It’s Steve. After a campaign which lasted well over a year, the Milam County Republican Party has a nominee for county judge after the 2018 Primary ended Tuesday evening. Steve Young won the nomination with an 1,865-1,386 (57 to 43-percent) victory over Frank Summers. Elsewhere, it was a good night for incumbents in the county as every Milam offi ce holder who sought re-election won it. All were renominated and none face any opposition from the other party in the November general election. JUDGE RACE—The majority of Young’s 479-vote margin of victory came from two Rockdale boxes which he carried by a combined 279 votes, winning Box 318 by 340-138 and 419 by 184-110. He also carried Thorndale and Milano. Summers carried the county’s largest box, Cameron 101, by 384 to 362. He also won Cameron 212 by 227-218. The candidates tied in Rockdale 207 and Cameron 210. See box-by-box totals for selected Milam races on page 6A.
Young will face Democrat Jared Melde in November. Melde, running unopposed in the Democratic Primary drew 548 votes Tuesday.
Winner replaces two-term Republican incumbent Dave Barkemeyer who did not seek another term,
The GOP nomination race began in December, 2016, when Summers fi led. Young filed in September 2017.
TURNOUT—A total of 3,967 cast votes in the GOP and Democratic Primaries votes combined, a low 27-percent turnout.
There were 2,212 early votes.
WINNERS—Outside of Melde, there are no Democrats opposing Milam Republicans who were nominated Tuesday.
In the other contested Republican Primary countywide race, incumbent treasurer Linda Acosta turned back the challenge of Jennifer “Jenger” Epperson-Moran 2,018 to 975.
Incumbent Precinct 2 Commissioner Donald Shuffield won without a runoff drawing 389 votes
(50.72 percent) to 220 for Doug Baker and 158 for James Condry.
Greg Hoelscher polled 480 votes for Pct. 1 Justice of the Peace with Robert Hollas getting 453, a victory margin of 27 votes in the night’s closest race.
Incumbent Pct. 2 J-P Sam Berry out-polled Donald Schuerman 427 to 341.
DEMOCRAT—Incumbent Pct. 4 Commissioner Jeff Muegge, running unopposed in the Democratic Primary drew 177 votes.
UNOPPOSED—Totals for those running unopposed in the Republican Primary:
• County clerk, Jodi Morgan, 2,674. (Incumbent Democrat Barbara Vansa passed up the ballot.)
• District clerk, Karen Berry (incumbent), 2,650.
• J-P Precinct 3, Andy Isaacs (incumbent), 702.
• J-P Precinct 4, incumbent Gary Northcott, currently serving as a Democrat, 533.
• County chair, Bill Whitmire, 2,652.
MANTEY-KENNEDY— Rockdale native, and 2007 RHS graduate, Dale Mantey carried Milam County in his unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Congressman Bill Flores in November.
Mantey polled 301 votes while Rick Kennedy had 285.
Flores was unopposed on the GOP ballot drawing 2,757 votes.
REPUBLICANS—Here are the remainder of the Milam ballot totals for contested races in the GOP Primary:
State Senate District 5— Charles Schwertner (incumbent), 2,204; Harold Ramm, 756.
Governor—Greg Abbott (incumbent), 2,707; Barbara Krueger, 326; SECEDE Kilgore, 59.
U.S. Senator—Ted Cruz, 2,541; Stefano deStefano, 61; Bruce Jacobson Jr., 182; Geraldine Sam, 54; Mary Miller, 274.
Lieutenant governor—Scott Milder, 923; Dan Patrick, 2,167.
Land commissioner—Rick Range, 185; George P. Bush, 1,681; Jerry Patterson, 890; Davey Edwards, 190.
Agriculture commissioner—Jim Hogan, 720; Sid Miller, 1,516; Trey Blocker, 491.
Railroad commissioner—Weston Martinez, 774; Christi Craddick, 1,909.
Presiding Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals—David Bridges, 1,550; Sharon Keller, 1,093.
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 8—Dib Waldrip, 409; Jay Brandon, 1,022; Michelle Slaughter, 1,078.
Justice, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 6—Donna Davidson, 763; Kristofer Monson, 206; Michael “Mike” Toth, 1,009; Jennifer S. Freel, 536.
DEMO CONTESTS—
Other contested Democratic Primary races:
State Senate, District 5—Meg Walsh, 351; Glenn “Grumpy” Williams, 114; Brian Cronin, 100.
Governor—Andrew White, 213; James Jolly Clark, 22; Joe Mumbach, 11; Tom Wakely, 29; Lupe Valdez, 157; Jeffrey Payne, 26; Grady Yarbrough, 99; Cedric Davis Sr., 10; Adrian Ocegueda, 12.
U.S. Senator—Beto O’Rourke, 268; Edward Kimbrough, 188; Sema Hernandez, 126.
Lieutenant governor—Michael Cooper, 243; Mike Collier, 331.
Comptroller—Joi Chevalier, 208; Tim Mahoney, 360.
Land commissioner—Tex Morgan, 257; Miguel Suazo, 314.
Railroad commissioner—Roman McAllen, 277; Chris Spellmon, 291.
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