Nearly 3,000 ballots cast during early voting period; Election Day is Tuesday
By SHANNON CRABTREE scrabtree@leader-news.com

As March Primary early polls counted down the final hours for balloting, more than 2,900 votes had already been cast in Wharton County - more than twice the early turnout of 2006.

Primary election day will be Tuesday, March 4 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with Wharton County's Republican and Democratic voters casting ballots at several different locations.

For a complete list of polls, please see Page A5.

A total of 2,900 ballots had been cast as of presstime Friday with several hours still to go in the extended balloting day, up from 1,621 on Tuesday.

Voter turnout was approaching 10 percent in the late afternoon hours Friday, Wharton County Elections Administrator Judy Owens said.

Of those votes 1,432 had been cast in Wharton, 1,298 in El Campo and 179 via mail ballots.

"There is a lot of excitement," Democratic Chairman Roger Benavidez said of his party's voter turnout.

"We're doing real good. I hope the same people who voted Democratic Party this primary will vote that way in the (general) election."

Turnout's strong this year, he added, "as compared to the 2004 and previous election."

Republican Chairwoman Debra Medina is also pleased with the turnout although she had turned over duties in this primary to Ruth Hansen.

"It looks like we're pretty well on target for what we did in the last presidential primary," she said, adding she is uncertain what effect the local district attorney's race is having on turnout numbers.

"It certainly is an important race in Wharton County, but we've also got the presidential and congressional race that is important. I hope it is just good civic responsibility," Medina said.

During the 2006 Primary just 1,217 early votes were cast with a total election turnout of 3,449 ballots.

Samples of the ballots are available on the Leader-News Web site: www.leader-news. com. Whether voters are Republicans or Democrats, there is only one contested local office on the March ballot - the district attorney's post.

Democratic candidates are Wharton attorneys John C. Maher Jr. and John Roades while Republican contenders are attorneys Josh McCown, the incumbent, and Dawn Allison. Both live in El Campo.

Winners of the two primary races will face off in the November general election.

Several other primary candidates won't face an opponent until November.

Constable Precinct 4 Democratic incumbent Shawn Ferguson faces a November challenge from Republican candidate Thomas Drapela.

In the Commissioner Precinct 1 race incumbent Republican Mickey Reynolds will be opposed by Democrat Leroy Dettling while Democrat Constable Precinct 1 incumbent Donald Barbee will face Republican Dale Potter.

Local officials unopposed are: Republicans: 329th District Judge Randy Clapp, Sheriff Jess Howell, County Attorney G.A. "Trey" Maffett; Precinct 3 Commissioner Philip Miller and Precinct 4 Constable Lowell Howard.

Democrats: Tax Assessor- Collector Patrick Kubala and Precinct 2 Constable J.A. Szymanski.

At the state level, Texas House District 28 Rep. John Zerwas, a Republican, will face Democratic challenger Dorothy Bottos in November. The two faced off two years ago.

In looking at the federal offices on the ballot, incumbent U.S. Senator John Cornyn will be opposed in the Republican Primary by Mansfield consultant Larry Kilgore for the party's nomination. Four Democrats, Gene Kelly, Ray McMurrey, Rick Noriega and Rhett R. Smith are on the primary ballot.

Incumbent U.S. 14th District and presidential hopeful Rep. Ron Paul is opposed in the Republican primary by Chris Peden, a Friendswood CPA.

With no Democratic contenders for the post, the primary winner will take office in January.