CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Voters across the Coastal Bend hit the polls in Democratic and Republican runoff elections Tuesday after candidates failed to garner the majority of the vote during March's primary elections.
Three of those races are in Nueces County, with the most visible of them being the contest for the Republican District Attorney's office candidate. Incumbent Jimmy Granberry won with 58.73% of the vote against San Patricio Asst. County Attorney James Sales with 41.27%. Granberry will advance to take on Democratic candidate and former Nueces County Judge Terry Shamsie in November's general election.
In the other two Nueces County runoffs, Democrat Frank Yzaguirre (71.52%) won against Randy Balderas (28.48%) to be the candidate for Pct. 1 constable. In a tight race, incumbent Jason McCahan is looking to retain his seat winning with 51.17% against fellow Republican challenger Mike Boucher (48.83%) for the Pct. 2 constable's seat.
In the San Patricio County Republican runoff for Pct. 3 county commissioner, Ruben Gonzales won with 52.84% of the vote against incumbent Lilly Wilkinson with 47.16%.
Current Bee County Sheriff Alden Southmayd III is headed to defeat in Republican runoff against Randy Aguirre who is up by 563 votes with 85 percent of the precincts reporting.
No Democrat filed to run for sheriff in the March primary.
Bee County Pct. 3 county commissioner Sammy Farias is in a Republican runoff against David Todd.
Jim Hogg County will decide whether its wants Republican Lazaro Garza Jr. or Jay Furman as its Dist. 28 congressional candidate in that primary runoff, and Democrats Lamar Villarreal and Nora Salinas are looking to be the candidate for Pct. 3 county commissioner in Brooks County.
Kleberg County Republicans decided on two Republican candidates: Pct. 1 county commissioner, in which incumbent David Rosse won with 50.3% against Robert “Bob” Rivera III with 49.7%; and Pct. 3 county commissioner, incumbent Jerry M. Martinez (53.8%) won against Art Rodriguez (46.2%).
Jim Wells County Republicans also took to the polls to elect their Pct. 5 constable candidate, choosing incumbent Gerald D. Arismendez, winning with 62.69% of the vote against Robert Vasquez Sr (37.31%).
Brooks County Democrats voted Nora Salinas for Pct. 3 county commissioner with 53.72% against Lamar Villarreal with 46.28%.