Federal, state, county, city plus school ballot items on the agenda
(Seguin) – Local voters are reminded of the list of candidates they will be choosing during the Nov. 5 Presidential and General Election.
Of course, the featured contest is the race for the President of the United States. Voters begin heading to the polls early today for the contest between Former President and Republican Candidate Donald Trump and current Vice President Kamala Harris.
In addition to voting for a presidential candidate, Texas voters will also cast their ballots in various Texas Legislature races. One of those races is the seat for District 44 in the Texas House of Representatives. Democratic Candidate Eric Norman and Republican Alan Schoolcraft are both vying for the position. Both look to replace longtime State Representative John Kuempel, who Schoolcraft defeated for the Republican nomination in March. The seat will be decided by voters across District 44, which includes both Guadalupe and Gonzales counties.
Guadalupe County voters will also have a couple of ballot items. The first is the election of Guadalupe County Tax Assessor-Collector. The race includes incumbent Republican candidate Daryl John and challenger Jesus Trinidad Jr.
Those living in Guadalupe County Pct. 1 will also elect their new representative on the commissioners court. Candidates include Republican Jacqueline “Jackie” Ott, Democratic Candidate Nahomie Alanis, and Libertarian Candidate Nolan Schmidt.
Meanwhile, Seguin voters will also weigh in on who should be mayor and, depending on where they live, who will represent them in the city council.
Seguin Mayor Donna Dodgen faces challenger Francisco “Frank” Luciano Herrera this November.
The District 2 city council race will feature David Eveld and Mario Hernandez.
The District 2 seat is currently vacant following the death of Councilwoman Sonia Mendez earlier this year.
Two candidates will also face off in the District 4 council race.
The candidates include John Carlsson and Ileen Rangel.
Rangel is the wife of current District 4 Councilman Chris Rangel, who is no longer eligible to run for re-election due to term limits.
A trio of candidates will appear on the ballot for District 6 seat on the Seguin City Council.
Those candidates include Incumbent Monica Carter, Felix Moreno and Suzanne Wynn.
Although there are no contested school board races, Seguin ISD voters will also head to the polls to consider the Seguin ISD’s Voter Approval Tax Ratification Election (VATRE). Voters will be asked to vote “For” or “Against” Proposition A on the November 5 ballot.
Seguin ISD Chief Financial Officer Liz Oaks and Trustee Josh Bright will be part of a discussion about why the tax ratification election is necessary.
The election is the district’s attempt at addressing a $4 million deficit. District officials say if voters approve, the tax ratification would lower the maintenance and operation tax rate by 1.38 cents to just over $1.10 per $100,000 of taxable property value. Even though it lowers the rate, they say the district would actually be able to capture more revenue from the state — maximizing that level and addressing many of their financial concerns.
Navarro ISD voters will also consider filling three at-large positions on the school board and one two-year unexpired trustee term.
Those running for one of the three available school board seats include Kimberly Jones, Kristen Green, Becki Stephenson, Kyle Hunter, Incumbent Melissa Sartain, Megan Ossinger, Incumbent Clint Scheib, and Jared Gallini.
Those running for the unexpired seat include Russell Trotti, Jacob Coppedge, Matthew Reed, and Joel Frederick.
Marion voters will also take the next steps toward their future by electing five new alderman positions on its city council. As reported by KWED, the city of Marion has been operating with almost zero representation.
This election looks to restore the city’s operation. Nine candidates will be vying for one of the five available positions. Those candidates include Jena Rodriguez, Stanley Stevens, Phil Karrer, Karen Mills, Jorge Olea, Jeremiah Burns, Kerry Gutierrez, Carl Martin, and Jerry Penshorn.
Each of the local candidates will be featured this week during the KWED Candidates Corner available online at SeguinToday.com. Today’s featured candidates include the race for Seguin Mayor and Guadalupe County Commissioner Pct. 1.