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Cohen ousts Becerra in Hays County judge Democratic primary runoff

With all precincts reporting May 26 primary runoff election results, current Precinct 2 Commissioner Michelle Gutierrez Cohen has secured the Democratic spot on the ballot for Hays County judge in the November election, removing incumbent Ruben Becerra from the running.

The details: Cohen won with 6,089 ballots, or 58.31% of the vote. Becerra received the remaining 4,353 ballots, accounting for 41.69% of the vote. A total of 10,510 ballots were cast in the primary runoff election, accounting for 5.4% of Hays County registered voters, according to unofficial results posted by the Hays County elections office.

The framework: Cohen will represent the Democratic Party and appear on the ballot for Hays County judge, facing off against the Republican candidate, Geoffrey Tahuahua, in the November general election. The candidate to secure the majority of votes in that election will be the next Hays County judge.

 
Can't-Miss Coverage
Early results show George Morales III ahead in Travis County Commissioner Precinct 4 runoff

Early voting results show George Morales III leading the Democratic runoff election for Travis County Precinct 4 commissioner with 4,200, or 57.83% of the vote, according to Travis County. Susanna Ledesma Woody has 3,063, or 42.17% of the vote.

The big picture: Travis County Precinct 4 covers portions of southeast and south central Austin. The seat opened after Commissioner Margaret Gomez announced her retirement following more than five decades in public service. Commissioners serve four-year terms with no state-imposed term limits, alongside a county judge on the Commissioners Court.

Meet the candidates: Morales, a former elected Constable for Precinct 4, has over 20 years of experience with Travis County government. Woody, a project manager and Del Valle ISD trustee, brings more than a decade of experience in public policy and long-range planning.

At the polls: Community Impact will update with results as they come in. For more information about local, state and federal elections, visit www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide.

 
Across The Region
See unofficial results for Central Texas state, national races in May 26 runoff

Austin-area voters cast their ballots in the May 26 runoff to determine who will appear on the ballot in November for state and national races.

At the polls: Unofficial early voting data was released in the evening of May 26, representing ballots cast May 18-22 during early voting and on election day.

What you need to know: Runoff winners will move on to the Nov. 3 general election. The following results are for contested races only.

 
Permit Preview Wednesday
Check out 5 major Austin-area permits filed this week

A new Carvana, Austin Country Club renovations and a higher education center are among the five most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

Carvana ($65 million): Located off SH 130 in Manor, the business will offer automotive sales and services.

Austin Country Club ($38 million): This project involves construction at the country club, including a parking garage, a fitness building and a dining building. Renovations will also be made to an existing youth building.

Ayn Rand Center ($30 million): Located near the University of Texas at Austin, the center will consist of a library, exhibition spaces, offices and higher education classrooms.

One of the Kids Therapy Center ($10 million): The therapy center, which has locations in Cedar Park and South Austin, offers applied behavior analysis, speech, occupational therapy, swim therapy and more.

O'Reilly Auto Parts ($1.4 million): Construction on the automotive store in San Marcos is set to begin this fall.

 
Statewide News
See May 26 runoff results for Cornyn-Paxton US Senate race

In the May 26 runoff election, Republican voters across Texas cast their votes in a contentious U.S. Senate race between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

The context: The Republican race for U.S. Senate is one of several statewide contests that advanced to May runoffs after no candidate received more than 50% of the vote in the March 3 primary election.

About the candidates: Cornyn, an incumbent senator with nearly 24 years in office, is seeking to hold his seat for another six years while being challenged by Paxton, the once-impeached state attorney general who was recently endorsed by President Donald Trump. Read each candidate's priorities in their own words here.  

The winning Republican candidate will face the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, state Rep. James Talarico of Austin, in November.
 
Keep reading to see the results in the Cornyn-Paxton race and find other runoff results at communityimpact.com/voter-guide.

 
Statewide News
May 26 runoff: See which 2 Texas AG candidates advanced to the November ballot

For the first time in more than a decade, there is no incumbent in the Texas attorney general's race as Ken Paxton runs for the U.S. Senate. Voters across Texas made their picks for attorney general in the May 26 runoff election, with the winning candidate from each political party moving on to the November election.

The context: The Republican and Democratic attorney general races are among several statewide contests that advanced to May runoffs after no candidate received more than 50% of the vote in the March 3 primary election.

The attorney general serves as Texas' top lawyer and law enforcement officer.

About the candidates: On the right, state Sen. Mayes Middleton of Galveston and U.S. Rep. Chip Roy of Austin are each seeking the Republican nomination for the seat.

On the left, state Sen. Nathan Johnson of Dallas and former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski are vying for the Democratic nomination.

Keep reading to see the results in the two attorney general races and find other runoff results at communityimpact.com/voter-guide.

 

Your local team

Sierra Martin
Senior Editor

Heather Demere
General Manager

Email [email protected] for story ideas, tips or questions.

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