Husband and wife both file for Llano County Pct. 4 commissioner seat; challenge five-term incumbent
A husband and wife, running in different parties, are challenging a longtime Llano County incumbent for the Precinct 4 commissioner seat in the 2026 primary and general elections. The couple has made it clear that their challenge is based on the recent handling of the county government, namely the Llano library system lawsuit.
Robert Little, running as a Republican, will face five-term incumbent Republican Jerry Don Moss in the 2026 primary election on March 3. Leila Green Little, running unopposed in the Democratic primary, will then likely face the Republican nominee in the general election on Nov. 3.
The Littles are tied to Moss and the county through Leila’s involvement in the Llano library system lawsuit. She was a leading plaintiff in the case, which alleged that Llano County officials violated First Amendment rights by removing books from the public library based on their content. Moss, in his capacity as the Llano County Pct. 4 commissioner, and several other county officials were named defendants in that lawsuit.
After nearly four years of legal battles that drew heavy local and national attention, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with the county on Dec. 8, bringing an end to the case.
Leila said that she would wait until the general election drew closer to explain her full platform, but she did share that she was challenging Moss to ensure that he did not run unopposed.
“I am not pleased with how the county has addressed the library system for the last four years,” Leila said. “This is a principled stance. I have learned a great deal about what the county government does and does not do. Most importantly, I am interested and eager to learn.”
While Robert did not say that the library lawsuit was the only reason he was running, he did clearly state that he was specifically challenging Moss.
“(I’m running) to beat Jerry Don Moss, ” Robert told DailyTrib. “(Leila’s) trying to beat Jerry Don too. We’re trying to get change in this county, and the way we can do it is this way. If I win, then people can pick either one of us. This is a county commissioner race, I don’t think (party) politics really play too much into it.”
Moss, who has served as the Pct. 4 commissioner since 2007, told DailyTrib that he is fully aware of the Littles’ intentions.
“My thoughts are, that it is very clear that (the Littles) aren’t worried about Llano County, they just don’t like me,” Moss said. “They want me out. I was a defendant in a lawsuit that shouldn’t have ever happened. I care about our citizens and that has been proven.”
According to Llano County Republican Party Chair Jessica McRee-Grabert, there is nothing against the rules concerning a husband and wife running for the same office from different parties. She also confirmed that Robert is a registered Republican with the local party.
“The Republican Party’s role is to provide a neutral process, and the selection of candidates is determined solely by the voters,” she said in a written response to questions from DailyTrib. “This race isn’t about personalities or family relationships. Primaries are how we let Republican voters decide which candidate best represents our principles and values.”
The Llano County Democratic Party did not respond to DailyTrib on the matter by the time of this article’s publication, but Leila confirmed that she filed as a registered Democrat, which is backed up by a Dec. 5 Facebook post from the group Llano County Democrats.
What is a Llano County commissioner?
The Llano County Precinct 4 commissioner is one of five voting members of the Llano County Commissioners Court. The court is the governing body of the county and responsible for determining county policy; setting the county budget; and representing the county at the local, state, and federal levels. The Precinct 4 commissioner represents one of the four precincts in the county and is also responsible for maintaining the roads, bridges, and county-owned infrastructure within that precinct that is outside of city limits. Precinct 4 includes the city of Llano and much of western Llano County.
Llano County commissioners serve four-year terms and, as of 2025, earn an annual salary of $73,786. There are no term limits for serving as a county commissioner.