For Midland County, election season isn’t over.
Of the four local contested races in the Tall City, one failed to produce a single-candidate winner: Midland County Judge. The three-way race resulted in James Beauchamp receiving 40 percent of the vote, Terry Johnson receiving 32, and Stephen Robertson receiving 28.
With no candidate garnering over 50 percent of the vote, the two front runners – James Beauchamp and Terry Johnson – will face off once again in May.
In interviews with Empower Texans’ staff, both Beauchamp and Johnson expressed their intention to rein in the county’s bloated budget, implement more transparency measures, prioritize infrastructure and emergency response needs, and give voters more say in the county’s financial decisions.
Yet while both candidates are similar in principle, their backgrounds are vastly different. As outlined in a previous Texas Scorecard article, Beauchamp’s experience revolves primarily around governmental affairs, while Johnson is a seasoned businessman. Both backgrounds present their own pros and cons, and it’s up to voters to decide over the next two months what they value most.
The other three contested races in Midland include District Judge for the 238th Judicial District, District Judge for the 441st Judicial District, and County Commissioner for Precinct 4.
For the 238th Judicial District, incumbent Elizabeth Byer Leonard earned 83 percent of the vote against attorney Chris DeAnda. Of the four candidates for the 441st Judicial District, Jeff Robnett won with 52 percent of the vote. For Pct. 4 County Commissioner, incumbent Randy Prude secured his seat with 68 percent of the vote against newcomer Carla Repman.
This year’s election saw mediocre voter turnout. Only 18 percent of Midland’s registered voters participated. While that’s 650 more votes than the 2014 mid-term election, it’s a net decrease in the turnout percentage, showing that a campaign for citizen engagement must be a priority both during and outside of election season.
Election Day for the 2018 Primary Run-off is May 22.
