KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas — At least one city council race in Kaufman County still hangs in the balance, according to election officials who are still counting mail-in and provisional ballots, while others could still change.
KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas — At least one city council race in Kaufman County still hangs in the balance, according to election officials who are still counting mail-in and provisional ballots, while others could still change.
In the race for Terrell City Council Place 3, a runoff has not been out ruled. As of election, unofficial election results had incumbent council woman Mayrani Velazquez with less than 50% of the vote, meaning a run off is possibility unless ballots still being counted are enough to push the race past the 50% mark in Velazquez’s favor.
Unofficial results released by the elections department records Mayrani with 612 votes, or 49.16% of the vote. Challengers Jonathan Preston received 432 votes or 34.70%; while Thomas Brown received 201 votes or 16.14%.
According to a Kaufman County elections department spokesman, it is still too soon to determine whether a run off will be necessary in Terrell. They hope to have all ballots counted and canvased by Tuesday of next week.
“We are working to make sure that every single mail in ballot and provisional ballot that is eligible to be counted is counted,” Teressa Floyd with the county’s election department tells inForney.com on Friday morning.
Floyd says that the city of Terrell would have to select a runoff date if needed in accordance with the Secretary of State’s office.
Council races remain tight in Post Oak Bend as well, while a runoff will not be necessary. Tom Rogers received 173 votes or 27.99%. Mike Parker received 172 votes or 27.83%, followed by Alison Storey Novak who received 151 votes, or 24.43%. Glenda McMahan received 122 votes or 19.74%. The top three candidates with the most votes will take the available council seats.
Only ten votes currently separate the top two candidates for Mabank City Council. Dennis Terry received 28.97% or 398 votes, compared to John Chapppell who garnered 388 or 28.24%. Tyson Adams received 364 votes or 26.49% ahead of Gilbert Mitchell’s 224 votes or 16.30%. Mabank also has 3 seats available
Final ballots are less consequential in Forney where Robbie Powers was reelected unopposed and incumbent Derald Cooper earned 4,600 or 68,69% of the vote over challenger DeCarlo Colemnan’s 2,097 votes or 31.31%.
In Kaufman, challenger Lisa Parker earned the most votes over three incumbent councilmen. Parker won 935 votes or 28.22% ahead of incumbent Jeff Council who received 893 or 26.95% of the votes. Incumbent Barry Ratcliff was able to narrowly keep his council seat with 856 votes or 25.84% over incumbent Charles Gillenwater who received the least number of votes, 629 or 18.99%.
As inForney.com previously reported, four candidates vyed for three seats on the Crandall City Council, with those seats going to the top three vote-getters. In the four-legged race, political newcomer Adam Holden ousted one of the three incumbents vying to retain a seat on the council while garnering the most votes in the election with 1,013 or 29.06%. Tim Atkins and Shannon Barnes retained their seats with 887 or 25.54% and 800 or 22.95% votes, respectively. David Lindsey fell short with 786 votes or 22.55%.
This is a developing story.