Early voting begins for local seats

City, school board elections ahead

BREYANA SEGURA & MARC ROBERTSON

Early voting in municipal elections opens next week, and Pearsall will see a leadership change, with several incumbents choosing not to seek re-election.

Election Day is Saturday, May 2.

The most notable shift is at the mayoral level, as Mayor Ben Briscoe has opted not to seek re-election, paving the way for voters to choose a new leader for the city. Earl Mac Marshall and former mayor George Cabasos Sr. are vying for the seat.

Briscoe’s exit is one of three at the council table and one at the local school district.

Council Place 5 incumbent Tiffany Talamantes is also stepping down, creating a contest between Adan Vela and Miranda Ramirez-Gutierrez.

Aurora Garza, who currently holds Place 6, will not face a challenger this spring.

Rodney Lucio and Edward Carrizales are seeking a seat at the table in Place 7, which is currently held by Brenda Trevino. Trevino has chosen not to run for another term on council and is running as a Republican Party candidate for Precinct 2 commissioner in Frio County.

Early voting begins Monday, April 20, and runs through Tuesday, April 28, at Pearsall City Hall, 214 South Ash Street from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

PEARSALL ISD

Residents in Moore, Bigfoot, Pearsall and Derby will cast ballots to decide two seats on the Pearsall ISD Board of Trustees.

Maricela Benavides, who currently holds Place 1, will not seek re-election. Victoriana Perez, Mark ‘Bubba’ Hernandez and Juanita Rendon are vying for election to the seat.

Place 2 incumbent Matthew Aguilar, who currently serves as board president, faces challenger Eulogio ‘Logie’ Rodriguez.

Eligible voters can cast ballots at the Frio County Conference Room, 400 S. Pecan Street for the board election from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Election Day is Saturday, May 2, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Ted Flores Elementary.

CITY OF DILLEY

In the Dilley City Council election, Marissa Torres is hoping to unseat incumbent Alicia Machado for Place 3.

Ray Aranda, who currently holds Place 4, is not seeking re-election; Joe L. Garcia will run unopposed in that seat.

In January, councilors appointed Noel Perez to fill Place 5 after Rudy Alvarez vacated the seat to become the city’s finance director. Perez has chosen not to place his name on the ballot; Alberto Gomez and Rally Ochoa are vying for the seat.

Voters in Dilley can cast ballots from Monday, April 20, until Tuesday, April 28, at Dilley City Hall.

CITY OF COTULLA

In Cotulla, three incumbents are being challenged in their bids for new terms at the table.

Mayor Sandra Luna is on the ballot for a second two-year term and is being challenged by Kasarah Alvarado.

At Place 1, incumbent Oralia ‘Mary’ Koraleski is being challenged by Raquel ‘Dina’ Nunez-Yanez.

At Place 2, incumbent Trish Garcia faces challenger Billy Alvarado in her bid for re-election.

Early voting in the Cotulla municipal election is offered at the county elections office (former City Hall), 117 North Front Street, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 20 to 28. Election Day voting will also be at the elections office on May 2 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

COTULLA ISD

The Cotulla ISD election this year has been canceled, as there are no challengers to incumbents Deonicio Ramirez Jr., Robert Ayala Jr. and Rosario Morales, who will take their oaths of office for new terms during a school board meeting in May.