Voters head to polls Tuesday
Texas voters will head to the polls Tuesday, Mar. 1, with voting locations open from 7 am to 7 pm, to decide the candidates in their respective party that will represent them on the Nov. 8 General Election ballot.
The big race across the state is for Texas Governor, with Greg Abbott facing a slew of competition on the GOP side, while Beto O’Rourke is the leading candidate for the Democrats.
In Liberty County, voters will likely be electing the County Judge, County Court at Law No. 1 Judge, District Clerk, and County Commissioner Pct. 4 in the Republican Primary, barring any write-in candidates this fall, as there are no Democrats in those races.
Republicans running for another term without opposition are District Judges Chap Cain and Mark Morefield, County Clerk Lee Haidusek Chambers, County Treasurer Kim Harris, County Commissioner Pct. 2 Greg Arthur, JP’s Stephen Hebert, Cody Parrish, Larry Wilburn, Wade Brown, and Ralph Fuller, and Johnny Moorman as county surveyor. Republican Party Chair Emily Cook is also seeking her first full term in that position.
At the top of the Republican ballot in the contested countywide races is County Judge Jay Knight, facing off with former Plum Grove Mayor Lee Ann Penton Walker.
In the race for County Court at Law No. 1, Judge Tommy Chambers will face local attorney Michelle Mangum Merendino.
District Clerk Delia Sellers will face Miranda Litton Hulvey in the only other countywide contest.
In the race for County Commissioner Pct. 4, the incumbent Leon Wilson will face former County Judge Craig McNair for that seat.
Only two Democrats appear locally on their ballot, with Michael Mark running unopposed for another term as party chair. At the same time, Ronnie Davis, the sole elected Democrat in the county, vies for his 11th term as Justice of the Peace Pct. 2.
Davis will face off with either former Constable Jimmy Belt or Pamela Smith as those two are seeking the nomination of the Republican Party.
The final new name on the ballot locally in the
Finally, District 18 State Representative Ernest Bailes will face off in that newly redrawn district against three opponents, with Janis Holt, Bubba Tullos, and Stephen Missick vying for the Republican nomination. The district includes Liberty, Hardin, San Jacinto, and the east side of Montgomery counties; with more than two candidates, the winner will need 50% plus one vote to avoid a runoff.
There are also two day remaining to vote early with polls open from 7 am – 7 pm Thursday and Friday.
For polling information and a full slate of candidates on the March Primary ballot, you can visit votelibertycounty.com or The Vindicator’s website for our 2022 Voters Guide in Special Sections.