Alejandra Yañez and Omar Zapata | THE RIDER
Victor G. Ramirez | VAQUERO RADIO
Steven Hughes | PULSE
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In one of the most anticipated presidential races in U.S. history, President Donald J. Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden were neck and neck throughout election night in the battle to become the next commander-in-chief.
As of 12:10 a.m. today, unofficial results for the presidential election showed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ahead of Republican incumbent Donald J. Trump with 223 to 212 electoral votes, according to the Associated Press.
In Texas, Trump led Biden 5,499,487 to 4,881,176 votes with 96% of counties reporting.
Libertarian presidential candidate Jo Jorgensen and running mate Jeremy Cohen had received 116,009 votes, while Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins and running mate Angela Walker tallied 30,200 votes in Texas.
Voters in Cameron and Hidalgo counties also cast ballots in races ranging from the U.S. presidential election, U.S. senator and U.S. representatives to Texas Supreme Court chief justice and county sheriff.
CAMERON COUNTY
Manuel Gamez/Pulse Photos
With all 103 precincts reporting, Biden and vice presidential running mate Kamala Harris led Trump and incumbent Mike Pence in Cameron County by a vote of 56,714 to 46,141.
Asked if this was a record turnout for Cameron County, Remi Garza, the Cameron County Elections administrator, replied, “Yes. Based on what we saw in the early voting and the return ballot by mail, we had already surpassed 2016’s total votes, which was our highest election in the past for number of voters. The turnout percentage, actually, we’re gonna see is gonna be even higher than that one. So, we should break the 50% by the time all the polls come in.”
Democratic nominee Mary “MJ” Hegar was ahead in the Texas U.S. senate race with 54,609 votes. Incumbent John Cornyn (R-Texas) had garnered 43,338 votes; Kerry Douglas McKennon, 1,730; and David B. Collins, 1,379. Statewide, Republican incumbent John Cornyn was leading the race with 5,330,812 votes.
In the state Supreme Court chief justice race, Democrat Amy Clark Meachum, had 55,171 votes; Republican incumbent Nathan Hecht, 38,027; and Libertarian Mark Ash, 2,900.
Manuel Gamez/Pulse Photos
Statewide, Hecht was ahead with 5,214,919 votes, followed by Meachum had 4,356,127 votes to Ash’s 235,382 votes.
Democratic incumbent Filemon B. Vela was leading the race for District 34 U.S. representative with 61,299 votes in the county. Republican candidate Rey Gonzalez tallied 37,426 votes; Libertarian challenger Anthony Cristo, 1,788; and Independent Chris B. Royal, 1,112.
Districtwide, Vela was ahead with 98,248 votes to Gonzalez’s 75,858 votes. Cristo tallied 2,903 votes and Royal 1,996.
In the District 27 state senator race, Democratic incumbent Eddie Lucio Jr. easily triumphed over Republican challenger Vanessa Tijerina with 62,572 votes to 36,822.
Districtwide, Lucio tallied 126,224 votes to Tijerina’s 69,704.
Democrat Eric Garza, who defeated longtime incumbent Omar Lucio in the primary runoff, led the Cameron County sheriff race with 59,853 votes. Republican John Chambers had received 38,291 votes.
In the District Clerk race, Democrat Laura Perez-Reyes garnered 59,409 votes and Republican Mirla Veronica Deaton, 37,810.
Asked why there was a record turnout, Garza replied, “I think people were connected to this election. You know presidential elections always have greater interest in the community, but I think what was happening in the national level filtered down to the local level and people acted on it.”
He said this election resulted in a greater turnout of early voters than in the 2016 election.
“We had a lot more people voting,” Garza said. “During early voting we had a much stronger turnout in early voting this year than in 2016, but [2016] had a stronger election night than we had this year. But everything seems to be working out for the best.”
Asked what his message was to voters, he replied, “We want to thank [voters] for coming out and participating in this democracy that we love.”
Manuel Gamez/Pulse Photos
BISD board of trustees
Five positions were decided in the Brownsville Independent School District board of trustees election.
Denise Garza was leading in the race for Place 2 with 16,219 votes. Jaime Diez tallied 13,003 votes and Frankie Olivo, 11,394.
In the Place 3 race, Jessica G. Gonzalez had the lead with 18,406 votes. Philip T. Cowen garnered 12,878 votes; Viro Cardenas, 4,873; and Argelia Miller, 4,049.
Daniella Lopez Valdez outpaced her opponent for Place 5 with 26,024 votes. Erasmo Castro received 14,949 votes.
In the Place 6 race, Minerva Peña led with 15,233 votes. Marisa F. Leal tallied 15,224 votes and Joe A. Rodriguez, 9,720.
Eddie Garcia defeated Carlos Elizondo, 24,176 votes to 15,931, in the Place 7 race.
Hidalgo County
With 87.45% of precincts reporting, Biden led Trump in the county by a vote of 115,145 to 79,212.
In the Texas U.S. Senate race, Democrat Mary “MJ” Hegar garnered 104,915 votes; incumbent John Cornyn, 74,647 votes; Kerry Douglas McKennon, 4,170; and David B. Collins, 2,554.
Amy Clark Meachum tallied 110,685 votes in the Supreme Court chief justice race; incumbent Nathan Hecht, 67,019; and Mark Ash, 4,562.
Incumbent Democrat Vicente Gonzalez led in the U.S. Representative District 15 race with 78,105 votes. Republican Monica De La Cruz garnered 49,163 votes; and Libertarian Ross Lynn Leone, 2,150.
Districtwide, Gonzalez led with 114,314 votes; Cruz-Hernandez, 107,458; and Leone, 4,251.
In the U.S. Representative District 28 race, Democratic incumbent Henry Cuellar led with 20,443 votes to Republican Sandra Whitten’s 10,545. Libertarian Bekah Congdon tallied 657 votes.
Districtwide, Cuellar led with 87,871 votes; Whitten, 73,130; and Congdon, 3,668.
Incumbent Democrat Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa led in the District 20 state senator race with 74,086 votes, compared to 40,309 votes for Republican opponent Judy Cutright.
Districtwide, Hinojosa led with 152,412 votes to Cutright’s 108,827.
In the state representative District 41 race, Democratic incumbent Bobby Guerra led Republican John Robert Guerra, 29,543 votes to 21,330.
Districtwide, Bobby Guerra led with 31,853 votes to John Robert Guerra’s 23,214.
In the 464th State District Court judgeship race, Democratic challenger Jose Ramirez led Republican incumbent Ysmael Fonseca, who was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott in Aug. 2019, 112,415 votes to 66,506.
Democratic incumbent Sheriff J.E. “Eddie” Guerra was on his way to another term with 125,342 votes. Republican challenger Ezequiel “Zeik” Jurado garnered 58,029 votes.
ECISD board of trustees
Three positions were decided in the Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District board of trustees election.
In the Place 4 race, Luisa Alamia defeated incumbent Robert Peña Jr., 17,199 votes to 15,072.
Incumbent Carmen Gonzalez led the election in the Place 6 race with 18,254 votes, compared to Ramiro Guerra’s 13,467 votes.
In the Place 7 race, Miguel Farias outpaced John J. Rodriguez, 17,801 votes to 13,614.
Jacqueline Wallace/The Rider Photos
Jacqueline Wallace/The Rider Photos
