Independent announces candidacy for Hays County Commissioner

Susan Cook, of Driftwood, is running as an independent for Hays County Commissioner, Precinct 4.

Cook will run against incumbent Republican Walt Smith in the general election this November. Early voting for the race will begin Monday, Oct. 24, and end Friday, Nov. 4. Election Day will take place Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Cook said she came to realize she can best serve her community by representing their interests at the Commissioners Court after years of attending Commissioners Court and Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District meetings, as well as being involved in local advocacy groups as a volunteer. For the independent candidate, issues involving water, roads and development are a priority.

“Hays County has become increasingly diverse and populous, and the priorities of the more urban I-35 Corridor communities of Buda, Kyle and San Marcos sometimes differ from those voiced by citizens in Dripping Springs, Driftwood and Wimberley,” she said. “The people who live here … should be determining their own future, not the developers, real estate interests and road engineering companies who seem to have an outsized influence in our county and city planning and development processes. Dripping Springs … and Driftwood are unique and beautiful parts of Texas, cherished by those of us who live here, and we need to work together to ensure that the things we love and enjoy about living here will still be here for our children and grandchildren.”

Cook grew up in Texarkana and has lived in Texas her whole life. She attended The University of Texas at Austin for her Bachelor of Arts degree in government and while studying sustainable design at the UT School of Architecture.

“I would be honored to serve my friends and neighbors here in Precinct 4 and bring the voices and concerns of the people who live here back into how things are done at the Commissioners Court,” she said. “As County Commissioner, I would protect, preserve and defend our treasured aquifer water resources and those creeks and streams that set this area apart as a beautiful, unique and a great place to live and raise our families. Let’s work together, as a community of voices, to continue to build a prosperous, sustainable, healthy and beautiful Hays County.”

Visit susan44.com to find out more about Cook and her campaign.