Primary Roundup: Key County Races

It wasn't just statewide elections that stole the show on Tuesday night. Here's a look at down-ballot primary races that made headlines in key counties. 

Bexar County

County Judge (Democratic primary)

County Commissioner Tommy Adkisson scored endorsements from Democrats such as U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett in his bid to unseat incumbent Nelson Wolff, but it wasn't enough. Wolff won with about 57 percent of the vote. Adkisson took home 43 percent.

Dallas County

District Attorney (Republican primary)

Two Republicans vied for the chance to unseat Democrat Craig Watkins. Susan Hawk, a former state district judge who recently switched back to the Republican Party after spending a few years as a Democrat, faced Tom Nowak, a former Dallas County prosecutor fired by Watkins after attending a Republican election night party in 2010. (Watkins has said the firing was not politically motivated.) Hawk won the nomination with about 63 percent of the vote; Nowak finished with 37 percent.

El Paso County

County Clerk (Democratic primary)

Incumbent Delia Briones faced two primary challengers, including Valerie Sanchez, who worked at the clerk’s office as chief deputy until Briones fired her. Briones got the most votes — 41 percent — and will face Sanchez, who got nearly 30 percent of the vote, in a runoff. Rosa Cervantes narrowly missed making the runoff, getting about 29 percent of the vote. 

Harris County

County Republican Party Chairman

Incumbent Jared Woodfill drew two challengers and was unseated by one, Paul Simpson, who raised significantly more money. Simpson won with 53 percent of the vote, compared with Woodfill's 37 percent. Wendy McPherson Berry finished with 10 percent.

Hidalgo County

District Attorney (Democratic primary)

Longtime incumbent René Guerra fell to onetime ally and former state district Judge Ricardo Rodriguez. No Republican ran. Guerra would have become the longest-serving district attorney in state history if he had won and served out his term. Instead, Rodriguez won with 64 percent of the vote, while Guerra finished with 36 percent.

Travis County

County Judge (Democratic primary)

In a county that favors Democrats, former county Democratic Party chairman Andy Brown and former county commissioner Sarah Eckhardt vied for a seat that’s open for the first time since 1998. A final vote tally is not expected until Thursday, but Brown has conceded the election, the Austin American-Statesman reported. Eckhardt was leading with nearly 55 percent of the vote; Brown had about 45 percent.

County Treasurer (Democratic primary)

Longtime incumbent Dolores Ortega Carter was leading Ramey Ko, a lawyer who raised more money (he raised much of the money when he was a candidate for Texas House District 50), with about 54 percent of the vote. A final vote tally was expected on Thursday. No Republican is running.