Runoff voting registration closes April 27

Texas voters have until April 27 to register or update their voter information ahead of the May 26 primary runoff election, as several closely contested races head into a second round of voting.

Early voting for the runoff election is scheduled for May 18 through May 22. Election Day will be held May 26.

Locally, Bandera County voters will decide the race for county judge, where Susan Junker and Dennis Fitzgerald advanced to the runoff after no candidate secured a majority in the primary.

In the March 3 primary, Junker led the three-candidate field with 2,074 votes (42.30%), followed by Fitzgerald with 1,457 votes (29.72%) and Kim Manglberger with 1,372 votes (27.98%).

Because no candidate surpassed the 50% threshold, the top two finishers advanced to the May 26 runoff.

As the runoff approaches, the Bandera County Republican Party has announced a series of candidate forums across the county that organizers say are aimed at helping voters learn more about those on the ballot.

“We are coming to you,” the party said in a statement. “We want you to be an informed voter.”

The forums are scheduled in multiple communities throughout April and May, including stops in Bandera, Tarpley, Utopia, Medina, Lakehills and Pipe Creek.

The forum schedule begins in Bandera at 6 p.m. Friday, April 17, at BEC.

Residents in Tarpley can meet candidates at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 21, at the Haner Hall Community Center.

The Utopia forum is set for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, at Blue Flame, followed by a Medina session at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 30, at The Core.

Lakehills will host a forum at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 5, at the Lakehills Community Center, and the final event will take place in Pipe Creek at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, at the Pipe Creek VFD.

Fitzgerald’s campaign has raised concerns about the organization of the events, stating in a Facebook post that the forums were promoted before his campaign agreed to participate or coordinated event details. The campaign said it supports opportunities to engage voters but emphasized the need for “transparency, clear rules, and proper coordination.”

Junker shared the GOP forum schedule on her Facebook page, adding the phrase, “Your County... Your Vote.”

Statewide, multiple high-profile races remain undecided following the March 3 primary. Republican voters will choose between incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a closely watched Senate contest. Other runoff races include the Railroad Commissioner contest between incumbent James Wright and Bo French, as well as the attorney general race between State Sen. Mayes Middleton and U.S. Rep. Chip Roy.