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March 3, 2010

Incumbents return; DeRouen takes post

The Port Arthur News

Longtime District Attorney Tom Maness will keep his seat for another four years.

Maness earned 10,070 or 61.73 percent of total votes with 117 precincts reporting. His opponent, Beaumont attorney Cornelius Williams Jr., garnered 6,244 or 38,27 votes.

Maness, a Beaumont native, served as district attorney for Jefferson County for 23 years and has practiced law since 1977.

Maness was unavailable for comment as of 11:50 p.m. Tuesday.

The County Treasurer’s office brought in candidates from each party: Democrats Georgine Guillory, a business owner; and Keith Hawkes, of Beaumont. Republican Tim Funchess, an accountant, is running uncontested for the party’s nomination.

Guillory pulled in  8,792 votes or 57.89 percent of the ballots while her Democratic opponent, Charles Keith Hawkes, brought in 6,395, or 42.11 percent of the votes late Tuesday.

Guillory has been commissioner for the Port of Beaumont since 2003.

Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2 Democratic candidate Marc DeRouen pulled in 1,137 votes or 65.05 percent of the total votes while White brought in 611, or 34.95 percent of the votes.

DeRouen has worked for 17 years as an investigator for a local law firm. He is endorsed by the Sabine Area Central Labor Council and Port Arthur Employees Association of Texas.

 DeRouen will now face Independent candidate Robert Reid, 43, assistant principal at West Orange-Stark Middle School.

Justice of the Peace, Precinct 7 incumbent Brad Burnett brought in 3,423 votes or 87.52 percent against challenger Cass Wayne Brantley’s 488 votes or 12.48 percent of the vote Tuesday night.

Burnett served as a school board trustee for three terms and is in his eighth year as Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2.

Justice of the Peace, Precinct 8 incumbent, Tom Gillam III, garnered 1,073 votes, or 72.40 percent of the vote, while Antoine L. Freeman had 409, or 27.60 percent of the votes.

Freeman is a practicing attorney and former science teacher in Port Arthur ISD.

Gillam is endorsed and supported by the Sabine Area Central Labor Council, Beaumont Ministerial Alliances , Port Arthur Ministerial Alliances and several other civic and social organizations.

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