Cole

Castloo

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Wood County voters will return to the polls to complete the task of choosing Republican candidates for the November general election.

Two of the county’s six contested races went to runoffs, which will be held on Tuesday, May 26.

Both incumbents advanced to the next round.

Sheriff Tom Castloo, seeking a second term, garnered 3,728 votes, or 40.1 percent. He will face Kelly Cole, the Quitman police chief, who received 4,526 votes, or 48.7 percent. Cole was 123 votes shy of winning the election outright to avoid a runoff in the 4-way race.

For Precinct 1 county commissioner, Virgil Holland led the field with 1,236 votes or 43.74%. He faces a runoff with former commissioner Keith Gilbreath, who earned 977 votes or 34.57%. J.R. Douglas was third with 21.69%.

Cole won 12 of the county’s 14 voting boxes, with Castloo winning two, one in Winnsboro (4-2) and one in Mineola (2-3).

Holland won three of four voting boxes. He won voting Precinct One with 484 votes to 369 for Gilbreath. Gilbreath won Precinct Two with 343 to 305 for Douglas and 255 for Holland. Holland received 331 votes in Precinct Three and Gilbreath 209. In Precinct Four Holland took 166 votes, Gilbreath  53.

In 2016 Holland edged Gilbreath 1,391 to 1,335 in the primary. In 2012 the two advanced to a runoff in a four-way race, with Holland polling 564 votes and Gilbreath 511. The other two candidates each had 22% of the votes. In the runoff Holland won with 58% of the vote.

In the race for district judge, won by challenger Brad McCampbell 53.7% to 46.3%, incumbent Jeff Fletcher won five boxes, all on the east side of the county, to McCampbell’s nine.

Angela Albers won all 14 boxes in taking 63.6% of the vote for district attorney over Jodi Cox.

Castloo was also involved in a runoff in 2016. He led the primary with 3,175 votes, or 30.1%. Ed Shadbolt received 2,655 votes or 25.9%. Castloo received 2,693 in the runoff to Shadbolt’s 2,671.

Those who voted in the March 3 primaries can participate in the runoff but may not switch parties.

Those who did not vote in the primary but are registered can vote in either runoff. Those not registered can still take part in the runoff by registering before April 27.

Early voting will be May 18-22.

As there are no local Democrats on the ballot, all the Republican primary and runoff winners will be elected without opposition on Nov. 3 and take office Jan. 1, 2021.

The election turnout in Wood County was 36.45%, with 11,223 votes cast from the 30,787 registered. Of those, 5,723 Republicans voted early in person and 588 by mail, with 4,392 on Election Day.

The Republican presidential primary attracted the most votes, 9,528, followed by the sheriff’s race, with 9,297.

Some 591 Democrats voted early in person and 167 by mail. On Election Day 870 Democrats voted.

Largest turnout was in Box 2-2 with 1,365 votes cast (west Mineola-Lake Holbrook).

In the presidential primary, Donald Trump was the Republican winner, receiving 95.63% of the Wood County vote. Seven candidates split the remaining votes. Trump got 94% statewide.

U.S. Senator John Cornyn won the nomination for another term with 76.3% and received 79.48% in Wood County. Dwayne Stovall received 10.73% locally.

Lance Gooden polled 82.4% in Wood County and 83.6% across the 5th Congressional District, seeking a second term as the Republican nominee.

U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert won the GOP nomination with almost 90% of the votes in the 1st District and almost 82% in Wood County.

For the open Texas Railroad Commission seat, Ryan Sitton won Wood County with 51.77%, but James Wright won the Republican nomination with 56%.

On the Democratic side, Joe Biden won the Texas presidential primary and took 51% of the vote in Wood County with Bernie Sanders a distant second with 17.5%.

The U.S. Senate Democratic nomination will be decided in a runoff with Mary Hegar and Royce West. Hegar won 285 votes (21.5%) in Wood County and West 186 (14%). Statewide totals were similar with 22.3% for Hegar, 14.5% for West.

The railroad commission race will also be on the Democratic runoff ballot between Chrysta Castaneda and Roberto Alonzo. Alonzo placed second and Castaneda third in Wood County, with Kelly Stone getting 36.7%.

The local state and U.S. representatives do face Democratic opposition in November.

State Sen. Bryan Hughes is challenged by Audrey Spanko of Wood County. State Rep. Cole Heffner faces Lawyanda Prince of Mount Pleasant. Gooden faces Carolyn Salter and Gohmert faces Hank Gilbert.