Primary candidate pool begins taking shape

From staff reports

The deadline for candidates to file in the 2022 Texas Primary Elections is Monday, Dec. 13.
According to the Texas Secretary of State’s office, a number of local incumbents and challengers have already filed and will be on the ballot when early voting begins on February 14.
State Rep. John Cyrier-R, Lockhart will not seek re-election. As of Tuesday, four candidates were vying for his District 17 seat.
Filing for the Republican primary was Bastrop County resident Jen Bezner, who listed her occupation as office manager, and Tom Glass of McDade, a retiree whose wife, Kathie Glass, ran for governor as a Libertarian in 2014. On the Democratic side, Madeleine Eden, an entrepreneur from Bastrop, will face off against Josh Tutt, an IT professional from College Station.
Bastrop County Judge Paul Pape announced he is running for the Republican nomination for District 17 State Representative, but as of Tuesday, his name did not appear on the Secretary of State’s website as having filed.
Caldwell County Judge Hoppy Haden will seek a second term in 2022 and, thus far, is running unopposed in the Republican primary. In the Democratic primary, veteran Anna Ybarra will seek the nomination.
Caldwell County Court at Law Judge Barbara Molina is thus far running unopposed in the Democratic Primary. Trey Hicks has filed for the Republican primary for a chance to challenge Molina in the general election in November.
District Clerk Juanita Allen has filed for the Republican primary. No Democrat has filed for that race.
County Treasurer Angela Meuth Rawlinson-R has filed for reelection and remains the lone candidate in that race.
County Clerk Teresa Rodriguez-D is the only candidate who has officially filed for that race.
Incumbent Pct. 2 County Commissioner Barbara Shelton-R has filed for reelection and will be challenged by Luling Tire Service owner Rusty Horne. No Democrat has filed for the primary election in that race.
Pct. 4 County Commissioner Joe Roland-D said last month during a commissioner’s court meeting that he did not plan to seek reelection. So far, the only candidate vying to replace him is Greater Caldwell County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President Rob Ortiz, who is running as a Republican.
Incumbent Pct. 1 Justice of the Peace Matt Kiely has filed to run for reelection and will be challenged in the Republican primary by Suzy Falgout, a life coach who lists her occupation as independent contractor. Falgout previously ran as a write-in candidate for Pct. 1 JP in 2018. At this time, the race has no candidates vying for the Democratic nomination.
Incumbent Pct. 2 JP Shanna Conley-R, is, so far, the only candidate who has officially filed for that race. The same is true for the Pct. 3 JP race, where incumbent Anita Deleon-D is the only candidate to have filed.
Raymond DeLeon-D will not seek reelection for Pct. 4 Justice of the Peace. Yvette Mireles, who lists her occupation as receptionist, will run in the Democratic primary. In the Republican primary, two more challengers are seeking their party’s nomination in that race: Michael Lumley, who lists his occupation as business owner, and Charity Kittrell, founder/president of 4:12 Kids, a non-profit organization.