McCarrell wins race for county clerk

    Kate McCarrell will be Jackson County’s new county clerk. In a close race, McCarrell unseated the incumbent Barbara Earl, 724 to 650. McCarrell will begin her term when she is sworn in on Jan. 1, 2019.     With 9,063 registered voters in the county, only 1,642 cast ballots, 1,454 Republicans and 188 Democrats.     In other races of local interest, incumbent Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (R) was the favorite in Jackson County, garnering 1,007 votes to 407 for challenger Scott Milder, who was a favorite with many teachers and educators supporting him for his stance on public school funding.     In the Republican race for U.S. Representative Dist. 27, Michael Cloud of Victoria, received 626 votes, followed by 291 for Bech Bruun, and 199 for Christopher Mapp. Cloud and Bruun will face off in the runoff election set for May 22. In order to avoid a runoff election, a candidate must receive 50 percent plus 1 more vote.     On the Democratic side, Roy Barrera received 69 votes, Vanessa Foster 42 and Ronnie McDonald and Eric Holguin tied with 32 votes each. Barrera and Holguin will also head to a runoff in May.     Republican voters in the county overwhelmingly approved all 10 propositions as did the Democratic voters with the 12 propositions on their ballot.     A complete list of election results will be published in the March 14 issue.