Llano County judge ‘tapping out’ of office

Llano County Judge Ron Cunningham said he won’t be running again when his current term ends in 2026. The judge is finishing out his second term in office, having been first elected in 2019.

“Thank you all. I’ve appreciated the opportunity to work with everyone, but in 2026, I’ll be tapping out so to speak,” Cunningham told the audience at the Llano County Commissioners Court’s regular meeting Monday, Sept. 8. “It’s been a good run, but I’m not going to seek a third term.”

Cunningham told DailyTrib.com his decision was made primarily due to a desire to spend more time with family.

“I’ve got a grandson now who is a year old. He lives in New Mexico. We want to see him more, and family is everything,” he said.

Llano County judges serve four-year terms and are elected following party primaries. They have no set term limits.

“If eight years is long enough for president, it’s long enough for county judge,” Cunningham joked.

At the time of this story’s publication, there were no applications filed for campaign treasurers for candidates planning to run for Llano County judge in 2026. The actual filing window to apply for the 2026 primary opens Nov. 8 and closes Dec. 8.

Judge Cunningham has been in government in some capacity since he joined the U.S. Army at 19 years old. After a three-year military service, he worked for the San Angelo Police Department for five years, for the Texas Department of Public Safety for 17½ years, and as a federal contractor for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for 18 years.

Cunningham led Llano County through several major events, milestones, and controversies including:

• recovery efforts following the October 2018 flood
• COVID-19 pandemic 
• snowmageddon in 2021
• federal lawsuit against the county library system in 2022
• three years of intense drought
• solar eclipse of 2024
• county takeover of the Llano Regional Hospital in 2025

dakota@thepicayune.com