Republican to run as write-in

By Miles Smith
Editor/POST-REGISTER

Republican Caldwell county clerk candidate Debbie Sanders will miss the March primary election, but still plans to challenge Democrat Teresa Rodriguez in the general election in November.
Sanders was the only Republican in Caldwell County who submitted a petition to run in the primary in the county clerk race. Her application was rejected after the filing deadline when Rodriguez challenged a clerical error on the form, citing that “2018” had been filled in the field for party rather than “Republican.”
Sanders said last week that she decided not to challenge the ruling, instead deciding to look ahead to the general election.
“I will not be on the primary ballot in March, as previously planned, however, I will be running as a write-in candidate in the November election,” Sanders wrote in an e-mail to the Post-Register. “I feel that I am still the best candidate for the position of county clerk, and that I will serve the citizens of Caldwell County to the best of my ability and with the up most integrity. I will make sure that the citizens have a pleasant and informative experience at the clerk’s office.
“I continue to get tremendous support from the citizens and I will not let them down.”
Sanders’ application was one of two rejected after the filing deadline in December. Suzy Falgout’s petition to challenge incumbent Pct. 1 Justice of the Peace Matt Kiely in the Republican primary was rejected for the same clerical error on Sanders’ application after Kiely issued a challenge.
Falgout appealed the decision in the Texas Court of Appeals Third District, but her appeal was rejected.
Candidates who filed petitions in two other races were ruled ineligible to run prior to the filing deadline.
Caldwell County Republican Party Chair Kathy Haigler said Kip Portis changed his mind and stopped payment on his check to disqualify himself from the race for Caldwell County Pct. 1 commissioner, and J.K. “Jake” Innerarity of Rosanky’s attempt to register to vote in time to file his petition wasn’t cleared soon enough to satisfy the filing deadline.