Primary Election Day is today
June 01, 2010
Today’s your last chance to vote in Valencia County’s primary election.
You can vote between 7:00am and 7:00pm at your precinct.
Other than the state-wide races for governor, lieutenant governor and others, there are a number of exciting local races to watch.
The exciting races
The two state representative races have been respectfully contentious, with Democratic challengers seeking to unseat Democratic incumbents.
By all accounts, the race between Rep. Elias Barela and Belen school board member Julian Luna could be close. Though incumbents always have the edge, each has campaigned hard, not letting up for the past two or three months.
The race between Rep. Andrew Barreras and businessman Benny Hodges wasn’t supposed to be close, by most accounts, but the game changer might have been an article in the Valencia County News-Bulletin over the weekend highlighting Barreras’ financial trouble.
The race for Valencia County sheriff is also hotly contested, with four candidates running from each party.
Some have written off current Democratic Sheriff Rene Rivera as weakened from seemingly high crime (if you listen to TV news) and that dust up from placing his name on patrol cars. Even with a couple of the other Democratic candidates running strong campaigns, it remains to be seen if they’ve built any confidence among the voting public.
On the Republican side of the sheriff’s race, you can’t drive anywhere in the county without seeing a Ron B. Chavez sign, but signs don’t always equal support and votes. Roy Lemons has been waving on street corners, but like Barreras, he could’ve been weaken by the same story noting his own financial troubles.
The county commission’s district 1 race could be close on the Democratic side, with four candidates vying for a small number of votes in that district.
Some have suggested over recent months that current Commissioner Pedro Rael is weak because of what they see as missteps in his first four years, but the battle between James Rickey and James Maag has been particularly brutal, with allegations of a physical attack and police reports.
Both Rael and Helen Cole stayed relatively quiet, other than the typical campaigning, which means one of the two could be quietly coasting to victory.
The last race to watch is probate judge, with five Democrats hoping to get onto November’s ballot.
All of the candidates, with the exception of Toby Jaramillo, have been actively seeking votes, spotted around the county at events and knocking on doors. Good luck predicting this one, if you’re trying.
The candidates (by ballot position)
STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 7
Democratic
Andrew J. Barreras
Benny L. Hodges
Republican
Timothy J. Lardner
STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 8
Democratic
Julian R. Luna
Elias Barela
Republican
Alonzo Baldonado
STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 10
Democratic
Henry “Kiki” Saavedra
Republican
None
STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 49
Democratic
None
Republican
Don Tripp
VALENCIA COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT 1
Democratic
Pedro G. Rael
James G. Rickey
Helen Y. Cole
James L. Maag
Republican
Mary J. Andersen
VALENCIA COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT 3
Democratic
David R. Medina
Republican
Lawrence R. Romero
Alberto C. Carrillo
VALENCIA COUNTY SHERIFF
Democratic
Exevius J. Seals
David M. Nunez
Rene R. Rivera
Mark Dennis Lujan
Republican
Roy C. Lemons
Ron B. Chavez
Joseph Robert Byers
Louis A. Burkhard
VALENCIA COUNTY ASSESSOR
Democratic
Beverly Dominguez Gonzales
Viola Garcia-Vallejos
Republican
None
MAGISTRATE JUDGE DIVISION 1
Democratic
Tina R. Gallegos
Nolbert H. Romero
Republican
None
MAGISTRATE JUDGE DIVISION 2
Democratic
Danny H. Hawkes
Elias R. Maez III
Republican
None
MAGISTRATE JUDGE DIVISION 3
Democratic
Phillip “Shorty” A. Romero
Republican
John W. “Buddy” Sanchez
VALENCIA COUNTY PROBATE JUDGE
Democratic
Alicia Aguilar
Toby E. Jaramillo
Marilyn M. Silva
Angela V. Miramontes
Christian T. Garcia
Republican
Jaime J. Baca
Posted in: Politics