Several county positions on March ballot

By Kyle Mooty

LPR Editor

The deadline for filing for the March 5 Primary Election for several Caldwell County seats has passed. The Primary Election will choose party affiliates to run in the General Election in November. The filing period was between Nov. 11-Dec. 11.

There will be 18 candidates vying for nine positions in Caldwell County, according to the Texas Secretary of State website.

Caldwell County Sheriff Mike Lane will have a Republican opponent in Albert Luna, an investigator. Hector Rangel is running as a Democrat candidate for sheriff. Rangel is the Chief Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management for Caldwell County.

There is both a Democrat (Joy Pardo) and Republican (Debbie Sanders) seeking to become Caldwell County Tax Assessor-Collector. Pardo is a Realtor, while Sanders is retired. Darla Law is not seeking re-election as the incumbent.

Caldwell County Treasurer Incumbent Gloria Garcia, a Republican, is running unopposed. Garcia was appointed to her current post in October following the resignation of Angela Rawlinson.

Caldwell County Commissioners posts that up for re-election include Precincts 1 and 3. Republican Incumbent B.J. Westmoreland will face Democrat challenger Taylor Burge, a business owner in Lockhart.

Caldwell County Commissioner Precinct 3 Ed Theriot, a Republican, will have a Republican challenger in Alma Morales, a substitute teacher. Margarito Zapata, a fire fighter, is running as a Democrat.

All four Caldwell County Constable positions are up for re-election.

A pair of Republicans are vying form Constable-Precinct 1 – Incumbent Clemente Verastegui and Deputy Constable Richard Sanders. Verastegui was appointed to his post following the death of Smitty Terrell last year.

Tom Will is not seeking re-election as Constable-Precinct 2, but there is a trio of Republican candidates running for that post. They are Realtor Paul Easterling, Security Officer Leah Hathaway, and Luling Police Officer J.D. Murray.

Incumbent Michael Bell is running unopposed as a Republican for Constable-Precinct 3.

Also, Incumbent Art Villareal is running unopposed as a Democrat for Constable-Precinct 4.

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Filed (Nov. 11-Dec. 11)

Caldwell County Sheriff

Democrat

Hector Rangel

Republican

Mike Lane (Incumbent)

Alberto Luna

Tax Assessor-Collector

Democrat

Joy Pardo

Republican

Debbie Sanders

Treasurer

Republican

Gloria Garcia (Incumbent)

Commissioner-Precinct 1

Democrat

Taylor Burge

Republican

B.J. Westmoreland (Incumbent)

Commissioner-Precinct 3

Democrat

Margarito Zapata

Republican

Alma Morales

Edward “Ed” Theriot (Incumbent)

Constable-Precinct 1

Republican

Richard Sanders

Clemente Verastegui (Incumbent)

Constable-Precinct 2

Republican

Paul Easterling

Leah Hathaway

J.D. Murray

Constable-Precinct 3

Republican

Michael Bell (Incumbent)

Constable-Precinct 4

Democrat

Arthur Villareal (Incumbent)