May 1 election sees few contested races

Gonzales City Council

The Gonzales City Council District 2 seat has four challengers in Sherri Tumlinson Koepp, James H. Lawrence, Joe (Booga) White, and Johnnie R Hunt. Incumbent Tommy Schurig is not seeking reelection.

District 1 will be uncontested as only Joseph “Poochie” Kridler filed papers. He will be sworn in to the council after the election results are canvassed in May, according to City Secretary Kristina Vega. Incumbent Gary Schroeder did not seek reelection.

GISD

The Gonzales Independent School District Board of Trustees election, as of Jan. 25 according to documents available on the district website, only had incumbents file. Current Board Secretary Josie Smith-Wright had filed in District 4, and Sandra Gorden filed to be on the ballot or District 7.

On March 3, Early Voting Clerk Lucy Peña said Smith-Wright and Gorden are unopposed.

Waelder

Waelder Independent School District Board of Trustees’ Early Voting Clerk Linda Beale said incumbents JoAnn Ibarra, Adolph Gonzales and Catrina Hernandez. Ibarra and Gonzales returned their ballots, but Hernandez did not. No other challengers filed applications from the voting district, and the board does not have “places” assigned to districts for members to occupy.

The Certification of Unopposed Candidates for WISD is on the agenda for the Regular Meeting on May 22, 2021.  The Order of Cancellation is on the May 22 agenda as well, along with discussion as to appointing a trustee for the third open position or having a Special Election to fill the vacancy. If the board chooses toappoint, the appointee will be on the board for one year, with the May 2022 election selecting a trustee to carry out the remaining two years of the term.

The City of Waelder will not be having a municipal election, as City Council members Michael Leonard Harris, Valentino “Tino” Hernandez and Curtis Hadnot Jr. all ran unopposed. The same is true for Nixon and Smiley. Smiley Aldermen Linda Warzecha, Diane Pena Moreno, and Elisa Douglas were unopposed, as were Nixon Aldermen Rene Amaya, Mary Ann Fatheree, and Justin La Fleur.