Primary Runoff Election Turnout May Be Lower Than School Bond Election

SAN ANGELO, TX -- Texas voters return to the polls this week in partisan runoff elections to finish up the March 6 primary election process and turnout has historically been extremely low.  

In Tom Green County, there is one race each in the Democratic Party runoff and the Republican Party runoff.  

Democratic party voters have a choice between Andrew White and Lupe Valdez as their party’s nominee for Governor of Texas on the November ballot.  White is the son of former Texas Governor Mark White and has never held public office. Valdez is the former Sheriff of Dallas County. Valdez is known as the first openly gay hispanic woman elected as Dallas County Sheriff.  

The winner of the Democratic party gubernatorial runoff election will fact incumbent Republican Governor Greg Abbott in November.  

Tom Green County Republican voters also have only one race on the runoff ballot.  Mike Toth and Donna Davidson are running for the Republican party nominee in November for Justice, Place 6 on the Texas third Court of Appeals.  

The winner of the Republican party runoff for Justice, third court of appeals place six will face Democrat Gisela D. Triana in November.  

1,712 Tom Green County democrats voted for Governor in the March 6 primary; Andrew White got 566 votes while Valdez received 571 votes.  The remainder went to other candidates.

In the Republican race for Third Court of Appeals Justice place 6 there were 5,557 votes cast with Mike Toth getting 2,792 votes and Donna Davidson receiving 1,459.  

Historically, fewer voters return to the polls in a runoff election.  There are 64,717 registered voters in Tom Green County and turnout in the primary election was 9,427 which was 14.57 percent.  

Early voting for the primary runoff election continues from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Friday, May 18.  Election day is Tuesday, May 22 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and all 19 polling locations in Tom Green County will be open on election day.