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| 3/5/2008 7:11:00 PM | Email this article • Print this article | Campaign emotion
Dems flock to polls; longtime constable out
BRAD STUTZMAN
Editor
GEORGETOWN - With final, unofficial results of Tuesday's primaries in, Williamson County Precinct 1 Commissioner Lisa Birkman seems to have weathered a Republican primary challenge from Steve Laukhuf, while 12-year veteran Pct. 1 Constable Gary Griffin appears to have been ousted by challenger Robert Chody.
In the District 52 State Rep. Republican primary, Dee Hobbs of Hutto and Bryan Daniel of Georgetown appeared headed for an April 8 runoff from the four-person primary field.
More than 76,000 Williamson County voters cast ballots - representing a turnout of more than 36 percent - which pleased candidates and party officials.
"Unbelievable in Williamson County, for Democrats," County Democratic Party Chairman Richard Torres of Round Rock said, taking in results from election central at the county's Inner Loop Annex.
Although Democratic presidential politics accounted for much of the turnout - where 63 percent of the early votes were cast in the Democratic primary - Republicans had all but one of the contested local primaries.
In the Pct. 1 Commissioners Court race Birkman, who is running for her second four-year term, had 2,480 votes (53.41 percent). Laukhuf - owner of a marketing firm and former publisher of the Round Rock Leader - had 2,163 votes (46.59 percent).
Birkman established her lead with the early-voting results and held onto it throughout the night.
"I just hope the voters saw through the negative campaigning my opponent did and I look forward to a campaign in the fall that's more on the issues," she said.
Birkman goes on to face Democratic challenger Mike Grimes, a Round Rock attorney who ran without opposition in his own party's primary.
Chody will have no November worries in the Pct. 1 Constable race, as Democrats did not field a candidate in that contest.
A former Austin police officer and current reserve deputy constable in Williamson County Pct. 2, Chody had 2,500 votes (56.52 percent) to 1,923 (43.48 percent) for Griffin.
"I attribute it to people who wanted change for a long time and finally got a candidate that came up to bat," Chody said.
Chody received endorsements from Republican officeholders such as District Attorney John Bradley, County Attorney Jana Duty, Pct. 2 Constable Dale Vannoy and Pct. 3 Constable Bobby Gutierrez.
Those officials rejected Griffin, who has been involved in a long and bitter lawsuit with county government regarding his former mental health duties.
Griffin - who was first elected in 1996 - remained defiant and upbeat Tuesday night.
"If that's the will of the voters, that's OK with me," he said. "I'm not into being pushed around."
The Williamson County GOP's closest contested primary came on the District 52 state representative race, where a four-person field has been vying to replace retiring legislator Mike Krusee.
Hobbs - a prosecutor with the County Attorney's office - seems to have claimed a slim victory, with 3,285 (31.76 percent) votes.
Close behind him was insurance executive Daniel, with 3,102 (29.9 percent) votes.
Round Rock political activist John Gordon appears destined to narrowly miss the runoff, with 3,019 (29.1 percent) votes.
Round Rock ISD Trustee Vivian Sullivan trailed with 938 (9.07 percent) votes.
Sullivan's fellow trustee, Diana Maldonado, ran unopposed as the Democratic candidate.
"This is really good," Hobbs said. "All the good that came of this campaign is the result of all the hard work of the people in this community. It's exhausting on the campaign trail, but the hard work paid off."
Daniel also attributed his success to long hours he and his supporters put in.
"One thing we tried to do was knock on as many doors as possible and talk to as many people as possible," Daniel said. "I learned a lot from the voters and I think people appreciate that personal touch."
In the only locally contested Democratic primary, Jim Dillon of Liberty Hill appeared on his way to capturing the Democratic nomination for District 20 state representative.
Dillon had 10,105 votes (62.8 percent) to 5,986 votes (37.2 percent) for Jim Surratt of Georgetown.
Dillon will take on Republican incumbent Dan Gattis of Georgetown (son of the county judge with the same name) in November.
Torres - the local Democratic Party chairman - noted this is the first time in a couple of decades Democratic primary voters cast more Williamson County ballots than Republican primary voters.
"We had about 13 percent Republican crossover in the early voting," Torres said. "We can go back and identify their history, how they voted in the [past] primary."
Williamson County Republican Party Chairman Bill Fairbrother of Round Rock acknowledged the phenomenon.
"Rush Limbaugh [was] encouraging everybody in Texas and Ohio to vote in the Democrat primary for Hillary [Clinton]," he said early Tuesday evening. "Though personally opposed to it, I have had several people tell me today they are doing just that."
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