Llano County sees two runoffs and new county attorney
FROM STAFF REPORTS
LLANO — Llano County voters aren’t quite done with the Republican primary as two races head for runoffs while a new county attorney will take office after the longtime previous one had stepped down.
In the Republican primary race for the Llano County attorney nomination, Rebecca Lange edged Rob Wilson, 2,051-1,820.
With no Democratic challenger in the November general election, Lange likely will be the new county attorney. She’ll take over the unexpired term of former County Attorney Cheryl Mabry, who resigned last year to take a judge’s position. Mabry had been the county attorney since 1991.
County commissioners appointed an interim county attorney until voters selected a new one.
In one of the most contested races, by the number of candidates, the race for the Republican nomination for Precinct 2 justice of the peace heads for a runoff between incumbent Linda Ballard and challenger Steve Lange.
This was a five-way race with Ballard landing 414 of the 957 total votes. She earned 43 percent of the total but not enough of a percentage to win the nomination outright. Lange finished in second with 180 votes, or just below 19 percent.
A second runoff will likely end up between Beatrice “Bebe” Piatt and Lyn Jenkins in the race for the Precinct 1 justice of the peace nomination.
Jenkins earned 506 votes to Piatt’s 453 followed by Sheila Pancoast Stewart in third with 221. Nobody earned more than 50 percent to win the nomination.
Other winners included Marci Hadeler over Barbara Jane Augustine for county clerk and Jerry Don Moss over Kody Wagner in the Precinct 4 county commissioner race.
Brian Alexander defeated Robin Chiesa in the bid for the Precinct 4 justice of the peace Republican nomination, while Cindy Burnes Miller beat Sharon Maki for the Precinct 3 chairman spot.
The only local Democratic race in Llano County was for the county chair, and Jennie Lou Leeder ran unopposed.
With no Democratic challengers in the November general election, the Llano County Republican nominees will likely get their respective spots Jan. 1, 2015.
editor@thepicayune.com