County candidates hit the campaign trail
Groveton News - January 2008

GROVETON – With the roster of local candidates now completed the drawing for ballot position in the March 4 Democratic Party Primary Election will be held Friday in Groveton.

A total of 21 men and women formally filed to run for 10 county and precinct offices in the 2008 primary and they or their representatives will gather at 10 a.m. Friday at Groveton Floral to draw for positions on the ballot.

The florist shop is located at 133 N. Magee.

Because there were no candidates seeking the Republican Party’s nomination for the local offices, the winners in the March 4 Democratic Primary will be unopposed in the November general election.

The Republican Party will still host a primary election on March 4, but only district, state and national candidates will be on that ballot.

At the county level, the most popular race among candidates was that for the Trinity County sheriff’s position, which drew three contenders.

Sheriff Steven Lewis Jones, who was appointed to the post in April, is being challenged by Pct. 2 Constable Richard “Ricky” Hortman and retired Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission supervisor Brent Lee.

Jones was appointed to the post following the resignation last year of former Sheriff Jimmy Smith.

Also facing opposition in the primary is 258th District Attorney Joe Ned Dean, who is being challenged in his bid for a second four-year term by Janet Reynolds Cassels.

In the race for the Trinity County tax assessor-collector’s post, Jolie Webb Lane and Lindy Madden Warren are seeking the office that is being vacated by longtime Assessor-Collector Kathy McCarty. McCarty, who has held the post since 1997, announced her plan to retire when her current term ends in December.

The only county-wide posts on the March 4 primary ballot which are being sought only by the incumbents include that of county attorney and Democratic Party chairman.

Joe Warner Bell, who has held the county attorney’s position since 1977, is seeking his eighth full term in 2008.

Running unopposed for another four-year term as the local party chairman is Fredie L. Chapman.

In the precinct races, all incumbent candidates are being challenged in their re-election bids.

Pct. 1 Commissioner Grover “Tiger” Worsham is being challenged by Keith Kesinger.

Pct. 3 Commissioner Cecil Webb is being challenged by Randy Barrett.

Pct. 1 Constable Woody A. Wallace also is being challenged by Jim “Doc” McLaughlin; Pct. 3 Constable James O. Reynolds is being challenged by Steve “Rusty” Barrett; and Pct. 4 Constable Donald Kent Blanchard is being challenged by Richard Steptoe.

In the Precinct 2 constable race, Robert Sterling Johnson and W. Rankin Ramsey are seeking the position being vacated by Richard “Ricky” Hortman, who is in the race for sheriff.

In addition to the county and precinct races on the Democratic Party side, both March 4 primary elections will feature races at the district, state and national level.

In the races for the District 6 and 8 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, the two Republican incumbents will be unopposed in the primary election but will face challenges from Democrats in the November general election.

Seeking the District 6 congressional seat is Joe Barton (R-Ennis) while Kevin Brady (R-The Woodlands) is seeking re-election to the District 8 seat. District 6 includes most of Trinity County while District 8 includes are southern end of the county including Trinity and the communities of Sebastopol and Carlisle.

In the Democratic primary, Steven Bush and Ludwig Otto are seeking the District 6 nomination while Kent Hargett is running unopposed for the District 8 seat.

In the races for the District 12 seat in the Texas House of Representatives, longtime incumbent Jim McReynolds (D-Lufkin) will be unopposed for re-election in the March 4 Democratic Party primary as well as in the November general election.

Also unopposed in the March 4 Republican primary will be District 8 State Board of Education Member Barbara Cargill of The Woodlands. Because no Democrat filed for this office, Cargill also will be unopposed in November.