The Party Primary Race concluded this week with challengers outpacing incumbents, and Hopkins County’s tallies finishing in line with state totals in both Democratic and four Republican elections.
Hopkins County voters selected their choice for Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor and attorney general; and Republican candidates for United States Attorney, attorney general, railroad commissioner and Place 3 judge on the Court of Criminal Appeals in the May 26 runoff election.
Lieutenant Governor
A total of 186 votes were cast in the Democratic Primary in Hopkins County, with 149 in favor of Vikki Goodwin and 34 for Marcos Isaias Velez as the candidate for lieutenant governor. A total of 41 absentee ballots were cast, 70 during the early voting period and 75 on Election Day, May 26, in Hopkins County. While 81.42% of Hopkins County voters selected Goodwin as the Democratic candidate for the seat, 67.76% voted at the state level for Goodwin. On the November ballot, Goodwin will face Republican Dan Patrick, the incumbent who received 84.73% of votes in the primary, the ballot in November.
Attorney General
This was the most contested race along both parties, with a runoff in each.
In the Democratic runoff, 53.51% of voters selected Nathan Johnson over Joe Jaworski as choice of candidate for attorney general. Across the state, 60.51% of votes were cast for Johnson and 39.49% for Jaworski for Democratic candidate for AG. A total of 186 voters cast ballots in the Democratic runoff in Hopkins County, 41 by absentee ballot, 69 during the early voting period and 75 on election day.
In the Republican runoff for AG, Mayes Middleton received 57.38% of Hopkins County votes to Chip Roy’s 42.62%. Across the state, 55.24% voted for Middleton and 44.76% for Roy as the Republican candidate for AG.
After securing the party nomination during the runoff, Democrat Johnson and Republican Middleton will face each other on the ballot in November.
US Senator
Ken Paxton secured the Republican nomination for US Senator. In Hopkins County, a total of 2,578 votes were cast in this race, 134 by absentee ballot, 1,304 during early voting and 1,140 on Election Day. Overall, 66.52% of Hopkins County Republican voted for Paxton and 33.48% for incumbent John Cornyn. Across the state, 1,387,674 votes were cast in the Republican runoff for US senator. Cornyn received only 36.6% of Republican votes, while Paxton received 63.84%.
James Talarico secured 42.45% of Democratic votes cast in the Democratic Primary Election, for the nomination.
Railroad Commissioner
A total of 2,462 ballots were cast by Hopkins County Republicans in the May 26 party runoff for railroad commissioner; 131 by absentee ballot, 1,250 during early voting and 1,081 on Election Day. This election ended in a dead tie in Hopkins Count with exactly 1,231 voters casting ballots for Bo French and 1,231 for incumbent Jim Wright. Across the state, 50.54% of Republicans voted May 26 for French and 49.44% for incumbent Wright.
Jon Rosenthal easily secured his party’s nomination for railroad commissioner as the only candidate on the Democratic Primary ballot.
Place 3 Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals
In Hopkins County, 2,239 Republican voted in the runoff for the party nomination for the Place 3 judge seat on the Court of Criminal Appeals, 127 by abaentee ballot, 1,145 in person during the early voting period and 967 on runoff Election Day. Overall, 67.89% of Hopkins County voters cast ballots in favor of Thomas Smith and 32.11% for Alison Fox for the Republican nomination for Place 3 judge on the Court of Criminal Appeals. Across the state, the margin wasn’t quite a wide, with only 58.09% of Republicans voting for Smith and 41.91% casting ballots for Fox.
Smith will face Democrat Okey Anyiam on the November ballot. Anyiam easily secured the Democratic nomination as the only candidate on the Democratic primary ballot.
It should be noted that all election results are considered unofficial until canvassed.