Ready or not, primary election day is here
Published 4:53 pm Monday, March 5, 2018
For residents who didn’t early vote, Tuesday is your last chance to cast your ballot for the 2018 Democrats and Republican Primary Election.
Early voting ended March 2. Polls will open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at all locations.
The contested races on are:
There are four vying for the 172nd Judicial District judgeship. Republican Mitch Templeton will face the winner of the Democrats’ primary in the general election. The Democrats are Kent Johns, Melody Chappell and Tina Bradley.
The Precinct 8 justice of peace primary race will have four candidates from the Democratic side. They are incumbent Tom Gillam III and challengers Antoine Leonard Freeman, Joseph Guillory II and Melanie Ned.
Incumbent Republican Randy Weber will face a primary challenge from Bill “Sarge” Sargent for the U.S. Representative District 14 seat. For the Democratic Party, Adrienne Bell and Levy Barnes Jr. will compete be the nominee for the seat.
Though one of the larger races is not contested in the primary election, Jeff Branick, Republican incumbent for Jefferson County judge, will face a familiar face for the Nov. 6 general election. Nick Lampson, former U.S. congressman from Southeast Texas, will face Branick. Neither candidate has a challenger in the primary elections.
Branick switched from Democrat to Republican earlier this year. Lampson served in the House of Representatives from 1997 to 2005 in the 9th Congressional District. He lost that seat in 2004. He was then elected to the 22nd Congressional seat and served from 2007-2009. He was defeated in 2012 by Randy Weber.
Other names on the ballot are:
Carolyn Guidry, Democrat, is the incumbent county clerk for Jefferson County. She will face Republican Bailey Wingate in the General Election.
Jamie Smith, Democrat and incumbent district clerk, is running unopposed.
Tim Funchess, Republican and incumbent treasurer for the county, will face Democratic challenger Charlie Hallmark in November.
Brent Weaver, Republican and incumbent Precinct 2 county commissioner, is running unopposed.
Incumbent Democrat Marc DeRouen, Precinct 2 justice of the peace, will face a primary challenge from Randy “R.T.” Martin. Republican Ray Chesson is running unopposed for the seat.
Brad Burnett, Republican and incumbent Precinct 7 justice of the peace, is running unopposed.
Statewide, incumbent Republican U.S. senator, Ted Cruz, will face two primary challengers in Geraldine Sam and Mary Miller. Likewise, Beto O’Rourke, Edward Kimbrough and Sema Hernandez will compete in the Democrat primary.
For governor, incumbent and Republican officeholder Greg Abbott will face SECEDE Kilgore in the primaries. Adrian Ocegueda, Andrew White, Cedric Davis Sr., Grady Yarbrough, James Jolly Clark, Jeffrey Payne, Joe Mumbach, Lupe Valdez and Tom Wakely will vie for the nomination for the Democrats.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, incumbent, will go up against Scott Milder on the Republican side. Michael Cooper and Mike Collier will try to be the Democrats’ standard-bearer.
Ken Paxton, incumbent Republican attorney general, will face challenger Democrat Justin Nelson in the November election.
Glenn Hegar, Republican incumbent for the comptroller of public accounts, will face either Joi Chevalier or Tim Mahoney as the winner of the Democrat primary.
Incumbent George P. Bush, Republican, for the commissioner of the General Land Office, will face Jerry Patterson, Davey Edwards and Rick Range in the primaries. Miguel Suazo and Tex Morgan will battle it out on the Democrat side.
Sid Miller, incumbent commissioner of agriculture, Republican, will face challenger Trey Blocker in the primaries. Kim Olson will represent the Democrats in November.
Incumbent Christ Craddick will represent the Republican Party in the General Election against Democrat Roman McAllen.
Back to Jefferson County, Dade Phelan, State Rep. for District 21, Republican, and Joe Deshotel, State Rep. for District 22, Democrat, will run unopposed.
