Cloud faces four challengers in March GOP primary

Posted

U.S. Rep. Michael Cloud will have four challengers for his District 27 House seat in the March 1, 2022, Republican primary.

Cloud, a Victoria resident who has served in Congress since June 2018, will face a Republican primary challenge for the first time in four years. Also filing to run for the District 27 House seat are Andrew Alvarez, a Victoria-based auto dealer-consultant; Jackson County Sheriff A.J. "Andy" Louderback of Edna, who has officially stepped down from his position to run; Chris Mapp of Port O’Connor, who is self-employed in retail; and oil and gas consultant Eric Mireles. Mapp ran unsuccessfully against Cloud in the 2018 GOP primary.

On the Democratic side, there are three candidates who have filed for the District 27 House seat. Corpus Christi broadcaster Maclovio Perez Jr. will face off against Port Arthur consultant Anthony J. Tristan and Corpus Christi physician Victor Melgoza.

State races

Due to redistricting, Gonzales is no longer part of Texas House District 17, but instead will be represented along with Guadalupe County by House District 44, currently held by state Rep. John Kuempel, R-Seguin. Kuempel has filed for re-election and is unopposed in the March 1 GOP primary.

Only one Democrat has filed to run — retired Methodist minister Robert M. Bohmfalk of Seguin. The two will face off in the November general election.

Meanwhile, there are five people who have filed to run as Republicans for the District 17 Texas House seat currently held by state Rep. John Cyrier, who announced last month he would not seek re-election to another term. They are office manager Jen Bezner of Smithville; former Trump Administration Department of Energy official Stan Gerdes of Smithville; retiree Thomas Glass of McDade; Bastrop County Judge Paul Pape, whose term as county judge ends Dec. 31, 2022; and Trey Rutledge, a Lexington rancher and Marine Corps veteran. There is only one Democratic candidate for the seat: Bastrop businesswoman Madeline Eden.

Meanwhile, state Sen. Lois W. Kolkhorst does not have a primary challenger for her District 18 Senate seat, but Josh Tutt, a computer technician from Snook, has filed to run in the Democratic primary.

Comments