By Joe Reavis
Staff Writer
Area voters followed the pattern set across Texas last week, giving the nod to Sen. Ted Cruz in the Republican Presidential Primary and Hillary Clinton in the Democratic Presidential Primary.
The primary elections to decide political party nominees were conducted Tuesday, March 1, dubbed Super Tuesday with voting in 13 states and one territory. Runoff elections, where needed, are set for May 24.
In getting the Republican nod for president, Cruz of Texas received 43.8 percent of the vote, a tally of 495,760, to best Donald Trump with 342,756 votes (26.8 percent). Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida finished third with 224,914 votes (17.7 percent). Also on the ballot were Gov. John Kasich of Ohio and Dr. Ben Carson, each receiving just 4.2 percent of the total.
The Democratic Primary saw Clinton earn 411,708 votes (67.72 percent) to 183,855 (30.24 percent) cast for Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
Depending on the addresses, GOP voters cast ballots in any of three primaries to select nominees to the U.S. House of Representatives. Although incumbents were challenged within their party, all three advance to the general election in November without a runoff.
Sam Johnson, District 3, defeated three challengers by winning 35,670 votes (74.73 percent), John Ratcliffe, District 4, fended off two challengers by earning 35,197 votes (71.19 percent) and Pete Sessions, District 32, beat three hopefuls by winning 18,189 votes (60.86 percent).
On the Democratic side, Adam Bell received 6,619 votes (59.67 percent) to beat Michael Filak (4,472 votes, 40.32 percent) and the right to face Johnson in the fall for the District 3 seat. Sessions and Ratcliffe are unopposed in November.
The GOP must conduct a runoff to determine the nominee for State Representative, District 33. John Keating led a 3-way race with 4,985 votes (39.53 percent) to edge Lorne Liechty, 3,922 votes (31.1 percent). Dropping out, barely, was Justin Holland who received 3,703 votes (29.36 percent).
Winner of the Republican District 33 runoff will face Democratic nominee Karen Jacobs who received 1,622 votes (77.83 percent) to beat Cristin Padgett last week.
In State Representative District 89, incumbent Jodie Laubenberg easily fended off a GOP Primary challenge from Dalton Lytle. Laubenberg won 7,813 votes, or 71.34 percent of the total. She faces Democratic nominee Denise Hamilton who was unopposed in primary balloting.
For District 112 in the State House, incumbent Angie Button beat Chris DeHart handily in the Republican Primary, earning 4,182 votes, or 79.87 percent of the total. Button faces Democratic nominee Jack Blackshear who was unopposed in primary balloting.
GOP candidate for Collin County Sheriff Jim Skinner ran unopposed in the primary, receiving 654,165 votes, and has no opponent in November, nor does incumbent Tax Assessor Kenneth L. Maun who won 71,793 votes in the primary.
Incumbent District Clerk Yoon Kim, who was serving by appointment in an unexpired term, lost her Republican Primary bid to Lynne Chupp Finley. Vote tallies were 36,885 (54.78 percent) for Finley and 30,447 (45.22 percent) for Kim. There is no Democratic nominee.
Republican incumbent Collin County Commissioner Chris Hill, Pct. 3, beat challenger Jon Cocks handily and has no opponent in fall. Hill received 15,275 votes (83.17 percent) to 3,090 (16.83 percent) cast for Cocks.
In Dallas County, Kirk Launius will face Aaron Meek in a Republican runoff for sheriff. Launius received 44,113 votes (38.21 percent) last week to Meek’s 40,801 votes (35.34 percent, and 30,538 (26.45) cast for Susan Rodriguez. The winner of the Launius-Meek race will face incumbent Sheriff Lupe Valdez who was unopposed in the Democratic Primary.
Dallas County Tax Assessor John R. Ames faces a runoff against Bennie E. Brown in what was a 4-candidate race in the Democratic Primary. Ames received 54,279 votes (42.48 percent) and Brown received 32,228 votes (25.22 percent). There is no Republican nominee for the general election.
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