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Contributed/ Mary Jane Avery County clerk Republican primary candidates, from left, Vicinta Stafford and Sara Ann Luther were invited to introduce themselves to more than 100 attendees at a forum Jan. 13 at the Reed Building in Burnet.
As the primaries approach, Burnet County voters have taken the opportunity to attend forums introducing GOP candidates with the latest event featuring county clerk and Texas Senate District 24.
The event, during the Burnet County Republican Women (BCRW) luncheon on Jan. 13, allowed clerk candidates Sara Ann Luther and Vicinta Stafford to take questions from a moderator; Also, the group hosted SD24 Republican primary candidates – Pete Flores, Raul Reyes and Lamar Lewis.
Most notable about the forum, which came on the heels of a county judge debate between incumbent Judge James Oakley and challenger Doak Field the same week, was the “standing-room only” crowd.
Officials believe the attendance signaled a resurgence in interest among local voters.
“Attendance has been over the top and people are hungry for information about these candidates running for office,” BCRW program chairwoman Gail Teegarden said. “It gives them an idea of the people running. They get to hear from the candidates themselves, know some background and their reason for running.”
Citizens have taken a keen interest in the county clerk’s race due to the guarantee of new leadership in that spot. Long-time county clerk Janet Parker is retiring after more than 30 years at the post. The candidates for the GOP nomination in alphabetical order are as follows:
Sara Ann Luther
Luther touts over 30 years’ experience in management, education and county government, where she has served three years in her current role as human resources director. She has previous experience as deputy treasurer.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from Southwest Texas State University. Luther continued her education at the Rio Grande College branch of Sul Ross University where she acquired her teaching certification.
During her career preceding county government Luther was an educator, where she served on the Burnet Consolidated Independent School District Technology Committee and District Advisory Committee; was a co-sponsor of the Burnet Middle School Student Council; and was faculty advisor of the BMS Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society.
She is a past director of the Burnet Chamber of Commerce and the Burnet County Fair and Rodeo Association, where she served as Secretary/Treasurer. Luther is married to Burnet County Pct. 1 County Commissioner Jim Luther, Jr. They have two children.
Vicinta Stafford
Stafford has been working for the county clerk’s office since January 2014, where she touts her eight years of experience under the current county clerk.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in pre-physical therapy from Texas State University in 2006. She parlayed her education experience into a management position at a medical facility in Marble Falls.
She and her husband, Jason, married in 2010 and have a son, Mason. They reside in Burnet.
Senate District 24 candidates
Also on the dais, SD24 candidates Flores, Lewis and Reyes who are vying for the Texas senate seat previously held by Dawn Buckingham of Lakeway.
Buckingham announced earlier this year that she will seek the GOP nomination for Texas Land Commissioner. SD24 includes Burnet County and Llano County, along with 15 other counties primarily in the Hill Country.
• Flores of Pleasanton chose to run after he was absorbed into a redrawn district which now includes his hometown. He represented District 19 in the Texas Senate from 2018 to 2021.
Flores grew up in south Texas, where he graduated from Laredo Martin High and attended Laredo Junior College before graduating from Texas A&M. Flores worked as a farm technician for Texas A&M’s veterinary school. He was accepted to the Texas Game Warden Academy in 1985.
He eventually retired as a game warden from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. He and his wife Elizabeth have two children and two grandchildren.
• Reyes, who lives in Castroville, is originally from Del Rio and retired as lieutenant colonel after 22 years in the United States Air Force.
In 2016, Reyes went to work for Southwest Texas Junior College for about a year and then onto Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio for about two years. He and his wife Cryselda have three children with his oldest serving as a captain in the Air Force.
• Lewis was born and raised in Temple, where he currently resides. He graduated from Baylor University with a BA degree in political science/history. His past career experiences includes serving 33 years as a coach and teacher. He has been the district director for state Rep. Hugh D. Shine (District 55) for almost six years.
He has lived in Bell County and Bandera County for the past five decades. He and his wife Colleen Tomlin Lewis have three children and five grandchildren.
Teegarden, who is also the SD24 representative for the Texas Federation of Republican Women, explained how the enthusiasm of the candidates is only matched by that of the voters in the area.
She pointed to a doubling of membership of the BCRW since the start of 2021 as well as growing numbers since the start of the new year.
“It’s been tremendous because we have people coming into these that I’ve never seen before,” she said of the two candidates forums in a week.
“Come to the forums and then they can meet one-on-one with them,” she said. “But I think voters need to do their own homework too, research the candidates.”
She reminded voters of the Jan. 31 voter registration deadline and emphasized updating the information, especially for those who have a change of address.
“It’s very important that you do that.”
Early voting begins Monday, Feb. 14. The primary election is Tuesday, March 1. Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 8
