More Democrats voted straight ticket in Hays

Republicans maintained control of the Texas state government, retaining the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller and other top-level positions along with control of the state House and Senate. Republicans also came out ahead in Hays County’s three commissioners races, and in several races in Hays County — including district attorney, district clerk, county treasurer, county surveyor and several judicial races — Re- publicans ran unopposed. Yet the numbers show that overall, Hays County voted bluer in the Nov. 6 midterm election.

The Texas Tribune took note of the shift, mentioning Hays County in an analysis of suburban areas of Texas that flipped to blue — or noticeably less red —in Tuesday’s senate race between Democrat Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke and Republican incumbent Ted Cruz. Williamson County, north of Austin, and Fort Bend County, outside of Houston, favored O’Rourke, as did Hays County — by about a 15 percent margin.

According to figures from the county elections office, more Hays County residents voted straight-ticket Democrat than straight-ticket Republican. A Democrat, Ruben Becerra, won the county judge seat by more than 2,000 votes over his Republican opponent, Will Conley. Democrat Elaine Hanson Cardenas defeated incumbent Republican Liz Q. Gonzalez for county clerk by about 5,000 votes. Democrat Erin Zwiener, who won the race for State Representative District 45, received about 7 percent more votes in Hays County than her opponent, Republican Ken Strange.

Even in the races where Republicans won, Hays County tallies favored Democratic candidates. Hays County voters favored Democrat Joseph Kopser over Republican Chip Roy in the U.S. Representative District 21 race by about a 7 percent margin, though Roy ultimately defeated Kopser. In the State Senate District 25 race, about 2 percent more Hays County voters cast ballots for Democrat Steven Kling than for Republican incumbent Donna Campbell, but Campbell won her district overall. In the races for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, more Hays County voters cast ballots for Democrats than for Republicans. In the races for state comptroller and General Land Office commissioner, Hays favored the Democrats

by about a 6 percent margin, while an approximate 7 percent margin separated the candidates for agriculture commissioner and railroad commissioner. In the attorney general’s race, Hays County favored Democrat Justin Nelson over Ken Paxton by about 12 percent.

One notable exception was in the race for U.S. Representative District 25, where Hays County voters favored the Republican candidate, Roger Williams, by about a 6 percent margin over Democratic candidate Julie Oliver. Williams’ district stretches from Dallas to Dripping Springs roughly along the I-35 corridor.

One added factor in this year’s mid-term election was the expansion of voting hours on the Texas State University Campus by the Hays County Commissioners Court. This was done because of lawsuit threat by the Texas Civil Rights Project, MOVE Texas Action Fund, and the League of Women Voters of Hays County. Previously, the voting location on campus had served as a temporary site, and had not previously been open during the entire two-weeks of early voting. The commissioners also agreed to add an election day voting site on the Texas State University Campus.