Opinion

Take time to cast ballot in primaries

Voting signs at the Bexar County Elections Warehouse await distribution. Early voting starts Tuesday. Voting signs at the Bexar County Elections Warehouse await distribution. Early voting starts Tuesday. Photo: Alma E. Hernandez, For The Express-News Photo: Alma E. Hernandez, For The Express-News Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Take time to cast ballot in primaries 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

SAN ANTONIO — Early voting begins Tuesday in the Republican and Democratic primary elections.

Gov. Rick Perry's decision not to seek re-election has spawned a scramble for the GOP nomination to numerous statewide offices. Attorney General Greg Abbott is vacating his post to run for governor, and other statewide officeholders are seeking to move up the ladder.

Additionally, Bexar County judicial posts have attracted a large number of candidates.

Regardless of which candidates you support or which primary you prefer, we urge all eligible voters to cast a ballot.

Early voting continues through Feb. 28, and casting your vote early is more convenient than voting on Election Day. Election Day is March 4.

The party nominees selected in the primaries will be on the general election ballot in November. In many cases, the primary will determine who wins an office because of a lack of opposition from the other party.

Our recommendations in contested primary elections are listed below.

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY



U.S. senator: John Cornyn

U.S. House

District 21: Lamar Smith

District 23: Will Hurd

Governor: Greg Abbott

Lieutenant governor: David Dewhurst

Attorney general: Dan Branch

Comptroller: Harvey Hilderbran

Land commissioner: George P. Bush

Agriculture commissioner: J. Allen Carnes

Railroad commissioner: Malachi Boyuls

Texas Supreme Court

Chief justice: Nathan Hecht

Place 6: Jeff Brown

Place 8: Phil Johnson

Court of Criminal Appeals

Place 3: Bert Richardson

Place 4: Jani Jo Wood

Place 9: David Newell

Texas Senate

District 25: Mike Novak

Texas House

District 117: Rick Galindo

District 121: Joe Straus

District courts

45th District Court: Stephani Walsh

144th District Court: Lorina Rummel

227th District Court: Kevin O'Connell

Bexar County judge: Carlton Soules

County courts-at-law

County Court No. 1: John Fleming

County Court No. 9: Walden Shelton

County Court No. 10: Kim Pettit

County Court No. 11: Julie Wright

County Court No. 13: Crystal Chandler

County Court No. 14: Susan Skinner

County Court No. 15: Allison Lanty

Probate Court No. 1: Patricia Rouse Vargas

Probate Court No. 2: Tom Rickhoff

County commissioner, Precinct 4: Alan Baxter

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY

U.S. senator: Maxey Scherr

Governor: Wendy Davis

Agriculture commissioner: Hugh Fitzsimons III

Railroad commissioner: Steve Brown

District judge

45th District Court: Laura Flores Macom

150th District Court: Paul Canales

186th District Court: Mary Green

187th District Court: Stephanie Boyd

224th District Court: Michele Petty

Bexar County judge: Nelson Wolff

County courts-at-law

County Court No. 10: Tina Torres

Probate Court No. 1: Barbara “Barbie”

Scharf-Zeldes

District attorney: Therese Huntzinger

District clerk: Elva Abundis-Esparza

County clerk: Chris Forbrich

County commissioner, Precinct 2:

Paul Elizondo

County commissioner, Precinct 4:

No endorsement