The run-off race for Republican candidates for Liberty County Pct. 1 Constable will come down to two candidates – Tammy Bishop and Jacob Cantu. Bishop had the most votes in the March 3 primary, so her position in the run-off election was secured. However, only two votes separated the other two top Republican candidates in the four-person race. At the end of Super Tuesday, Cantu had a two-vote lead over Bill Griffin.
With 19 provisional ballots possibly impacting that race, Cantu’s place on the Republican ballot was uncertain until Tuesday when the Ballot Board examined the provisional ballots and determined that only nine provisional ballots met the criteria to be accepted. Two of the nine were Democratic ballots, three were for Bishop, and Cantu, Griffin and Wayne Moody each received an additional vote. The ninth ballot was an undervote, meaning the voter chose not to vote in that particular race.
The final tally for votes in that Republican Primary race for Pct. 1 Constable were Tammy Bishop – 572, Jacob Cantu – 478, Bill Griffin – 476 and Wayne Moody – 169.
According to Liberty County Election Administrator Klint Bush, there were more than 60 undervotes in the constable’s race in the Republican primary.
The run-off election will be held on Saturday, May 26. The winner of the run-off election will face Democratic candidate Martin Trahan in the general election this November.
Other races in the Republican run-off election are the Pct. 6 Constable’s race between Zack Harkness and John Joslin; the Pct. 1 Commissioner’s race between Bruce Karbowski and Toby Wilburn and the Liberty County Court at Law No. 2 judge race between Zack Zbranek and Wes Hinch. The winner of the Pct. 1 Commissioner’s race will face Democratic challenger Ron Blake in November. There are no Democratic challengers for Pct. 6 constable and Liberty County Court at Law No.
The votes for the Republican and Democratic primary elections will be canvassed on Thursday, March 12.
Bush said that any candidate who wants a recount has only two days after the election is canvassed to submit a request. Candidates should be prepared to pay $2,000 for the recount, which would be refunded only if the recount changes the election results.