The Pecan Valley Women’s Club will be hosting a 2014 Primary Candidates Forum on Thursday, February 13, 2014 at 6 p.m., just a few days before early voting begins on February 18. The forum will be held at Ranger College, 300 Early Blvd., on the backside of the Heartland Mall.
Candidates in both local and state Republican Primary races have been invited and most have confirmed representation. Candidates include U.S. Representative District 11 – Mike Conaway and Wade Brown; Governor – Greg Abbott, Lisa Fritsch, Miriam Martinez and Secede Kilgore; Attorney General – Barry Smitherman, Dan Branch and Ken Paxton; State Representative District 60 – Cullen Crisp and James L. “Jim” Keffer; Judge Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3 – Barbara Walther, and Bert Richardson; Judge Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4 – Jani Jo Wood, Kevin Patrick Yeary, and Richard Dean Davis; Justice 11 Court of Appeals Place 2 – Mike Wilson, Justice 11th Court of Appeals Place 3 – Cade W. Browning and John Bailey.
Local Candidates include County Judge – Ray West – Incumbent, Dennis Graham, and Ronnie Lappe; Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 – Walter B. Croft – Incumbent, unopposed; Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 – Bob Wall – Incumbent, Michael Holder, and John Lawson, Sr.; Justice of the Peace 3 – Bryan Thompson – Incumbent, unopposed; Justice of the Peace Precinct 4 – Jim Cavanaugh – Incumbent, unopposed; County Court at Law – Frank Griffin – Incumbent and Sam Moss; Constable Precinct 3 – C.T. Ham – Incumbent, Jason Cockerham and Roy Parrack; Commissioner Precinct 2 – Joel Kelton – Incumbent and Adron Beck; Commissioner Precinct 4 – Larry Traweek – Incumbent and David Carroll; District Clerk – Brenda Arp, Sheena Cantwell and Cheryl Jones; County Clerk – Sharon Ferguson – Incumbent, unopposed; County Tax Collector/Assessor – Christine Pentacost – Incumbent, unopposed; County Treasure – Ann Krpoun – Incumbent, unopposed; County Surveyor – Don King – Incumbent, unopposed.
Each candidate will be allowed a few minutes to introduce themselves and briefly state why they feel they should be elected. Then each opposed candidate will be asked a few questions and given the opportunity to express views or plans concerning those issues. Questions are encouraged to be submitted by email at rebecca@earlytx.com by February 12. Questions will be screened and given to Leland Acker who will be asking the questions to the candidates. We will be accepting questions at the forum in writing only. Unopposed candidates that attend will be given a minute to introduce themselves and state what position they are running for but will not be asked questions because of time constraints. All candidates are encouraged to bring brochures, signs etc. to the forum to be available for attendees.
This will be the second of 3 candidate forums coming up. The first will be held on Monday, February 10th at 7 p.m., at Adams Street Community Center, 510 E. Adams. That forum, organized by Brown County Republican Women’s Club will include county candidates for the upcoming Republican Primary Election.
The third will be hosted by the Brownwood Area Chamber of Commerce on February 21st at noon at the Brownwood Country Club.
