Voters walk into a Smith County polling location on March 1.

Today is Election Day in state and county primary runoffs, including to decide a Democratic candidate on the November ballot in the race to replace U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert in Congress.

Democrats Jrmar Jefferson of Texarkana and Victor Dunn of Kilgore are facing each other after neither secured more than 50% of the votes in the March primary. In final results, Jefferson earned 7,341 votes, or 45.52%, while Dunn received 4,512 votes, or 27.98%.

Gohmert, R-Tyler, is vacating his congressional seat after challenging Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who faces George P. Bush in today’s runoff, in the GOP primary. Gohmert finished last among the four AG candidates.

Jefferson or Dunn will face Republican Smith County Judge Nathaniel Moran in the general election.

Jefferson, who is originally from Texarkana, said previously that his involvement in politics started when he didn’t know how to help his father, who at the time was the longest-serving inmate on death row in Texas. Jefferson’s father’s conviction eventually was overturned after his case went to the Supreme Court, he said.

Jefferson went to college in California to become a teacher. However, a professor and political science classmates encouraged him to register voters.

Five major things issues Jefferson said he would like to address as a member of Congress include his “Health Care Investment Literacy Act,” education, economic development, public safety and quality of life.

Dunn said he has always lived in East Texas, which allows him to understand needs in the community. He owns a business called Dunn Group that specializes in statewide workers’ compensation services.

He previously said he would represent the whole district and not just a portion of it and as someone with a “common sense” approach and values of fairness and level-headedness, he said he could accomplish much in Congress.

Dunn also said he aims is to bring God back into issues because he believes “a lot of the problems we have in the government right now is that we have taken God, taken the spirituality, out of the issues.”

Locally in Smith County, Republicans Wayne Allen and Chris Roberts will face each other in the Constable Pct. 2 race.

Allen is a former member of the Tyler Police Department. If elected, Allen said he would “be there for the public, doing the job that the constable is supposed to do and restoring integrity, transparency and professionalism to the office.”

He added that many children look up to law enforcement, and seeing these officials on the news after being arrested has a negative impact. Allen said restoring the image of this position is important to him.

For the past three years, Allen has been district manager at Home Depot where he supervises more than 1,000 associates, he said.

He said working in law enforcement is “not a job, it’s a calling.”

Allen said he has worked in numerous areas, including patrol, background investigations, traffic, financial crime investigations and more.

Roberts said he is a Master Peace Officer and has been licensed for 25 years. He also has served as a reserve deputy constable in Pct. 2 for the past seven years.

He said in his experience, he has become familiar with the office and the employees, preparing him to be “immediately effective upon election.”

Along with his law enforcement experience, owning a successful business has taught him how to work with budgets, payrolls and people, Roberts said. If elected, he said he could bring his business experience to the office to help with areas such as budgets.

Allen said he would be available for residents with an “always open door.”

Under Texas law, voters who cast a ballot in either party’s primary in March must vote in the same party’s primary runoff election, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. Voters who did not cast a ballot in the March primary may vote in either party’s runoff.

When and where can Smith County residents vote?

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

There will be 19 locations open for voters to cast their ballots. Residents of the county can vote in any of these locations.

Tyler locations

• Bell Elementary, 1409 E. Hankerson St., Tyler
• Clarkston Elementary, 2915 Williamsburg Dr., Tyler
• First Christian Church: Christian Life Center, 4202 S Broadway Ave, Tyler
• Glass Recreation Center, 501 W. 32nd St., Tyler
• Heritage Building, 1900 Bellwood Rd., Tyler
• The HUB, 304 E. Ferguson St., Tyler
• St. Louis Baptist Church, 4000 Frankston Hwy., Tyler
• Southwestern Smith County Locations
• Bethel Bible Church, 17121 Hwy 69 S., Tyler
• Bullard Southern Baptist Church, 716 N. Houston St., Bullard
• Flint Baptist Church, 11131 FM 2868 W., Flint
• Noonday Community Center, 16662 CR 196, Tyler

Southeastern Smith County Locations

• Arp First Baptist Church, 304 W. Front St., Arp
• Chapel Hill Fire Department, 13801 CR 220, Tyler
• St. Violet Baptist Church, 14129 FM 2767, Tyler
• Whitehouse United Methodist Church 405 W. Main St., Whitehouse

Northwestern Smith County Locations

• New Harmony Baptist Church, 10251 FM 724, Tyler
• Hideaway Members Svcs Building, 101 Hide-A-Way Lane, Hideaway
• Lindale Masonic Lodge, 200 W. Margaret St., Lindale
• Northeastern Smith County Locations
• Starrville Church of the Living God, 18396 Hwy 271, Winona

What’s on the ballot?

Residents can view their sample ballots by visiting tinyurl.com/may2022smithballots .

Republican

Attorney general

George P. Bush

• Ken Paxton (I)

Commissioner of the General Land Office

• Dawn Buckingham
• Tim Westley

Railroad commissioner

• Sarah Stogner
• Wayne Christian

Constable Pct. 2

Wayne Allen

Chris Roberts

Precinct Chair 3

• Bob Brewer
• James Leath

Precinct Chair 28

• Ryan West
• Jenifer White

Democratic ballot

Federal, state and local Democratic candidates who will be on the ballot are:

1st Congressional District

Jrmar (JJ) Jefferson

• : Jefferson, of Texarkana, said he has five major areas he would focus on, including the Health Care Investment Literacy Act, education, economic development, public safety and quality of life.

Victor D. Dunn:

• Dunn, of Kilgore, said he would work toward making district staff more available, would hold monthly town hall meetings and would appoint pastors in each 1st Congressional District county.

Lieutenant governor

• Michelle Beckley
• Mike Collier

Attorney General

• Rochelle Mercedes Garza
• Joe Jawarski

Comptroller of Public Accounts

• Janet T. Dudding
• Angel Luis Vega

Commissioner of the General Land Office

• Sandragrace Martinez
• Jay Kleberg

Precinct Chair 5

• Carol Friend
• Billy Joe Morehead, Jr.

Precinct Chair 10

• Ronnie C. Williams
• Cintya Garza

Precinct Chair 14

• Mike Nichols
• Tricia Jackson

Precinct Chair 15

• Tony Johns
• Ericka Green Freeman

Precinct Chair 19

• Dave Hansen
• Robert Beaudoin

Precinct Chair 23

• Ro Allan
• Mary Willis-Thornbury

Precinct Chair 26

• Robert Simonson
• Kathy Townsend

Precinct Chair 35

• Jamie L. Mims
• Bettie McDonald Mitchell

Precinct Chair 42

• Bill Bowen
• Roger Mitchell

Precinct Chair 52

• Kelly L. Wishart
• Joe Starling

Precinct Chair 54

• Mitzi Rusk
• Richard Mead

Precinct Chair 56

• Staci Oller Smith
• Shirley Layton

Precinct Chair 58

• DG Montalvo
• Terry Combs

Precinct Chair 61

• Pat Parsons
• Nellie Spencer-Henry

Precinct Chair 76

• Milo Perry
• Vanessa Jonyer