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Travis turnout better than expected
Voters exceeded officials predictions today with a 15.3 percent turnout in Travis County. And in what has been a reliably blue county, almost 12,000 more people voted in the Republican primary than in the Democratic contest.
In all, almost 89,000 people voted in Travis County today. That compares to less than 38,000 Travis County primary voters in 2006, a year when Democratic voters outnumbered Republicans by about 4,000 votes. The turnout that year, the last gubernatorial primary, was 6.9 percent.
In between, the presidential primary year of 2008 dwarfed both in terms of voter participation. That March, a mammoth 227,700 voters came out, with more than 186,600 helping decide whether Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton would be the Democratic nominee for president.
Turnout in 2008 was almost 41 percent of registered voters.
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Gomez wins Democratic spot for Travis commissioner
Margaret Gomez has won the Democratic nomination for a fifth four-year term as Travis County commissioner, representing Precinct 4 in the southeast portion of the county.
Gomez, with all of the vote counted, beat former Austin City Council Member Raul Alvarez with 53.5 percent of the vote. In an election where fewer than 7,000 people voted, Gomez won by 475 votes.
In other Democratic primary races in Travis County, Cliff Brown, Amy Clark Meacham and David Crain won nominations for the 147th, 201st and 331st district courts. In the 299th District Court, Mindy Montford, who got 45.5 percent, will face Karen Sage, who had 37.3 percent, in an April runoff.
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Hays: Barton wins county judge race; sheriff keeps job
County Commissioner Jeff Barton unseated his Democratic opponent in the Hays County Judge race, incumbent Judge Elizabeth “Liz” Sumter, in tonight’s primary election.
Barton will go on to face Republican candidate Dr. Bert Cobb in the November election.
Barton, whose Precinct 2 includes Kyle and the surrounding areas, defeated Sumter with 56.3 percent of the vote.
“I know that Hays County is a purple county, and I don’t take this nomination as a coronation,” Barton said. “Now, I focus on pulling together not only the Democratic Party, but the whole community so we can address the changes facing Hays County.”
Barton will have to contend with Cobb, a San Marcos physician, come November. He defeated Peggy Jones, owner of the Plum Creek RV Campground, with more than half the vote.
“I am humbled by the honor voters have given me tonight,” Cobb said. He called it a “victory for our cause to reset the priorities of government to what really matters to Hays County families.”
Incumbent Sheriff Tommy Ratliff won his Democratic primary against one of his deputies, Bill Huddleston. Ratliff, a former Texas Ranger who lives in the area, was appointed sheriff in December 2008 by county commissioners following the death of then-sheriff Allen Bridges. Ratliff won with 56.2 percent of the vote.
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Gomez maintains lead with most of vote counted
UPDATE AT 9:45 P.M.
With 58 percent of the vote counted in Travis County, and nearly three-quarters of the precincts in her commissioner precinct No. 4, Margaret Gomez appears headed to reelection.
Gomez has 53.3 percent of the vote to 46.7 percent for Raul Alvarez, and a 374-vote margin in the lightly attended election. Gomez, who has been commissioner for the Southeast Travis County precinct since 1995, appears set to overcome the most serious challenge she has had in a Democratic primary since being first elected.
Meanwhile, in contested Democratic primaries for open Travis County district judgeships, Cliff Brown in the 147th, Amy Clark Meacham in the 201st and David Crain in the 331st seem headed to comfortable victories. Mindy Montford and Karen Sage likely are poised for an April runoff in what was a four-candidate race for the 299th.
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Long leads early in Williamson race
Williamson County Commissioner Precinct 2 Cynthia Long was leading in early voting results against her opponent Jim Dillon.
Long received 1,699 votes compared to Dillon’s 841 votes, according to the Williamson County early voting Web site.
Dillon said in a previous interview that he wanted to lower taxes by 50 percent and cut the number of deputies in the Williamson County Sheriff’s Department.
Long, a commissioner since 2007, has said she wants to keep taxes low, attract businesses to Williamson County and replace the 911 call-taking system with one that automatically detects the location of all patrol cars and ambulances so that those closest to a scene can be sent.
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Travis: GOP ballot propositions hold little surprise
Big shocker … not. In the totally non-binding ballot propositions put before GOP voters, Travis County Republicans by 80 percent-plus margins (in the early vote only) were for the following things:
— Lower income taxes — Acknowledging God in government pledges. — Cutting government spending — Requiring a photo ID to vote
The mild surprise: Just 54 percent were for requiring a sonogram be performed on women considering an abortion.
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Barton leads Sumter in Hays
UPDATE AT 9 P.M.:
With the Hays County vote now 50 percent in, County Commissioner Jeff Barton has slightly stretched his lead over Liz Sumter. Barton now has 58.7 percent of the vote, and a 17 percent lead.
Incumbent Sheriff Tommy Ratliff has widened his lead to 13 percent over over Deputy Bill Huddleston. Anna M. Boling remains way ahead of David Mendoza for the County Court at Law Place 1 job.
On the Republican side, Bert Cobb continues to lead Peggy Jones by 18 percent in the county judge race. Mark Jones is ahead of former Kyle Mayor Mike Gonzalez in the County Commissioner Precinct 2 primary by 50 percent.
The results include early and absentee votes.
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Travis County: Gomez has early lead on Alvarez
Incumbent Travis County Commissioner Margaret Gomez has the lead in early voting over former Austin City Council Member Raul Alvarez. She had 55.1 percent to Alvarez’s 44.9 percent. Election day results won’t be available until later this evening.
Other early vote results in contested Democratic primaries in Travis County:
147th District Court: Cliff Brown, 71.3 percent; Bill Gammon, 28.7 percent; 201st District Court: Amy Clark Meacham, 66.7 percent; Jan Patterson, 33.3 percent; 299th District Court: Mindy Montford, 44.7 percent; Karen Sage, 37.1 percent; Leonard Martinez at 13.4 percent; Eve Alcantar at 4.7 percent; 331st District Court: David Crain with 77.7 percent; Keith Lauerman, 22.4 percent.
We’ll give you the contested Republican races shortly.
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Farouk in Wilco? Not good news
The early vote is out in Williamson County, and it holds some unwelcome news for Democratic gubernatorial nominee Farouk Shami. Of the 2,900 or so Democratic early voters there, former Houston Mayor Bill White got 93 percent, Shami less than 4 percent.
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Election day smooth in Travis
Election day has gone smoothly, the Travis County elections office says, and turnout likely will be close to the 25,000 that the office was expecting on election day. That’s in addition to the 36,424 who voted early in Travis County.
With 200 or so precincts, that’s only about 125 voters per precinct on election day, or about 10 an hour. No wonder it was smooth.
If that is in fact the election day turnout, the overall count would be just above 60,000, or less than 12 percent. Considering that includes both Democratic and Republican primaries, and that in many cases the primary winner is the de facto winner for November, that means something like 3 percent or 4 percent of registered voters are all that is necessary for some candidates to assume office.
Sobering.
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Latest comments
Now our only hope is a write in against Long. She has done much to cause hard feelings in the Liberty Hill area. I know first hand that she does not tell the truth. We need someone who is a business person. The Democrat running against her is not much,
... read the full comment by grandy | Comment on Long leads early in Williamson race Read Long leads early in Williamson race
Wow! Congratulations, Margaret!
... read the full comment by Mary Alice | Comment on Gomez wins Democratic spot for Travis commissioner Read Gomez wins Democratic spot for Travis commissioner
Congrats Jeff on your win.
... read the full comment by Czeck | Comment on Hays: Barton wins county judge race; sheriff keeps job Read Hays: Barton wins county judge race; sheriff keeps job
Well Mr. SPIKE don't let pesky facts bother you because it won't be long before we know whether AAS was correct or if the Kfox TV station is exaggerating. It should be simple enough to compare voter turnout in today's election to the previous election.
... read the full comment by Mitch | Comment on Voter stampede today? Not likely Read Voter stampede today? Not likely
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