Small Town News

Spenrath garners GOP judges nod

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When the counting of the ballots for the November General Election were finalized Tuesday night, Republican County Judge candidate Phillip Spenrath posted an impressive win.

Having a county judge nomination race on the ballot bolstered the voting in the Republican Party. Of the 3,507 votes cast in the run-off, 3,063 were in the Repubbcan run-off as opposed to only 444 votes in the Democratic Runoff, which only featured a local run-off in Precinct 2.

In that race for the GOP County Judge nomination, Spenrath garnered 1,716 votes, 56.13 percent, to 1,341 for Reynolds, 43.87 percent. Spenrath will now face off against Democratic hopeful Harry Priesmeyer in November. Priesmeyer was unopposed in the Democratic Primary Election.

Tracking the election at the Wharton County Annex in Wharton, Reynolds said he was less than pleased in Tuesday's outcome but was gracious in congratulating the two November candidates.

"I'm really disappointed because I still feel that I was the most qualified candidate," he said. "But the people have spoken. I wish Spenrath the best, actually I wish both candidates the best.

"There were a lot of things that I wanted to do as comity judge both judicially and in terms of economic development. I've been passionate in my service to the county and have worked not to serve just a few people but all of the county's folk. I think the county is going to lose out because I'm just not going to be as involved as I have been in the past."

A break down of the early voting by county precinct showed Reynolds winning Precinct 1, where he served as commissioner, by a 51.19 to 48.81 margin. In Precinct 2, Spenrath won the East Bernard box, 201, 34-26, but Reynolds took the Glen Flora/Wharton boxes, 202 and 203, by a 78-52 margin.

Moving West, Spenrath dominated the early voting in Precinct 3, 536 to 254, and was up in the Precinct 4 box 125 to 98. A breakdown by voting box for the full totals was not immediately available Tuesday night.

Based on the wide separation between the boxes, Reynolds said he felt geography played a part in the final results.

"I think so," he said. Tve lived here for 27 years and have been trying to fill (the Colorado River) in. I hope either Spenrath or Priesmeyer can do work out a way to do that because I'm tired of trying to fill it in."

In other race appearing on the local GOP ballot, Debra Lehrmann posted a narrow win over Rick Green in the race for Supreme Court Justice, Place 3. Lehrmann collected 1,331 votes, 51.33 percent, to 1,262 for Green, 48.67.



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© 2010 East Bernard Express East Bernard, Texas. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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