Voters elect Llano County judge, choose HSB council

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

Llano County officially elected a new county judge in final but unofficial results during Tuesday's general election as a slate of unopposed Republican candidates filled the ballot.

In Horseshoe Bay, voters re-elected incumbent City Councilmembers Jerry Gray and Kent Graham and chose Elaine Waddill to replace Craig Haydon, who did not seek re-election.

Gray was the top votegetter in Llano County with 1,158 votes, followed by Waddill with 988 and Graham with 981 votes. Frank Gracely received 767 votes.

Turnout was high, not just for a midterm election, but for any election. Llano County has 15,449 registered voters, of which 10,189 cast ballots, or 65.95 percent.

Ron Cunningham will take the oath of office to become the next Llano County judge on Jan. 1 after being elected Tuesday. He unseated incumbent Llano County Judge Mary Cunningham (no relation) in the Republican primary earlier this year and was unopposed in the general election.

Other county officials elected Tuesday night include incumbent 424th District Judge Evan Clay Stubbs; incumbent District Clerk Joyce Gillow; incumbent County Clerk Marci Hadeler; incumbent County Treasurer Teresa Kassell; incumbent County Surveyor John Arthur Ables; incumbent Precinct 2 Commissioner Linda Raschke; incumbent Precinct 4 Commissioner Jerry Don Moss; incumbent Precinct 1 JP Bebe Piatt; incumbent Precinct 3 JP Era Marion; incumbent Precinct 4 JP Brian Alexander; and Maureen Riggs as the new Precinct 2 JP.

Voters overwhelmingly supported Republican candidates in statewide races with both Republican and Democrat choices as more than half of those casting votes cast a straight party Republican ballot (5,609 of 10,189 voters).