As the filing window for March primaries closed Monday, Democrats made a last-ditch effort to throw their names in the hat for both state and local races.
In particular, veteran State Rep. Tom Craddick (R-Midland) will now face 24-year-old Spencer Bounds in the general election. First seeking office when he was just 25 years old, Craddick has served in the state House for 50 years, making him the longest-serving state representative in Texas. Bounds has been active in politics for several years and reportedly stated that he was inspired to run by the influx of Democrat candidates this election cycle. In what is considered a deep red district, Bounds will certainly have a challenging campaign ahead of him.
Another race to draw a last minute Democratic candidate is the open seat for Midland County Judge, currently held by Mike Bradford. Three Republican candidates – James Beauchamp, Terry Johnson, and Stephen Robertson – will face off in the primary, while Steven Schafersman announced Monday his intention to run on the Democratic ticket. Shafersman works as a geologist in the oil and gas industry and serves as the president of Texas Citizens for Science, an advocacy group that opposes teaching creationism as science in public schools. He previously ran for the State Board of Education.
Other contested local races include 238th District Judge, 441st District Judge, and Midland County Commissioner Pct. 4.
On the statewide level, State Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo) faces two Republican challengers – Mike Canon of Midland and Victor Leal of Amarillo. As the lowest-scoring Republican state senator on Texans for Fiscal Responsibility’s Fiscal Index and the Young Conservatives of Texas Scorecard, Seliger faces an uphill battle in his widely conservative district.
A partial list of local races can be viewed below; however, for a comprehensive list of local, state, and national candidates who have filed, please visit the Secretary of State website.
The 2018 Primary Election will take place March 6.
State Senator, District 31 Kel Seliger (REP)
State Senator, District 31 Mike Canon (REP)
State Senator, District 31 Victor Leal (REP)
State Representative District 82 Tom Craddick (REP)
State Representative District 82 Spencer Bounds (DEM)
District Judge, 238th Judicial District Chris DeAnda (REP)
District Judge, 238th Judicial District Elizabeth Byer Leonard (REP)
District Judge, 441st Judicial District Isaiah Roby Jackson (REP)
District Judge, 441st Judicial District Jeff Robnett (REP)
District Judge, 441st Judicial District Sean Guerrero (REP)
District Judge, 441st Judicial District Wayne Frost (REP)
District Judge, 441st Judicial District Sara Ruth Spector (DEM)
County Judge James Beauchamp (REP)
County Judge Stephen Robertson (REP)
County Judge Terry Johnson (REP)
County Judge Steven Schafersman (DEM)
County Commissioner Pct.4 Carla Repman (REP)
County Commissioner Pct.4 Randy Prude (REP)
Justice of the Peace Pct.1 Terry M. Luck (REP)
Justice of the Peace Pct.1 Hazel Holmes Hudson (DEM)
