Pecos County voters went to the polls Tuesday to decide contested races for county judge and Precinct 2 commissioner, while Fort Stockton’s municipal leadership was settled without an election after all three candidates for city office ran unopposed.
Republican Remie A. Ramos faced Democrat Santiago Cantu Jr. in the race for Pecos County judge, one of the county’s highest-profile local contests. Republican Jerome Chavez and Democrat Ramon Sotelo competed for the Precinct 2 seat on the Pecos County Commissioners Court.
The two races were among several county offices on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. Other county candidates faced no opposition in the general election.
Fort Stockton city election canceled
Fort Stockton voters did not have to cast ballots for mayor or two City Council positions.
On Aug. 24, the Fort Stockton City Council unanimously approved Ordinance No. 26-125, declaring the unopposed candidates for mayor, Place 1 and Place 2 elected and canceling the Nov. 3 municipal election.
The ordinance provided for certificates of election to be issued to the candidates without holding a vote. The action applied to the city’s municipal races, not the countywide general election.
Other county offices
Several Republican candidates appeared on the general election ballot without Democratic opponents, including Leslie Davis for county clerk, Darla Cude for district clerk, Sonia Murphy for county treasurer and Nathan Reeves for Precinct 4 commissioner.
Other uncontested candidates included Marshall King for the unexpired Precinct 4 constable term and four justice of the peace candidates: Rankin Mitchell in Precinct 1, Kimberly Barrera in Precinct 3, Kari Ivey in Precinct 4 and Renee Melius in Precinct 6.
Groundwater district election also canceled
The Middle Pecos Groundwater Conservation District had scheduled an election for six positions on its board of directors.
However, Pecos County’s election information page lists a certification of unopposed candidates and an order canceling the district’s general election.
The groundwater district oversees groundwater resources in an area where water availability is an important concern for residents, agriculture and industry.
Election results await verification
As of early Wednesday, complete unofficial vote totals for the contested Pecos County judge and Precinct 2 commissioner races could not be independently verified from the publicly accessible results reviewed for this report.
The county’s election administrator, Sophia Franco, oversees local election administration. The county maintains election information and results on its official website.
Results remain unofficial until canvassed by the appropriate election authorities.
