A new county commissioner has been selected in Potter County to fill the remainder of former Commissioner Mercy Murguia’s term.

Last week, Potter County commissioners announced the appointment of Robert Ruiz to the Precinct 2 seat on the county commission to replace Murguia, who recently resigned in order to move to the Dallas area. According to media reports, Ruiz is a bailiff with the Amarillo Municipal Court and a longtime resident of Amarillo.

Ruiz will serve the remainder of Murguia’s term, which is set to expire in 2022. The Precinct 2 seat will be up for election in 2022, with one announced candidate already in the race. Firefighter Blair Schaffer is running in the Republican primary for the seat. As of this writing, Ruiz’s party affiliation is unclear and he has not yet filed to run for the seat, according to reports from the Texas secretary of state.

Candidates have until Monday, December 13, to file for the seat. The primary election day is currently scheduled for March 1, 2022.

Thomas Warren

Thomas Warren, III is the editor-in-chief of the Amarillo Pioneer newspaper in Amarillo, Texas.

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