Gutierrez Cohen secures spot on November ballot in Hays County commissioner race
Democrat Michelle Gutierrez Cohen will move on to the November ballot in the race for the Precinct 2 Hays County commissioner seat.
Gutierrez Cohen beat out challenger Linda Aguilar Hawkins in a primary runoff May 24 garnering 52.76%, or 469 votes, according to final but unofficial results. All results are unofficial until canvassed.
According to the Hays County elections website, more than 13,300 people cast a ballot, which is about 4.1% of the county's 322,142 registered voters.
Gutierrez Cohen — the founder of Hays Latinos United, a group that provides COVID-19 resources to the community — previously told the American-Statesman that her priority is public health and safety.
She said Precinct 2 is more than 50% Latino, a community that has been hit hard by the pandemic.
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But just as news emerged of the tragedy in Uvalde in which a shooter killed 19 students and two teachers, she said that she could do nothing more but think about the affected families. She urged supporters to call their “elected officials to demand action against our gun laws.”
“This morning, as I am beyond humbled by our campaign's victory last night, all my thoughts are about the children of Uvalde and the two teachers,” she said in a Facebook post. “Sending my 10-year-old to school this morning was difficult. I almost kept her home but I knew she wanted to spend her last full day with classmates and teachers, just like those children in Uvalde wished to do.”
She also urged the community to donate blood, if they are able.
The Central Texas blood bank, We Are Blood, says donations can be scheduled online at WeAreBlood.org or by phone at 512-206-1266.
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Gutierrez Cohen will take on Republican candidate Mike Gonzalez, who garnered the majority of the votes for his party in the March primary.
Gonzalez is a two-term Kyle mayor and economic development executive with 15 years of experience implementing strategic economic initiatives. He said Precinct 2 has grown so rapidly that his priority is preserving residents' quality of life while ensuring that the county grows and flourishes.
The winner in November will replace Commissioner Mark Jones, who is running for county judge against incumbent Ruben Becerra. Jones' term is set to expire this year.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Gutierrez Cohen on November ballot in Hays County Commissioner race
