Powers wins county judge race; Abbott stays

Large turnout for midterm

By Chris Edwards
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TYLER COUNTY – The 2022 midterm election in Tyler County was marked for the history books in several ways.

The election drew two write-in candidates, including one who aspired to the office of County Judge. The election also featured a high turnout for early voting, and up on the ballot, at the statewide level, was a nationally watched showdown between a former congressman and an incumbent governor.

The hotly watched race for Tyler County Judge saw Republican nominee Milton Powers earn 70%, or 2,202 of the votes and Democratic Party nominee Wesley Whitman ended up with 10% votes (322 votes). Neil Alderman, who entered the race in August as a write-in Republican, ended up winning the seat with 20%, or 624 of the votes.

At press time, the tabulations for the early voting numbers for these candidates were not available. All numbers represented here are unofficial results. These results are from the 18 precinct boxes reporting.

Another write-in candidate, Amanda Radke Hastings, managed to get 12% of the votes to incumbent Buck Hudson’s 88% for the office of Commissioner Pct. 4.

At press time, the gubernatorial race between Gov. Greg Abbott and Democrat challenger Beto O’Rourke was being called for Abbott. Abbott received 2,169 votes to O’Rourke’s 301 in Tyler County, not counting early voting results.

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The turnout was high for voters who took advantage of the two-week early voting period. In total, 3,699 Tyler County voters turned out to the polls. In the last midterm, in 2018, early voting turnout was 3,265, or 24% of the county’s electorate at the time.

At the statewide level, early voting numbers dropped when compared to the 2018 midterm. According to unofficial totals by the Secretary of State’s office, the turnout is about 31%, while 2018 results indicated that the early voting tally was nearly 40%.

Tyler Countians overwhelmingly re-elected Rep. Brian Babin to another term in Congress. Babin notched 88% of the votes, or 2,189 votes, to Democratic challenger Jon Haire’s 292 votes. Other statewide races showed Republicans keeping their offices, with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton both earning re-election.

Spurger ISD candidates Forrest Anderson received 235 votes; Jessica Hensarling 179; Brent Marcum 357 and Paul Bingham 360.

Woodville ISD candidates John M. Wilson received 352 votes; Kevin McQueen 237 and Ben Shepherd 147 for Place No. 6. For Place No. 7, Josh McClure received 522 votes to Eleanor Holderman’s 240.

The Woodville mayoral race saw Amy Bythewood receive 39% of the votes over Sarah Stephens’s 10%; incumbent Paula Jones’s 29% and Michael G. Maness’s 22%.

The Woodville City Council races saw Kelly Cordes Dillard receive 59% to challenger Lori Benthall’s 41% and Mike Cabaniss got 51% to Elizabeth Grammer’s 49%.

Incumbent Ivanhoe mayor Cathy Bennett received 38% of the vote to challenger Skip Blackstone’s 53% and Robert Stoneman’s 9%.

These results are what were available at press time.

For an up-to-date slate of results, counting the early voting totals, please visit the Booster’s Facebook page.