If you live in Burnet County, here are all the races that might appear on your ballot for either the Democratic or Republican primary. Put your address into the tool below to find out which Congressional, state legislative and State Board of Education districts you're in, then scroll down to find the candidates in those races.
If you don't find your districts listed below, that means they're not up for election in 2020.
Federal
U.S. Senate
Every state in the U.S. elects two people to represent them in the U.S. Senate, which is the upper chamber of Congress. They are elected statewide for six-year terms. Texas Sen. John Cornyn’s term is up for re-election this year. About a dozen Democrats are vying to challenge him in the November election.
- REPUBLICANS: John Cornyn*, Virgil Bierschwale, Mark Yancey, John Anthony Castro, Dwayne Stovall
- DEMOCRATS: Chris Bell, Mary “MJ” Hegar, Annie “Mama” Garcia, Jack Daniel Foster Jr., Victor Hugo Harris, Amanda K. Edwards, Adrian Ocegueda, Cristina Tzintzun Ramirez, Michael Cooper, D.R. Hunter, Sema Hernandez,, Royce West
Texas has 36 seats in the House of Representatives, which is the lower chamber of Congress. The total number of representatives is currently set at 435; the number of seats a state is given is based on population. The average population in a congressional district, based on the 2010 census, is 710,767. That number will change with the 2020 census. Representatives are elected for two-year terms.
Texas’ 25th Congressional District includes all or parts of 13 counties. It runs from Tarrant County, which it grabs just a sliver of, all the way down the western halves of Travis and Hays counties.
The incumbent is Republican Roger Williams, a former Texas secretary of state and car dealer. He won his first election to the office in 2012 and has served four terms.
- REPUBLICANS: Keith Neuendorff, Roger Williams*
- DEMOCRATS: Julie Oliver, Heidi Sloan
State
Texas Senate
This is the upper chamber of the state Legislature. It consists of 31 members, each representing about 800,000 Texans. They are elected to four-year terms. Along with the Texas House of Representatives, the state Senate drafts and passes state laws, policies and budgets. The Legislature meets for 140 days during odd-numbered years, though the governor can call special sessions outside that time frame.
State Senate District 24 includes most of the Hill Country and a small slice of western Travis County.
- REPUBLICANS: Dawn Buckingham*
- DEMOCRATS: Clayton Tucker
Texas House
The Texas House is the lower chamber of the state Legislature. It consists of 150 members, who are elected every two years. Along with the state Senate, the House drafts and passes state laws, policies and budgets. The Legislature meets for 140 days during odd-numbered years, though the governor can call special sessions outside that time frame.
House District 20 includes all of Burnet County and most of Williamson County (except for the area around Round Rock, Hutto and Taylor).
- REPUBLICANS: Terry Wilson*
- DEMOCRATS: Jessica Tiedt
Texas Supreme Court
The Texas Supreme Court is the court of last resort for civil cases involving state law. Those are cases that deal with lawsuits between people, businesses and organizations – as opposed to criminal cases. Legal decisions made by the state Supreme Court are final and binding under state law.
The court is made up of eight justices and one chief justice, who are elected to six-year terms in partisan statewide elections. Four places on the court are up for election this year.
Chief Justice: While the chief justice oversees the court, each member has one equal vote in issuing decisions. The chief justice assigns the other justices administrative duties, like who will run disciplinary proceedings for lawyers and who will be the court’s liaison to the state bar. The chief justice also appoints judges to cases, if lower court judges have to recuse themselves. Every legislative session, the chief justice delivers a “state of the judiciary” address to Texas lawmakers.
- REPUBLICAN: Nathan Hecht*
- DEMOCRAT: Jerry Zimmerer, Amy Clark Meachum
Justice, Place 6
While each state Supreme Court justice is assigned a “place,” they are elected statewide. The place designation has no significance beyond where they are listed on the ballot.
- REPUBLICANS: Jane Bland*
- DEMOCRATS: Larry Praeger, Kathy Cheng
Justice, Place 7
While each state Supreme Court justice is assigned a “place,” they are elected statewide. The place designation has no significance beyond where they are listed on the ballot.
- REPUBLICANS: Jeff Boyd*
- DEMOCRATS: Brandy Voss, Staci Williams
Justice, Place 8
While each state Supreme Court justice is assigned a “place,” they are elected statewide. The place designation has no significance beyond where they are listed on the ballot.
- REPUBLICANS: Brett Busby*
- DEMOCRATS: Peter Kelly, Gisela D. Triana
Railroad Commission
Don’t let the name confuse you, the Railroad Commission of Texas has nothing to do with railroads. The name is just a throwback to a time when it did.
Nowadays the Railroad Commission regulates the powerful oil, gas and mining industries in Texas. It is responsible for ensuring pipeline safety, enforcing rules over drilling and production, and overseeing natural gas utilities, among other things. As such, it is often at the center of battles over public safety and the environment.
The commission is overseen by a three-member Board of Railroad Commissioners who are elected statewide. One of those seats is on the 2020 ballot.
- REPUBLICANS: Ryan Sitton*, James “Jim” Wright
- DEMOCRATS: Kelly Stone, Roberto R. “Beto” Alonzo, Chrysta Castañeda, Mark Watson
State Board of Education
The State Board of Education oversees education policy and standards for public schools. The board’s tasks include overseeing state funding, establishing graduation requirements for high schools, choosing instructional materials and adopting curriculum standards.
The 15 members of the board are elected by district — each representing about 1.8 million people — to four-year terms.
SBOE District 10 includes Williamson and Bell counties, as well as parts of Travis, Freestone, Waller and Burnet counties.
- REPUBLICAN: Tom Maynard*
- DEMOCRAT: Stephen Wyman, Marsha Burnett-Webster
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
This is the highest criminal court in Texas, with ultimate say over criminal appeals, including death penalty cases. Judges on the nine-judge panel are elected statewide to six-year terms.
Place 3
- REPUBLICAN: Bert Richardson*, Gina Parker
- DEMOCRAT: William Pieratt Demond, Elizabeth Davis Frizell, Dan Wood
Place 4
- REPUBLICAN: Kevin Patrick Yeary*
- DEMOCRAT: Steven Miears, Tina Clinton
Place 9
- REPUBLICAN: David Newell*
- DEMOCRAT: Brandon Birmingham
Third Court of Appeals
This is, unshockingly, an appeals court – meaning it hears cases after they've been ruled upon and one party thinks the ruling isn't right. This six-justice panel hears both civil and criminal cases from an area that covers 24 counties including Austin and surrounding areas.
The chief justice of this court is up for election this year.
- REPUBLICANS: Jeff Rose*
- DEMOCRATS: Darlene Byrne, Keith S. Hampton
Burnet County
The 33rd Judicial District Judge in Burnet County presides over civil, juvenile and felony criminal filings.
- REPUBLICANS: Allan Garrett*
- DEMOCRATS: None
District Attorney
The responsibilities of the district attorney include prosecuting felonies and assisting law enforcement with investigations.
- REPUBLICANS: Wiley “Sonny” McAfee*
- DEMOCRATS: None
Burnet County Attorney
The county attorney serves as a legal adviser to county and precinct officials. The attorney's responsibilities include providing legal advice to elected officials and prosecuting misdemeanor crimes.
- REPUBLICANS: Eddie Arredondo*
- DEMOCRATS: None
Burnet County Sheriff
The county sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer of Burnet County. The sheriff enforces traffic regulations, operates the county jail, investigates crimes and makes arrests.
- REPUBLICANS: Calvin Boyd*
- DEMOCRATS: None
Burnet County Tax Assesor-Collector
The county tax assessor-collector calculates property tax rates and collects taxes from Burnet County. Apart from gathering state and county fees, the tax assessor-collector also registers voters and issues motor vehicle licenses.
- REPUBLICANS: Sheri Frazier*
- DEMOCRATS: None
Burnet County Commissioner
County commissioners draft and pass policies for the county, much like city council members do for a city. There are four county commissioners in Burnet County, plus the county judge, who is elected countywide. Two seats on the commission are up for election this year.
Precinct 1 represents the western and northwestern parts of Burnet County.
- REPUBLICANS: Jim Luther Jr.*
- DEMOCRATS: None
Precinct 3 represents most of Marble Falls, the area east of 281, south of SH 29 and north of the Colorado River.
- REPUBLICANS: William D. “Dee” Haddock, Billy Wall*
- DEMOCRATS: None
Burnet County Commissioner
A constable is a commissioned peace officer, elected by county constituents every four years for a particular area or precinct of that county. A constable may enforce any criminal and civil law or motor vehicle violation and conduct criminal investigations.
Precinct No. 1 includes the western and northwestern parts of Burnet County.
- REPUBLICANS: Leslie Ray*
- DEMOCRATS: None
Precinct No. 2 covers the northeastern part of the county, including the City of Burnet.
- REPUBLICANS: Garry Adams*
- DEMOCRATS: None
Precinct No. 3 includes most of Marble Falls, the area east of 281, south of SH 29 and north of the Colorado River.
- REPUBLICANS: John “Chip” Leake*
- DEMOCRATS: None
Precinct No. 4 includes the area of Burnet County south of the Colorado River, along with the area between Marble Falls and Granite Shoals on the north side of Lake LBJ.
- REPUBLICANS: Millicent “Missy” Bindseil*
- DEMOCRATS: None
* incumbent
