Back to the ballot box: Election Day in Lubbock features races for mayor, city council

Alex Driggars, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
·4 min read
Voters wait in line at Calvary Baptist Church on Election Day, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voters wait in line at Calvary Baptist Church on Election Day, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Saturday is Election Day for municipal and school board elections across the region.

In the City of Lubbock, voters will decide who represents them in three City Council seats and as mayor. Several Lubbock ISD school board seats are contested as well.

Early voting ran from April 25 to May 3, with 15,804 votes cast early in Lubbock County, according to the elections office. That's up about 46 percent from the 10,802 votes cast early during the 2018 municipal elections.

Lubbock May election ballot: Here are the candidates running for mayor and City Council

Polls open at 7 a.m. Saturday and anyone standing in line by 7 p.m. will be able to vote. Voters will need a form of identification to cast a ballot. Acceptable forms of photo ID include: Texas driver license, Texas election ID certificate, Texas personal ID card, Texas handgun license, U.S. citizenship certificate with photo, U.S. military ID with photo or U.S. passport.

If a voter does not have an ID and cannot reasonably obtain one, other options are available. Those are listed at votelubbock.org or by calling (806) 775-1339.

A voter is seen on primary Election Day, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, at Calvary Baptist Church. Municipal election day is this Saturday, May 7.
A voter is seen on primary Election Day, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, at Calvary Baptist Church. Municipal election day is this Saturday, May 7.

Lubbock

The mayoral race features five candidates: Tray Payne, Gulrez "Gus" Khan, Stephen Sanders, Adam Hernandez and Epifanio "Major" Garza. Incumbent mayor Dan Pope is not seeking reelection after three terms.

For the District 1 City Council spot, two candidates are on the ballot. Voters will choose between Christy Martinez-Garcia and Pat Kelly.

More: Lubbock mayoral candidates showcase platforms in forum

Our view: Tray Payne gets our endorsement for Lubbock mayor

Our view: Our recommendations for Lubbock City Council races

In a crowded race for District 5 City Council, five candidates are on the ballot. Jennifer Wilson, Bill Felton, Keri Thomas and Chase Head are all vying for the spot, challenging incumbent Randy Christian.

More: Four District 5 Lubbock council candidates draw attention to Jennifer Wilson's backing

Mark McBrayer is running unopposed for the District 3 City Council seat.

Three seats on the Lubbock Independent School District Board of Trustees are on the ballot as well. Incumbent trustee Jason Ratliff will face Jason Rinaldo for the District 3 seat, and incumbent Ryan Curry is challenged by Bethany Luna for the District 4 spot. Brian Carr and Angelina Mojica are both challenging incumbent Beth Bridges for an at-large position.

More: Political Action Committees playing larger-than-normal role in Lubbock ISD board elections

Lubbock-Cooper ISD trustees BJ Lewis, Ursula Caswell, Paul Ehlers and Brent Preston are each seeking another term unopposed.

Wolfforth

One Wolfforth City Council seat is up for a vote this time. Incumbent councilman Corey Layman is facing David E. Cooper and Gregory Stout for that seat.

The mayor and two city councilmembers were unopposed and declared elected: Mayor Charles Addington II and councilmembers Chelsea Salazar and Charlotte McDonald, who are all fulfilling unexpired terms.

Incumbents Brad Draper and Andrew Cox have no challengers in their bids for another term on the Frenship ISD school board.

Lubbock County residents can vote at any of a number of voting centers across the county. A full list of polling places and other information is available online at votelubbock.org or by calling (806) 775-1339.

Plainview

Six candidates filed for seats on the Plainview City Council. Incumbent District 1 Councilwoman Nelda VanHoose will face challenger Elizabeth Dickerson.

Incumbents in the other three seats up for election will not run because they have hit their term limits. Only one of those is a contested race.

David Greve and Gary House are both seeking the District 4 City Council seat. Steve Martinez is the unopposed candidate for District 2 and John M. "Mike" McDonough is the sole candidate for District 3.

Two incumbent Plainview ISD trustees will face multiple opponents as seven candidates compete for two seats. Incumbent Tyler James in Precinct 3 will face challengers Danny Salazar, Robert Nava and Ted Baker for his seat. Amber Bass, current board member for Precinct 4, is challenged by David Murphree and Johnny Hill.

Election Day voting in all Plainview city races and most school district races will take place at the Ollie Liner Center, 2000 S. Columbia St. A few voting precincts in Plainview ISD will cast votes at the Lamond Community Center in Hale Center, 110 Stevenson St.

Levelland

The City of Levelland had two City Council seats up for election; one incumbent faces a challenger.

Jim Myatt, Councilman for District A, will face Devin Sonnenburg to keep his seat. District C Councilwoman Breann Buxkemper is unopposed and deemed elected.

Two candidates are on the ballot for Levelland ISD District 3 trustee. They are Mike Stafford and Drew DeArmond. Rusty Gibson, the incumbent, is not seeking re-election.

Voters in District A voters will cast their ballot at the Hockley County Tax Office, 624 Ave. H, Suite 103.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Election Day in Lubbock features races for mayor, city council