Election 2019 Results
New Faces, New Places
By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter
EAST TEXAS – A contentious and sometimes downright ugly election season came to an end on Saturday, May 4 when the ballots were cast. The results showed several incumbents retaining their elected positions while several others were voted out of office.
In the city of Crockett, the mayoral position was up for election and Crockett will have a new mayor as challenger Dr. Ianthia Fisher defeated incumbent Joni Clonts. Fisher garnered 780 votes while Clonts received 609.
In the race for the city council Precinct One position, incumbent Butch Calvert will return for another term as he defeated challenger Samantha Wiley. The returns showed Calvert with 228 votes while Wiley received 116.
The race for the Precinct Two council position showed incumbent Darrell Jones taking on challenger Mike Molnes. When the votes were tallied, the results showed Jones with a total of 191 while Molnes garnered 97.
Area residents were also asked to decide the fate of the Crockett Economic and Industrial Development Corporation (CEIDC). The vote to terminate the CEIDC showed 824 votes were cast against the measure while 547 voters were for ending the organization.
Five positions (1, 3, 5, 7 and 9) on the Houston County Hospital District (HCHD) Board of Directors were also up election on May 4.
Place One showed incumbent Barbara Crowson taking on challenger Cody Wheeler. The results showed Crowson retained her position by a margin of 1381 votes to 1222 for Wheeler.
Recently appointed board member Pat Dickey will return for a full term in Place Three after she defeated challenger Billy Christian. Dickey received 1355 votes while Christian garnered 1246.
HCHD Board President Dr. Bob Grier will not return, however, as former County Judge Erin Ford defeated him in the Place Five race. Ford received a total of 1448 votes while Grier received 1125.
The race for Place Seven saw another incumbent falter as challenger Harvey Bruner defeated incumbent Larry Robbins. Bruner received 1326 votes while Robbins received 1274.
In the Place Nine race, incumbent Carol Dawson defeated challenger Roy Langford. Dawson received a total of 1392 votes while Langford received 1188.
Also on the May 4 ballot for voters in Justice of the Peace Precinct One area, was a local option liquor election for the legal sale of beer and wine. The measure passed by a margin of 986 votes in favor while 501 votes were cast against the measure.
There was only one school board race in Houston County and that was for the District 6 seat on the Crockett ISD Board of Trustees. Former trustee Josh Crabtree will return to the board after he defeated Reginald Marshall by a margin of 302 votes to 113 votes.
Moving to the city of Grapeland, the Grapeland Hospital District Place Three race saw Carole M. McQueen garnering 71 votes while June G. Springfield received 51. In Place Four, Jason Bridges was unopposed and received 113 votes.
There were also two propositions on the Grapeland ballot. Proposition One was to create a Municipal Development District. It passed by a margin of 42 votes in favor of the measure while 14 votes were against.
Proposition Two was to dissolve the Economic Development Corporation and the results showed 44 votes for dissolving the EDC while 14 voters were against the measure.
In the city of Elkhart, Mayor Mike Gordon decided not to run and as a result Jennifer McCoy was unopposed in the general election and received 105 votes.
In the race for Place Two on the Elkhart City Council, Daryll received 91 votes while Chris Sheridan received 30.
The Place Four race showed Taylor Bentley with 97 votes while Billy Jack Wright received 24.
Will Johnson may be reached via e-mail at [email protected].
