Early voting begin Monday for Nov. 8 election
By BRITTANY FHOLER
Cove Leader-Press
Starting Monday, Texas voters will begin heading to the polls to make their vote for the next governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, Railroad Commissioner and more in this year’s General Election.
Voters will also have a say locally as they vote for school board members and city council members here in Copperas Cove.
Early voting starts October 24 and runs through November 4, 2022. Election Day is Tuesday, November 8, 2022.
Statewide races on this year’s ballot include the closely watched race between Gov. Greg Abbott, the Republican incumbent, and his opponent, Beto O’Rourke, a Democrat who ran against Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018 for the U.S. Senate and served as a U.S. Representative for Texas’s 16th Congressional District from 2013 to 2019. Other candidates in the Governor’s race include Delilah Barrios, of the Green Party, and Mark Tippetts, of the Libertarian Party.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (the Republican incumbent) is facing Democrat Mike Collier and Libertarian Shanna Steele in the race for lieutenant governor.
Attorney General Ken Paxton (Republican incumbent) is facing Democrat Rochelle Garza and Libertarian Mark Ash in the race for attorney general.
Republican incumbent Sid Miller is facing Democrat Susan Hays in the race for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture. Republican incumbent Glenn Hagar is facing Democrat Janet Dudding and V. Alonzo Echevarria-Garza, of the Libertarian Party in the race for Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
Republican incumbent Wayne Christian is running against Democrat Luke Warford, as well as Jaime Diez of the Libertarian Party and Hunter Crow of the Green Party, for the Texas Railroad Commission.
Former District 24 State Senator Dawn Buckingham is running for Texas Land Commissioner, the office which is currently occupied by George P. Bush. Buckingham is running against two other candidates: Democrat Jay Kleberg and Alfred Molison of the Green Party.
With Buckingham’s seat vacated, Peter P. Flores, of the Republican Party, and Kathy Jones-Hospod, of the Democratic Party, are running against each other for the State Senate District 24 seat.
Also on the ballot are several Court of Criminal Appeals and Texas Supreme Court seats.
For the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 5, incumbent Republican Scott Walker is facing Democrat Dana Huffman. For the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 6, incumbent Republican Jesse McClure is facing Robert Johnson, of the Democratic Party.
On the Texas Supreme Court, incumbent Debra Lehrmann (Republican) is facing Democrat Erin Nowell and Libertarian Tom Oxford for Place 3. Incumbent Rebecca Huddle (Republican) is challenged by Amanda Reichek of the Democratic Party for Place 5. Incumbent Evan Young (Republican) is challenged by Julia Maldonado, of the Democratic Party, for Place 9.
On the Texas State Board of Education, Democrat Tracy Fisher and Republican Evelyn Brooks are running for a chance to represent District 14.
Copperas Cove voters will decide the next Copperas Cove Independent School District Board of Trustees Place 5 member in the race between incumbent Jeff Gorres and challenger Heather Copeland.
Longtime incumbents Joan Manning (Place 4) and Mike Wilburn (Place 3) are running unopposed and will serve for another three years.
The Copperas Cove City Council will also see new faces after this election. With Place 4 incumbent Jay Manning being term-limited, his seat is up for grabs, and two Copperas Cove residents are in the running. John Hale and Edith Natividad are both running for Place 4 on the City Council.
For Place 3, incumbent Shawn Alzona is running for his first full three-year term unopposed. Place 5 incumbent Dianne Yoho Campbell withdrew her name from the race but will continue to serve until her term ends next month. Manuel “Monty” Montanez, who was running against Campbell, will take over with no opponent.
Early Voting locations in Coryell County include the Copperas Cove Early Voting Center at 508 B Cove Terrace in the Cove Terrace Shopping Center and the Gatesville Annex at 801 E. Leon Street in Gatesville.
Early Voting is Monday, October 24 through October 28, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; October 29, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; October 30 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and October 31 through November 4, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.