Staff Reports
There’s only one local thing up for grabs in Marion County on the March Primary Election Ballot – the Republican Party Chair.
According to the Texas Secretary of State’s office, two people have thrown their hat into the ring for the responsibility of leading the Marion County Republican Party: Hunter Bonner and Scott Stebbins.
Stebbins is the current appointed chair and Bonner has served as Precinct Election Judge in the past several elections. Neither have been on the ballot before.
Stebbins had not, at the time of publication, filed his appointment for a Campaign Treasurer with County Clerk Vickie Smith. Appointment of a campaign treasurer is not required before filing the application for a place on the ballot, according to the Texas Ethics Commission and Texas Elections Code 257.005, as long as the county has a population under 350,000.
According to a list provided by Smith on Tuesday, after filing had closed, the following have filed to run for office:
• County Judge: Leward LaFleur
• Republican Party Chair: Hunter Bonner
• Republican Party Chair: Scott Stebbins (per Texas Secretary of State website)
• County Treasurer: Billie “B.J.” Westbrook
• District Clerk: Susan Anderson
• Justice of the Peace Pct #1: Carol “Jan” Weesner
• Justice of the Peace, Pct #2: Alan Biddy
• Commissioner, Pct #2: Jacob Pattison
• Commissioner, Pct #4: Gered Lee
• County Clerk: Kimberly Wise
Stebbins having not filed the Treasurer’s Appointment with the County Clerk does not invalidate his application, according to the Texas Secretary of State’s Elections Office.
No Democrats have filed for a place on the March Primary Ballot for any office. The Marion County Democratic Party Chair office does not have any candidates and will be overseen by the State Democratic Party.