White keeps hold on Mayor’s Chair

By LPR Staff

Editor/POST-REGISTER

For the second time, incumbent Mayor Lew White has dominated his race, earning a second term at the helm of the Lockhart City Council.

White, who prior to being Mayor served for several years as the District 3 Councilmember for the Lockhart City Council, jumped out to an early lead as Early Voting

totals were released, with 1,237 votes to challenger Homer “Papa” Shaw’s 311. As the evening progressed, White’s lead increased, with him eventually earning 78.64 percent (2,279 votes) of voter support, well over Shaw’s 21.36 percent voter support (619 votes).

Notably, this election marks the second time White has handily beaten Shaw in a mayoral race. Three years ago, White earned his seat in a four-way race, with Shaw, the second-place votegetter, earning less than one third of White’s total vote count.

In the only other contested city race, local businessman Jeffry Michelson narrowly escaped a runoff, with 452 votes (51.72 percent) in his three-way race against Connie Amaya (274 votes) and Janet Tiemann (148 votes). Under the City Charter, had any candidate won the race, but earned less than 50 percent of the vote, an automatic runoff would be triggered. However, with the 51.74 percent win for Michelson, the race is finished.

District Three Councilmember Benny Hilburn ran unopposed, and will retain his seat.

The vote will be canvassed and the new councilmember sworn in during the Council’s next meeting, on Nov. 13.

In the race for three At Large seats on the Lockhart Independent School District Board of Trustees, changes are in the air.

Seated Board President Rick Womble opted not to run for reelection, leaving one seat open. Incumbent trustees Juan Alvarez, Jr., and Tom Guyton both opted to run again. They were joined on the ballot by Steve Johnson, Dr. Oscar Garcia, Bridgette Hayter-De la Cruz and Michael Wright.

Under LISD’s strange election rules, voters are allowed to cast up to three votes, and could distribute those votes between any combination of candidates, including voting for the same candidate three times. Therefore, it is difficult to determine actual voter turnout in the race.

However, Johnson came away as the big winner, earning 2,927 votes. Wright was also brought to the Board, earning 2,841 votes. Finally, the incumbent Guyton will retain his seat, having earned 1,749 votes.

Alvarez followed in fourth place with 1,593 votes, whereas Hayter-De la Cruz earned 1,417 and Garcia drew 1,311.

The Lockhart ISD Board of Trustees will hold a special-called meeting on Nov. 12, 2014, to canvass the votes and administer the oath of office to the new trustees, as well as to bid farewell to Womble.