District 4 runoff election set for Dec. 7

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The Gonzales City Council voted unanimously Tuesday, Nov. 9, to set a Dec. 7 runoff election between Dan Blakemore and Ronda Miller for the vacant District 4 council seat.

Council members canvassed the votes at Tuesday’s special called meeting and made the results official from the Nov. 2 special election and also voted to contract with Gonzales County for the rental of voting machines for the runoff election.

Blakemore received a total of 134 votes (106 early, 28 election day), while Miller received 102 votes (65 early, 2 absentee, 35 election day) and Thomas Enriquez received 70 votes (37 early, 1 absentee, 32 election day).

Because no candidate received the required majority (50 percent plus one vote) of the 306 total votes cast —154 votes — the candidates with the top two vote totals advance to the runoff.

“Well, District 4 folks, there will be a run off election in the near future,” Miller said on her Facebook page. “A big thank you to those supporters that made it to the polls.”

City Secretary Kristina Vega said the runoff election could cost the city about $5,000, which is the same amount as the June 1 runoff election for District 2 between Sherri Tumlinson Koepp and Johnnie R. Hunt cost the city. There were a total of just 160 votes cast in that runoff election in which Koepp defeated Hunt, 95-65.

Early voting for the Dec. 7 runoff election will be held by personal appearance at the Gonzales Municipal Building, 820 St. Joseph St., on Nov. 22-24 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; from Nov. 29-30 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and from Dec. 1-3 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Only qualified District 4 are eligible to vote.

Election day voting will be held from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Gonzales Municipal Building as well.

Between three to 11 days after the runoff election, the city council will hold a special meeting to canvass the runoff election vote and determine the official winner, at which time that individual could be seated on the council.

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