The Monitor Staff Reports
ATHENS–When the dust settled, election night Precinct 2 Commissioner Wade McKinney emerged as the next Henderson County Judge. He garnered 58 percent of the ballots, collecting 5,869 votes to attorney Weinstein’s 4,221 votes in the Republican Primary.
The new father was grateful to those who voted for him, expressing their confidence in his continued leadership as the presiding officer of Commissioners Court. “I’m very proud of what we have accomplished over the past 20 years,” he said, noting that the county is completely debt free having paid off the bond that built the jail, — an avenue of additional revenue for the county in housing out-of-county and Federal inmates.
Returning to the court is also Precinct 4 Commissioner Ken Geeslin, who remained victorious over challenger Kelly Harris for a second time.
Kevin Pollock will continue as JP2 in Seven Points. Voters cast nearly 59 percent of their ballots for him and 41 percent for Dale Blaylock, a former JP2.
Other winners statewide in Republican Primary.
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz won his party’s nomination for a second term in office as did Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in their contested races.
“I am deeply grateful that Republicans in Texas turned out and put their confidence in me to continue leading the fight for Texas values in Washington,” Cruz stated on social media. “The last five years have been an incredible honor and I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish for 28 million Texans, from stopping national Democrats’ liberal agenda of bigger government, amnesty, and gun control, to working to fulfill our promises under new Republican majorities – including historic tax cuts, major regulatory reform, and the confirmation of principled, qualified, constitutionalist judges. I’ve worked hard to fulfill the mandate they gave me and will continue doing so as long as I have the privilege to represent them.”
George P. Bush won’t face a runoff despite three challengers, having collected 58.18 percent of the vote for General Land Office Commissioner. Jerry Patterson came in a distant second with nearly 30 percent of the vote.
Neither will Ag Commissioner Sid Miller (55.83 percent) or Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick (75 percent).
Other winners in contested Republican Primary races include:
• Presiding Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Sharon Keller; Place 8 Judge Michelle Slaughter
• Dist. 2 State Senator Bob Hall
• Dist. 2 State Rep Dan Flynn
• 5th Court of Appeals Dist, Place 11 John Browning.
Many of these will face a Democrat candidate in the General Election.
All 11 Republican Propositions won majority favor by wide margins. The odd-numbered propositions gained the lowest percentages of approval as shown: Prop 1 by 67 percent, Prop 3 by 85 percent, Prop 5 by 78 percent, Prop 7 by 68 percent, Prop 9 and 11 by nearly 87 percent.
Prop 10 won 94 percent voter approval for setting a 4 percent rollback rate on property tax increases.