilia M Trevino (Dem.)
County Clerk
Aaron Thomas Ibarra (Dem.)
County Treasurer
Pete Jasso Martinez (Dem.)
County Commissioner, Pct. 2
Mario A Martinez
Justice of the Peace Pct. 1
Shanna Gates (Dem.)
Justice of the Peace, Pct. 2
Sandra “Coach” Waldrum (Dem.)
Justice of the Peace, Pct. 3
Susana Ruiz-Belding (Dem.)
Justice of the Peace, Pct. 4
Jack E “Chip” Proctor (Dem.)
LA SALLE COUNTY
County Judge
Leodoro “Lolo” Martinez III (Dem.)
County & District Clerk
Sonia Maldonado (Dem.)
County Treasurer
Maria “Mary” Perez (Dem.)
County Commissioner, Pct. 2 & 6
Joaquin Alba (Dem.)
County Commissioner, Pct. 4 & 5
Raul Ayala (Dem.)
Justice of the Peace, Pct. 1, 5 & 6
Roxanna G Rodriguez (Dem.)
Justice of the Peace, Pct. 2
Frank Weikel (Dem.)
Justice of the Peace, Pct. 3
Ernesto “Neto” Ramirez (Dem.)
Justice of the Peace, Pct. 4
Janie Megliorino (Rep.)