A total of 38,716 voters cast ballots in the McLennan County primaries — up from 28,815 voters in the 2022 primary election.
Several contested races at both the county and state levels are now set for the November general election.
County Commissioner Precinct 2
The Democratic primary for County Commissioner Precinct 2 saw a rematch between Jeremy Davis and Travis Gibson. Davis won with 51.7% of the vote.
“I was excited. I felt motivated by the constituents of Precinct Two … selecting me as the Democratic nominee,” Davis said.
Davis will face incumbent Commissioner D.L. Wilson in November. The Precinct 2 seat was historically the only Democratic position on the McLennan County Commissioners Court until Wilson defeated Davis in 2024.
“It’s really important to have balance and representation at any table that’s making decisions for our community,” Davis said.
The race has been reshaped by a mid-decade redistricting that changed Precinct 2’s boundaries — a move Democrats argue favors Republicans.
“I believe fully that this seat is winnable for a Democrat, and I plan to prove that come November,” Davis said.
Texas House District 56
At the state level, both parties saw contested primaries for Texas House District 56.
Incumbent Republican Pat Curry defeated former county party chair Ralph Patterson, who had argued Curry was “not a true conservative.” Curry won the Republican nomination with 69% of the vote.
“When you get almost 70 percent of the vote in an election like that … the voters are smart enough to know that I am one of us and I’m the right fit,” Curry said.
In his first year in office, Curry secured mental health funding for Waco and helped bring McLennan County into the newly formed Central Texas Water Alliance.
“My message doesn’t change because we’re all here to pull the wagon in the same direction — to protect our children and grandchildren,” he said.
Curry will face local civic leader Ashley Bean Thornton in November. Thornton won the Democratic nomination with 55.9% of the vote.
Historically, Democratic candidates in House District 56 have received about a third of the vote in general elections.
“I can do the math and I can see that it’s going to be an uphill battle, but underdogs win all the time,” Thornton said.
Thornton said her main focus is public education.
“We make better decisions as a community when we hear different perspectives,” she said.
State Senate District 22
Longtime State Sen. Brian Birdwell announced last summer he would not seek reelection, leaving State Senate District 22 open.
State Rep. David Cook of Mansfield won the Republican nomination with 67% of the vote. He will face Democratic nominee Amy Martinez-Salas in November.
“We were happy to get broad-based support all the way across District 22,” Cook said.
The district spans 12 counties, including urban, suburban and rural communities from the Dallas-Fort Worth area to Central Texas.
Cook said he spent much of his campaign traveling the district and listening to voters’ priorities, including property tax relief and concerns about data center development.
“My commitment to the voters is that I will be a senator that is available and accessible to all 12 counties,” Cook said.
Got a tip? Email Molly-Jo Tilton at Molly-jo_tilton@baylor.edu.
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