By RAY QUIROGA AND NIIOHONTESHA WARRIOR
editor@potisabelsouthpadre.com
Super Tuesday yielded few surprises in most major national Primary races. Countywide, however, a number candidates will see a May 28 runoff election.
For the Democrats, a total of 16,842 ballots were casted in the Presidential race as incumbent Joe Biden ran away with 66.39% of the unofficial vote count, totaling 11,182 votes countywide. The next closest contender was Armando “Mando” Perez-Serrato with 1,851 votes, totaling 10.99% of the ballots casted. Gabriel A. Cornejo rounded out the top three vote-getters collecting 9.95% of the ballots casted, or 1,676 votes.
Among the nine Democrats vying for the United States Senate seat District 34, Roland Gutierrez garnered the most votes with 5,151 for 31.15% of the count. Collin Allred earned 3,601 votes for 21.77% of the count and Mark Gonzalez wasn’t far behind, earning 3,500 votes for 21.16% of the vote count.
Incumbent Democrat Vicente Gonzalez was unopposed for the District 34 State Rep. seat. He will face Republican challenger Mayra Flores in November. Flores, a San Benito area resident who held the post before losing to Gonzalez, defeated three other Republican challengers on Tuesday to earn the Republican nomination for District 34 US Representative.
District 27, incumbent State Senator Morgan LaMantia went unopposed, but she too will now face a Republican challenger come the November General Election.
Meanwhile, four Democratic candidates vied for the District 37 State House Representative post. Alex Dominguez came away as the top vote-getter with 27.59% (1,735) of the ballots casted. Ruben Cortez, Jr. finished with 1,667 votes casted in his favor (26.51%) and Jonathan Gracia walked away with 26.18% (1,646 votes).
The winner of the Democratic runoff in May earns the right to face Republican incumbent Janie Lopez of San Benito. Lopez went unopposed on Tuesday garnering 7,140 un-canvassed votes on the Republican side while the four Democrats combined for 6,288 votes, in Cameron County, considered a historically Democratic stronghold in a Presidential election year, to boot.
Finally for the Democrats, Precinct 1 Cameron County Constable Ronnie Moore finished with 779 votes (53.17%) of the ballots casted. He will face his Republican challenger in November in the general elections. Esquivel walked away from the Republican Primary with 67.46% of the Republican votes with 1,304 ballots.
In other noteworthy Republican races, Adam Hinojosa ran unopposed and will now face LaMantia in November. Donald Trump and Senator Ted Cruz handedly won their respective races as the former President claimed 12,626 or 85.96% of the Republican votes casted in the presidential primary and Cruz slightly outdid Trump’s performance with 12,690 of the Republican votes (88.47%) against his Republican challengers.
Cameron County Elections Administrator Remi Garza reports that countywide, 18,943 total votes were casted in the Democratic Primary and 14,782 were casted in the Republican Primary.
Early voting for the runoffs begins on Monday, May 20, 2024 and runs through May 25 with Election Day set for May 28, 2024, as mentioned at the top of the story.
All votes are unofficial until canvassed.
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