The 121st Texas District Courtroom at the Terry County Courthouse was full Sunday afternoon January 1, 2023, as State District Judge John A. Didway would swear in the latest county officials who were elected in the 2022 mid-term election.
The first to be sworn in was Terry County Judge Tony Serbantez. Judge Serbantez has taken the place of former County Judge Butch Wagner. Judge Serbantez went through three elections before gaining the County Judges seat. In the 2022 Primaries, Judge Serbatez was challenged by Geoff Cooper and Larry Gilbreath. Although Judge Serbantez had the plurality of votes, he still needed 50% plus one vote in order to be the Republican nominee. The next election for Judge Serbantez would be the Primary Runoff against Larry Gilbreath where he won 68% of the vote making him the Republican nominee to go up against the Democratic nominee Scott Jackson. Judge Serbantez would win over Jackson in the General Mid-term with 1,996 votes to 576 votes or 77% of the votes cast.
Next to be sworn in was new County Commissioner Richard Cavazos. Commissioner Cavazos was sworn in as the new Precinct 2 Commissioner after he won over longtime Precinct 3 Commissioner Kirby Keesee in the Primaries by one (1) vote. Comm. Cavazos had been considered Commissioner Elect until late August 2022 when Edgar Rivera filed as a write-in candidate. Comm. Cavazos won the General by 93%.
Another commissioner was next to be sworn in. Incumbent and current Precinct 4 Commissioner Ernesto Elizardo has sworn in again for his second term. Comm. Elizardo sought re-election and ran unopposed in the primary giving him the Republican nomination. Shorty Martinez also ran unopposed in the primary giving him the Democratic nomination. Martinez recently two years ago ran unopposed in the Democrat Primary for the Precinct 3 Commissioners race, however, it was learned that he had voted in the Republican Primary and was disqualified from the General Election. Comm. Elizardo won 82% of the votes in the General.
Justice of the Peace Judge Angie Garza would be the next one sworn in. Judge Garza was sworn in for her fourth term as Terry County JP. Judge Garza had two elections to go through to retain her spot on the bench. In the Primaries, she was challenged by David Cox and M.J. Harrell where Judge Garza received 811 votes, Cox with 436, and M.J. Harrell with 431. Like the County Judge Republican primary, the JP race also went into a primary runoff, where Judge Garza won 63% of the votes and had no challenger in the general.
Next, to be sworn in was Tiffany O’Briant who is now the District Clerk of the 121st Texas District Court. The district clerk performs the duties assigned by the Texas Constitution as registrar, recorder, and custodian of all court pleadings, instruments, and papers that are part of any legal cause of action in the district courts. O’Briant ran unopposed in the Primaries and the General
The new County Treasurer Andrea Perry was sworn in next. Perry took on Tessa Clark in the Primary. Perry won the primary with 54% of the vote. Perry was serving as interim County Treasurer since the end of October 2022 as former County Treasurer Karen Grigsby retired.
The next to be sworn in was current County Auditor Sabrina Bandy. She recently took the place of longtime county employee and county auditor Jan Hudson after she retired.
The final county official to be sworn in was County Clerk Kim Carter. This will be Carter’s fourth term and she wasn’t contested in the Primaries or the General.
