Local Races that Matter
Read the latest election and political headlines on the Vote 2024 page.
Updated at 10:28 p.m.:
The former mayor of Uvalde has captured the GOP Primary for Texas House District 80.
With 99% of the votes counted, Don McLaughlin Jr. captured 58% of the vote, thereby avoiding a runoff. Coming in second was JR Ramirez with 25% of the vote.
McLaughlin released the following statement regarding his victory:
When I do something I put my whole heart into it. I have been clear from the start that I am not afraid to give you the hard truth and speak up for South Texas. That’s what you deserve. As your representative, I refuse to let your voices be drowned out by the political noise in Austin. I am so grateful to President Trump and Governor Abbott for their support and leadership, and I look forward to getting down to business to help them secure our borders and fight for our families. To all the Texas leaders who stood behind me including Senator Cruz and Lt. Governor Patrick, thank you. Looking to the general election, I will continue to be just as dedicated to service as I always have been. I will fight for you, no matter who you are, where you come from or your political leanings. At the end of the day, it’s about what’s best for your family and for Texas. I look forward to being that leader for you.
In the Democratic Primary, Rosie Cuellar and Cecilia Castellano are headed for a runoff, with both candidates capturing 26% of the vote.
The incumbent sheriff in Uvalde County is leading in the early voting.
Ruben Nolasco, who is seeking a second term, is leading the GOP nomination with 39% of the vote. Otto Arnim, is coming in second with 29% of the vote.
In the constable races, Max Dorflinger is leading the incumbent, Johnny Field, but the race if too close to call to determine whether a runoff is needed in the Precinct 1 GOP Primary. Brandon McCutchen has a very comfortable lead over Hank Dicke in the Precinct 2 GOP Primary. In the Precinct 6 GOP Primary, Emmanuel Zamora has a comfortable lead with 64% of the vote.
The two county commissioner GOP primary races are not close. John Yeackle is leading with 66% of the vote in Precinct 1 and Roy Kothmann cruising with 64% of the vote in Precinct 3.
Votes
%
Don McLaughlin Jr.(R)
Clint Powell(R)
JR Ramirez(R)
Votes
%
Cecilia Castellano(D)
Rosie Cuellar(D)
Teresa Johnson Hernandez(D)
Carlos Lopez(D)
Graciela Villarreal(D)
Background
Voters across Uvalde County headed to the polls on Tuesday to decide who they will nominate in their respective political party.
The botched law enforcement response to the Robb Elementary School shooting has become a campaign topic for some of the candidates in Uvalde County seeking nomination to their political party in the Texas Primary on March 5.
On the ballot are some candidates who were involved in some official capacity during the shooting that claimed the lives of 21 students and teachers on May 24, 2022.
Sheriff
Sheriff Ruben Nolasco is running for a second term after first being elected in 2021.
Nolasco was one of the first responders present at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022. He was also named several times in the Department of Justice’s critical incident report into the mass shooting.
“I’m proud of the work my staff and I have done, but we’re not done yet. I have created a solid foundation that I will continue to build on. I ask for your vote and continued support in my re-election campaign to continue building a more efficient and modern office,” Nolasco said in a social media post.
Armando Garcia is also running for sheriff on the Republican ticket.
Garcia has worked in law enforcement for three decades and in Uvalde County for more than 20 years, according to a Facebook post.
Otto Arnim is another candidate vying for the seat on the Republican ballot.
In a post to his campaign page, Arnim said he’s running on a policy of transparency and accountability.
The last candidate on the Republican ticket for sheriff is Freddy Mares.
Mares has 30 years of law enforcement experience, “including Crime Scene Investigation, Tactical Patrol (certified for Active Shooter with Houston PD), Skeletal Death Remains, and various other areas,” according to his Facebook page.
Constable Precinct 1
Three people are on the Republican ballot for Constable Precinct 1 in Uvalde.
Johnny J. Field, the incumbent, has been making headlines since the shooting at Robb Elementary and the DOJ report that called out his failure to act to stop the killing.
Earlier this month, Field was scheduled to appear at a public forum at the Southwest Texas Junior College to answer questions from the public alongside his fellow candidates. According to the evening’s moderator, Field showed up but left before it was his turn to answer questions.
Max Dorflinger is another candidate vying for Precinct 1 Constable. Dorflinger shared on social media he’s been in law enforcement for nearly 20 years. Currently, he’s a detective with the Uvalde Police Department and has served 15 years with the sheriff’s office.
Like Field, Dorflinger responded to the Robb Elementary shooting and also appeared at the SWTJC candidate forum on Feb. 13 but left before being asked any questions.
The last candidate on the ballot is Paul “Wayne” Moss Jr., who also has a career in law enforcement and currently works as a criminal justice adjunct instructor at SWTJC.
Moss criticized the response from law enforcement to the school shooting, saying “The DOJ made it very clear it was a failure in every form and fashion.”
Constable Precinct 6
Emmanuel Zamora, the current Precinct 6 Constable, is running for re-election.
Zamora previously worked for the Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy. Like many others seeking re-election, Zamora responded to the Robb shooting, was called out in the DOJ report, and left before answering questions at the SWTJC candidate forum.
His challenger, Robert Moss, previously served as the constable for this precinct for 20 years and has almost three decades of service as a law enforcement officer.
In his campaign posts on social media, Moss calls out Zamora’s inaction during the Robb shooting, calling him the “Coward of the County” and “He had a bulletproof vest, handgun, and AR-15 rifle, but what he lacked was COURAGE.”
If there are three or more candidates in a race and none of them win more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers will advance to a May 28 primary runoff.
- Find election results on the Vote 2024 page