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From left, U.S. Representative Jodey Arrington greeted Scurry County Pct. 1 Commissioner Terry Williams and County Attorney Mike Hartman during a campaign stop at College on the Square Monday afternoon.
Scurry County voters turned out in near-record numbers for Tuesday’s midterm election.
County Clerk Melody Appleton reported that 46.69 percent of the 9,391 registered voters cast ballots in the election. The majority of the 4,385 voters supported Republicans in every race.
Tuesday’s total was the third-highest midterm turnout since 1990, when 57.25 percent of registered voters turned out, followed by 55.28 percent in 1994.
State Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, carried Scurry County with 3,666 votes (84.74 percent) while Democrat Drew Landry received 660 votes (15.26 percent). District-wide, Burrows received 45,327 votes (77.34 percent) while Landry received 13,276 (22.66 percent).
“I want to thank everyone for their vote, their ongoing support and confidence. I look forward to continuing our conservative fight against higher taxes and burdensome government regulations, as well as pushing progress in the legislature toward the creation of the Texas Tech Vet School,” Burrows said. “Rural Texans can’t take anything for granted in the legislature, and I will be in the middle of every issue that impacts West Texas. As always, I will continue to solicit and welcome my constituents’ advice and counsel.”
Congressman Jodey Arrington, who won a second term on Tuesday, received 3,757 votes (86.69 percent) in Scurry County while Democrat Miguel Levario received 577 votes (13.31 percent). District-wide, Arrington received 152,012 votes (75.27 percent) while Levario received 49,941 (24.73 percent).
Sen. Ted Cruz received 3,702 votes (84.93 percent) in the county to defeat Democrat Beto O’Rourke (641 votes, 14.71 percent) and Libertarian Neal M. Dikeman (16 votes, 0.37 percent).
Cruz won a second term in office with 50.89 percent of the votes statewide. He received 4,228,832 votes Tuesday while O’Rourke received 4,015,082 (48.32 percent). Dikeman finished with 65,034 votes (0.78 percent).
Of the ballots cast in Scurry County, 2,450 people voted straight Republican, 388 voted straight Democrat and 21 voted straight Libertarian.
This was the final election in which the state will offer straight-party voting.
Voters did not have to cast ballots for local candidates who were without an opponent.
Those candidates were deemed “unopposed candidates declared elected.”
The unopposed county candidates this year were Dan Hicks, county judge; Candace “Candy” Jones, district clerk; Melody Appleton, county clerk; Nelda Colvin, county treasurer; Craig Merritt, Pct. 2 commissioner; Jim Robinson, Pct. 4 commissioner; Norma Martinez, Pct. 1 justice of the peace; and Ricki Webb, Pct. 2 justice of the peace.