GOP forum Feb. 8. Who are the March 5 candidates?
Candidate signs at Park Road 4 and U.S. 281 between Marble Falls and Burnet. All of the candidates on this fence were invited to a Burnet County Republican forum at 6 p.m. Feb. 8 in Burnet. Staff photo by Suzanne Freeman
Burnet County Republican candidates in the March 5 primary election will gather for a forum at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 8, at the Burnet Community Center, 401 E. Jackson St. A meet-and-greet is at 5 p.m.
RUNNING FOR LOCAL OFFICE
GOP candidates seeking their party’s nomination in the following races have been invited to attend the forum: district attorney and Burnet County Precinct 3 commissioner, tax-assessor collector, and Precinct 2 constable.
Each candidate will be given two minutes to introduce themselves and one minute to make a closing statement. The meat of the forum will consist of all candidates being asked five questions each with one minute to respond and one-minute rebuttals.
Most of the Republican nominees will likely take office after the general election in November due to a lack of Democratic opposition.
33rd and 424th District Attorney
Incumbent District Attorney Wiley “Sonny” McAfee did not file for re-election in 2023 after holding the office since 2012, leaving the seat open to two candidates. The term of office is four years.
The 33rd and 424th Judicial District includes Burnet, Llano, Blanco, and San Saba counties. The district attorney is responsible for the prosecution of serious crimes within their jurisdiction and collaborating with law enforcement and local courts in the process.
Marie Primm is a special prosecutor on the Capital Murder Team under the Texas Attorney General’s Office and runs her own law practice out of Sunrise Beach Village in Llano County. She worked for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office for 22 years.
Perry Thomas operates his own defense firm, The Law Office of Perry Thomas, in Burnet. He served as first assistant district attorney under McAfee for 4½ years before opening his practice. He spent 24 years in the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office in Southeast Texas before moving to the Texas Hill Country.
Precinct 3 Commissioner
Incumbent Precinct 3 Commissioner Billy Wall did not file for re-election in 2023 after holding the office since 2016. Five candidates are vying for the Republican nomination to take his seat. The office has four-year terms.
Burnet County commissioners are responsible for setting policy, developing the annual budget, appointing and hiring personnel, and managing the overall affairs of county government. The Precinct 3 commissioner represents their jurisdiction on the Commissioners Court and maintains its infrastructure.
Homer Will has worked for Burnet County for 14 years and is the foreman of Precinct 4. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District.
Chad Collier operates Collier Services, a construction firm that specializes in telecommunications infrastructure. He touts 24 years of experience in his field and project management.
Cord Woerner is a juvenile case manager for the Marble Falls Municipal Court. He is the former athletic director for the Marble Falls Independent School District, where he worked for over 17 years.
Caleb Carrasco is the owner and operator of Mad Hatters Provisions in Burnet. His business functions as a high-end barbershop, concert venue, and local watering hole on the courthouse square.
Joe Rosser is an investigations supervisor for the Texas Workforce Commission’s Civil Rights Division. He also has a total 30 years of experience in law enforcement between the Granger Police Department and the Travis County Precinct 5 Constable’s Office.
Tax-Assessor Collector
Incumbent Burnet County Tax-Assessor Collector Sheri Frazier did not file for re-election in 2023 after holding the office for 36 years in nine consecutive terms. Three candidates are competing for the Republican nomination for her long-held seat.
The tax-assessor collector is responsible for assessing property values in the county and managing tax collection.
Susan Allen is the Burnet County chief deputy tax-assessor collector under Frazier. She has been with the county for 19 years and supervises the Marble Falls Tax Office.
Adrienne Feild is the manager and head of administrative services for the Burnet Municipal Airport. She has worked for either the city of Burnet or Burnet County since 2011, including time with the county clerk’s office, county auditor’s office, and city accounting services.
Deanne Fisher is the Burnet County chief deputy treasurer, a position she has held for 12 years. She has a total of 30 years of experience in finance, lending, and titling.
Precinct 2 Constable
Garry Adams is the incumbent Precinct 2 constable, an office he has held since 2012. He drew one challenger for his seat. The term of office is four years.
The constable is an elected peace officer responsible for law enforcement within their given precinct and facilitating the actions of the corresponding precinct’s justice of the peace.
Donald Brian Knowles is challenging Adams for his seat. He is a patrol sergeant with the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office, a former officer for the Round Rock Police Department, and a U.S. Army veteran.
RUNNING FOR STATE OFFICE
Three Republican candidates are vying for their party’s nomination in the race for Texas House District 19. Incumbent Ellen Troxclair is seeking to retain her seat, which she has held since 2023.
District 19 includes Burnet, Travis, Blanco, Kendall, and Gillespie counties.
Each candidate will be given a three-minute speaking limit to introduce and establish themselves at the forum. This time slot can be used by an official representative of the candidate. A two-minute video may be submitted as an alternative to live speaking time.
The GOP nominee will go on to face the winner of the Democratic primary in November. Democratic candidates vying for their party’s nomination are Dwain Handley and Zach Vance.
House members serve two-year terms and represent their districts in the Texas Legislature. Representatives have the power to develop and vote on state policy, amend the state constitution, and manage the appropriation of state funds alongside the Texas Senate.
Troxclair is based in Lakeway and has spent her tenure in the House focusing on property tax cuts, border security, and a family-first agenda.
Kyle Biedermann is based in Fredericksburg and operates home appliance stores. He served as the state representative for Gillespie, Comal, and Kendall counties for six years.
Manny Campos is based in Marble Falls. His campaign site describes him as a “small business owner” and states that “he serves on the board of a small business incubator that serves Central Texas.”