At the Texas Democratic primary on March 2, the Victoria County Clerk, Val D. Huvar, was defeated for re-election. He had just turned 90 years old the day before the primary. He has been clerk for 55 years. See this story.
At the Texas Democratic primary on March 2, the Victoria County Clerk, Val D. Huvar, was defeated for re-election. He had just turned 90 years old the day before the primary. He has been clerk for 55 years. See this story.
This is a pitfall of the partisan primary system. Historically in Texas, most county officials were Democrats, and they were determined in the Democratic primary. If you seriously wanted to be the hides inspector, you would run in the Democratic primary.
In Texas, a primary is only held where the party is organized. Neither the Republican or Democratic party hold a primary in every county.
There are counties in Texas which went 75% for John McCain, and which there was no Republican primary. So in March 2008, all “Democrats” nominated the county officials, and in March all these “Democrats” split their ticket, voting for the unopposed Democrats in county races, and voting for Republicans in other races.
There have been counties where all county officials have announced a switch from the Democratic party to the Republican party. And at the next election, they all run in the Republican primary. This lets voters then participate in the Republican primary for all offices. The Democrats might not nominate anyone for local offices in that case.
Victoria County is large enough to sustain two primaries, but has not voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964. Since the county clerk race is contested in non-presidential elections years, there would not be such a large turnout in the Republican primary. And voters would support Huvar in the Democratic primary, and he could get enough personal support in the general election to win re-election.
This year, there were about twice as many voters in the Republican primary as the Democratic primary, so the county clerk was determined by about 1/3 of voters.
Under a Top 2 system, both Democrat candidates would have advanced to the general election where the entire electorate would have been able to choose their county clerk.
we need term limits
#1: Nonpartisan elections are fine for local offices.
I don’t understand this paragraph: “There are counties in Texas which went 75% for John McCain, and which there was no Republican primary. So in March 2008, all “Democrats†nominated the county officials, and in March all these “Democrats†split their ticket, voting for the unopposed Democrats in county races, and voting for Republicans in other races.”
#3
If a political party is not organized in a county, there is no party primary. Primaries in Texas are conducted by the political party, not the State. Neither the Democratic or Republican parties had a primary in all 254 counties last week. The same is true for minor parties. If the party is not organized in a county, there are no conventions in that county for that party.
So if your county did not have a Republican primary, you could not vote in the Republican races for statewide offices. You could stay home or vote in the Democratic primary.
In counties with only one party primary, it functions like the Democratic Party did in the old days. All the local candidates run in the Democratic primary, which decides all office holders. They are elected unopposed in the general election. But on the same general election ballot, there will be both Republican and Democratic candidates for statewide and legislative races.
There are counties where John McCain received 75% of the vote in November 2008, where at the same election, all the county officials were elected unopposed on the Democratic ticket. And they were actually chosen at the Democratic primary in March.
#4: TX’s county officials serve 2-year terms?
The situation you describe cries out for nonpartisan elections for county officials. Too bad TX doesn’t have the initiative. Of course, if a party wasn’t organized in a certain county, citizens there still wouldn’t be able to vote in that party’s races for state and district offices.
And with only one party holding a primary in a county, it’s very easy for members of the opposing party to “raid” that party’s primary. If one or more TX parties ever decide to file suit against the pick-a-party primary system, this situation will be great evidence in the party’s/parties’ favor.
Do very many Texans complain about this situation?
#5 4-year terms, but different offices each election.
Party affiliation only lasts for the election year.
Any political party is free to file with the DOJ (for VRA pre-clearance) about their plan to keep certain persons from voting in their primary at any time. No need to file suit. Perhaps the federal government will even send marshals to help the parties monitor the situation.