Terry County Voters Face Two Separate Elections in May: Municipal Races and Republican Primary Runoffs
Voters in Terry County will head to the polls twice in the coming weeks, as two separate elections are scheduled in May, each involving very different races. One election will determine leadership for local cities, schools, and special districts, while the other will decide several Republican Party nominations for county, state, and federal offices.
Because both elections occur in May, election officials are encouraging voters to pay close attention to the dates and understand that the ballots will contain entirely different races.
Municipal and Local Elections – Saturday, May 2
The first election will take place on Saturday, May 2, 2026, when voters across Terry County and surrounding communities will decide a number of municipal and local leadership positions. These races include mayor, city council, school board, hospital board, and water district positions.
Several races will be contested, while others feature incumbents running unopposed.
City of Brownfield
Two races in Brownfield will appear on the ballot this May, including a contested mayoral race.
Mayor
Incumbent Mayor Eric Horton has filed for re-election and will face challenger Chuck Nave.
City Council District 1
Incumbent Paul Vasquez Jr. has filed for re-election and is unopposed.
City Council District 2
Incumbent Vanessa Valdonado will face challenger Elvis Rodriguez, creating another contested race in the city. Rodriguez is also currently involved in the Republican Primary runoff race for Terry County Precinct 4 commissioner.
City Council District 3
Incumbent Lee Gamez has filed for re-election and is unopposed.
City of Meadow
Meadow voters will also see a contested mayoral race.
Mayor
Incumbent Natalie Howard will face challenger Brandon Corley.
City Council
Chase Flemming and Maria Fraire have both filed for council seats and currently have no opposition.
City of Wellman
Two candidates have filed for city council positions.
City Council
Cody Griffiths and Jake Rempel have both filed for the seats. Incumbent Lucia Ramirez was listed, though no official filing had been confirmed at the time of reporting.
Brownfield Regional Medical Center Board
Leadership of the local hospital will also be decided.
BRMC Board
Incumbent Joe Silva has filed for re-election and is unopposed.
Rae Campbell has filed to fill the position currently held by Jeffrey Davis, and there is no opposition.
South Plains Underground Water Conservation District
Voters will also consider leadership and a tax rate measure affecting the regional water conservation district.
Incumbent Tim Swaringen has filed for re-election. Incumbent Tye Day was listed but had not officially filed at the time of reporting.
In addition, voters will decide on a tax rate measure involving the South Plains Underground Water Conservation District (SPUWCD).
The district currently has the authority to levy a property tax up to $0.025 per $100 of property valuation. Due to declining property valuations across Terry County, the calculated “No New Revenue Tax Rate” has increased to $0.026 per $100 valuation, which now exceeds the district’s authorized cap.
Because of this change, state law requires the district to hold an election asking voters to approve resetting the allowable tax rate cap to more than $0.050 per $100 of property valuation. District officials say the measure is necessary to ensure the district remains in compliance with state law and maintains the ability to fund water conservation and operational programs serving the region.
School Board Elections
Several school board seats will also appear on the ballot.
Brownfield ISD Board of Trustees
Position 1 — Geoff Copper (incumbent), unopposed
Position 2 — Tim Swaringen (incumbent), unopposed
Meadow ISD Board of Trustees
Three candidates are running for two seats:
- Rusty Day (incumbent)
- Joshua Ruiz (incumbent)
- Roy Martin
Because there are more candidates than positions available, voters will decide which two individuals will serve on the board.
Wellman-Union CISD Board of Trustees
Two incumbents have filed for re-election without opposition:
- Barrett Brown
- James Harlen
Early Voting for Municipal Election
Early voting for the May 3 election will begin Monday, April 20, 2026.
Early voting will not be held on Tuesday, April 21, due to a state holiday. Voting will resume on Wednesday, April 22, through Friday, April 24, and again the following week on Monday, April 27, and Tuesday, April 28.
Republican Primary Runoff – Tuesday, May 26
Later in the month, voters will return to the polls again for the Republican Primary Runoff Election on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
This election stems from the March 3 Texas Primary, when several races failed to produce a candidate with more than 50 percent of the vote.
Terry County Local Results from the Primary
One local race was decided outright.
Terry County Clerk
- Nancy Gonzales — 733
- Jeffrey Davis — 657
Gonzales won the Republican nomination by 76 votes and is considered the Terry County Clerk-Elect, as no Democratic challenger filed for the position. She will take office on January 1, 2027.
Terry County Precinct 4 Commissioner
This race will head to a runoff after no candidate received a majority of the vote.
- Michael Dawson — 134 votes (36.81%)
- Elvis Rodriguez — 117 votes (32.14%)
- Ernesto Elizardo — 113 votes (31.04%)
The top two vote-getters — Michael Dawson and Elvis Rodriguez — will now face each other in the Republican runoff election in May.
Congressional and Statewide Runoffs
Several major statewide races also advanced to runoff elections.
U.S. House – District 19 (Republican Primary)
After a lengthy canvassing of ballots, the race for second place between Abraham Enriquez and Matt Smith proved to be extremely close. The final certified vote totals show Enriquez with 14,579 votes and Smith with 14,381—a difference of just 198 votes.
In Terry County, Tom Sell led the field with 648 votes, accounting for 51.2% of the total. Enriquez finished second locally with 277 votes, or 21.9%.
Because no candidate received a majority of the overall vote in District 19, Tom Sell and Abraham Enriquez will advance to a runoff election.
U.S. Senate – Republican Primary
Senator John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton will compete in a high-profile runoff for the Republican nomination.
Texas Attorney General – Republican Primary
Mayes Middleton and Chip Roy will advance to a runoff after neither secured a majority.
Other statewide races were decided during the March primary.
Governor
Republican nominee — Greg Abbott
Democratic nominee — Gina Hinojosa
Lieutenant Governor
Republican nominee — Dan Patrick
Texas Comptroller
Republican nominee — Don Huffines
Texas Agriculture Commissioner
Republican nominee — Nate Sheets, who defeated incumbent Sid Miller
U.S. Senate – Democratic Primary
James Talarico secured the Democratic nomination after defeating Jasmine Crockett.
Early Voting for Runoff Election
Early voting for the Republican runoff election will take place Monday, May 18, through Friday, May 22, 2026.
Election Day will be Tuesday, May 26.
Ballots cast by mail must also be received by May 26 to be counted.
Two Elections, Two Different Ballots
Election officials emphasize that the May 3 municipal election and the May 26 Republican Primary runoff are completely separate elections with different ballots and different voting dates.
The May 2 election focuses on local city, school, and district leadership, while the May 26 election determines Republican nominees for several county, statewide, and federal offices ahead of the November 2026 General Election.
Voters are encouraged to review both ballots carefully and participate in each election that applies to them.
