The early polls are open in the Texas Primary elections and only a few local seats are contested this election cycle.
Incumbent District 62 State Representative Reggie Smith has drawn a GOP primary challenge from former salon owner Shelley Luther. Luther made national headlines for defying Gov. Greg Abbott’s COVID-19 orders during the 2020 pandemic. She has since made multiple unsuccessful runs for public office. But, this time, she has Abbott’s endorsement after Smith repeatedly voted against the Governor’s proposed school voucher legislation.
The winner of the GOP primary race will face Democrat Tiffany Drake in the November General Election.
Locally, incumbent Precinct 3 Constable Todd Booher, a Republican, has drawn a primary challenge from former Whitesboro Police Chief Scott Taylor. Taylor was terminated from the City of Whitesboro in late 2023 after more than 30 years of service due to a lack of no confidence from the City Council. Booher is currently serving his fifth term in the office. He is a former police officer and a current real estate agent. No Democrat filed for this office, so the winner of the March primary will be the next Constable in Western Grayson County.
Longtime Precinct 3 County Commissioner Phyllis James will not seek another term in office. Republican Lindsay Wright, of Collinsville, has filed for her seat on the primary ballot. No Democrat has filed for the seat, so Wright will run unopposed in November.
At the countywide level, Grayson County District Attorney Brett Smith, a Republican, has filed for re-election. Republican John Kermit Hill has filed to run against Smith in the March primary. The winner of that contest will face Democrat Brandy Douglas in the November General Election.
Current Grayson County Sheriff Tom Watt did not file for re-election and has endorsed Chief Deputy Tony Bennie who has registered for the office as a Republican. With no Democrat challenger, Bennie will likely be the next sheriff.
Grayson County Tax Assessor Collector Bruce Stidham, a Republican, did not draw a challenger for the primary. No Democrat filed for the office so Stidham will likely retain the office in November.
Judge of the 59th state District Court Larry Phillips, a Republican, has not drawn a challenger in that primary. No Democrat filed for that office for the primary.
Jim Fallon, judge of the 15th state District Court, also failed to draw a challenger for the Republican primary. He, too, will run unopposed in November.
Across the county, Commissioner Precinct 1 Jeff Whitmire did not file for re-election. Josh Marr, Scott Renfro and Terry Thomas have all filed as Republicans to replace Whitmire.
The winner of that primary will face Democrat Andre Luper in the November General Election. Other primary contests across the county have shaped up as well. Ginny Hampton, Justice of the Peace Precinct 1, didn’t draw an opponent for the Republican primary for that office. No Democrat has filed for that office either.
Republican incumbent Thomas Carter didn’t draw an opponent for the post of Constable in Precinct 1. No Democrat filed for this office. In the Precinct 2 spot, Cody Michael Putnam has filed to run for Constable as a Republican along Shannon Thomas. No Democrat filed for this office, so the winner of the March Primary will get the job next year. Precinct 4 Constable Bob Douglas, a Republican, did not draw an opponent in the primary. No Democrat filed for that primary as well.
The primary election gives parties a chance to name their nominees for the November ballot as well as set agenda items for the platforms. Federal and statewide seats are also up for grabs in each primary. A sample of the Republican party ballot in Grayson county is as follows:
Sample Republican Party Ballot
Vote for One or None
Federal Office
President
Niki Haley
Chris Christie
David Stuckenberg
Vivek Ramaswamy
Ryan L. Binkley
Asa Hutchinson
Donald J. Trump
Ron DeSantis
Uncommitted
United States Senator
Ted Cruz
R E (Rufus) Lopez
Holland “Redd” Gibson
United States Representative District 4
Don Horn
Pat Fallon
State Railroad Commissioner
Corey Howell
Christie Craddick
Petra Reyes
Christie Clark
James “Jim” Matlock
Justice Supreme Court Place 2
Jimmy Blacklock
Justice Supreme Court, Place 4
John Devine
Brian Walker
Justice Supreme Court, Place 6
Jane Bland
Presiding Judge Court of Criminal Appeals
Sharon Keller
David J. Schenck
Judge Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 7
Gina Parker
Barbara Parker Hervey
Judge Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 8
Lee Finley
Michelle Slaughter
Member State Board of Education District 12
Matt Rostami
Chad Green
Pam Little
Jamie Kohlmann
State Senator District 30
Carrie De Moor
Brent Hagenbuch
Jace Yarbrough
Cody Clark
State Representative District 62
Reggie Smith
Shelley Luther
Chief Justice 5th Court of Appeals District
Justin J. “J.J.” Koch
Justice 5th Court of Appeals District, Place 2
Jessica Lewis
Justice 5th Court of Appeals District, Place 5
Cynthia Barbare
Justice 5th Court of Appeals District, Place 9
Matthew J. Kolodoski
Justice 5th Court of Appeals District, Place 10
Earl Jackson
Justice 5th Court of Appeals District, Place 11
Gino J. Rossini
Justice 5th Court of Appeals District, Place 12
Mike Lee
Justice 5th Court of Appeals District, Place 13
Emily A Miskel
County District Judge , 15th Judical District
Jim Fallon
District Judge, 59th Judicial District
Larry Phillips
Criminal District Attorney Grayson County
John Kermit Hill
Brett Smith
Grayson County Sheriff
Wm A. (Tony) Bennie
Grayson County Tax Assessor Collector
Bruce Stidham
Grayson County County Commissioner Precinct 1
Terry Thomas
Scott Renfro
Josh Marr
Justice of the Peace Precinct 1
Ginny Hampton
Constable Precinct 1
Thomas Carter
County Chair
Rick Staples
Brent Lawson
Propositions
Proposition 1
Texas should eliminate all property taxes without increasing Texans’ overall tax burden
Yes/No
Proposition 2
Texas should create a Border Protection Unit and deploy additional state law enforcement and military forces, to seal the border, to use physical force to prevent illegal entry and trafficking, and to deport illegal aliens to Mexico or their nations of origin.
Yes/No
Proposition 3
The Texas Legislature should require the use of E-verify by all employers in Texas to protect jobs for legal workers by preventing the hiring of illegal ailens.
Yes/No
Proposition 4
Texas Legislature should end all subsidies and public services, including in-state college tuition and enrollment in public schools, for illegal aliens
Yes/No
Proposition 5
Texas urges the United States Congress not to grant any form of amnesty or a pathway to legalization for illegal aliens
Yes/No
Proposition 6
The Texas Legislature should prohibit the deployment of the Texas National Guard to a foreign conflict unless Congress first formally declares war
Yes/No
Proposition 7
The Texas Legislature should establish authority within the Texas State Comptroller’s Office to administer access to gold and silver through the Texas Bullion Depository for use as legal tender
Yes/No
Proposition 8
The State of Texas should ensure that Texans are free to give or withhold consent for any vaccine without coercion
Proposition 9
The Republican Party of Texas should restrict voting in the Republican primary to only registered Republicans
Yes/No
Proposition 10
The Texas Constitution should be amended to restore authority to the Texas Attorney General to prosecute election crimes
Yes/No
Proposition 11
Texas parents and guardians should have the right to select schools, whether public or private for their children, and the funding should follow the student
Yes/No
Proposition 12
The Texas Constitution should be amended to require proof of citizenship before any individual can be registered to vote
Yes/No
Proposition 13
Texas should ban the sale of Texas land to citizens, governments, and entities from China, Iran, North Korea and Russia
Yes/No
Sample Democrat Party Ballot
Vote for One or None
Federal offices
President
Dean Phillips
Gabriel A. Cornejo
Star Locke
Frank Lozada
Cenk Uygur
Armando “Mando”
Perez-Serrato
Marianne Willamson
Joseph R. Biden Jr.
United States Senator
Roland Gutierrez
Theirry Tchenko
Meri Gomez
Heli Rodriquez Prillman
Mark Gonzalez
Steven J. Keogh
Carl Oscar Sherman
A. “Robert” Hassan
United States Representative District 4
Simon Cardell
State Railroad Commissioner
Bill Burch
Katherine Culbert
Justice Supreme Court Place 2
DeSean Jones
Randy Sarosdy
Justice Supreme Court, Place 4
Christine Vinh Weems
Justice Supreme Court, Place 6
Joe Pool
Bonnie Lee Goldstein
Presiding Judge Court of Criminal Appeals
Holly Taylor
Judge Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7
Nancy Mulder
Judge Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8
Chika Anyiam
Member State Board of Education District 12
George King
State Senator District 30
Michael Braxton
Dale Frey
Matthew McGhee
State Representative District 62
Tiffany Drake
Chief Justice 5th Court of Appeals District
Dennise Garcia
Staci Williams
Justice 5th Court of Appeals District, Place 2
Robbie Partida-Kipness
Justice 5th Court of Appeals District, Place 5
Erin A. Nowell
Justice 5th Court of Appeals District, Place 9
Tina Clinton
Justice 5th Court of Appeals District, Place 10
Amanda Reichek
Justice 5th Court of Appeals District, Place 11
Cory Carlyle
Kim Cooks
Justice 5th Court of Appeals District, Place 12
Ken Molberg
Justice 5th Court of Appeals District, Place 13
Tonya Parker
County Criminal District Attorney Grayson County
Brandy Douglas
Grayson County County Commissioner Precinct 1
Andre Luper
County Chair
Barbara Rush
Multiple Early Locations are open across Grayson County. Locally, early voting is underway at Whitesboro City Hall, 111 W. Main. Early voting opened Tuesday, Feb. 20 and will be open 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. through Saturday, Feb. 24. Polls will be open from noon - 6 p.m. Sunday and then from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. Feb. 26-March 1. Polling locations will be open across the county on Election Day March 5.
Texas is an open primary state, meaning any registered voter may vote in the Democratic or Republican primary election. All voters should be prepared to show a valid photo ID at the polls in order to vote.