Voters head to the polls in Tyler during November 2023 election. (Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph File)

Candidates have filed for a place on the March 5 Joint Primary Election ballots. Now, Smith County voters can familiarize themselves with candidates’ campaigns to identify who they believe can best represent them in the November general election.

Primaries are elections political parties use to select candidates for a general election. No one is elected to a position during a primary.

Early voting begins Feb. 20. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote in the primary, the top two vote-getters will compete in a runoff on May 28. According to reporting from the Texas Tribune, Texas is an open-primary state, meaning voters can decide every two years whether to pick Republican or Democratic nominees (or hold out and go to third-party conventions).

It’s important to remember that whichever primary a voter decides to vote in, you can vote only in that same party’s runoff. You can, however, vote for either party’s candidates in the general election.

To see each county’s ballot order for the primary, visit the Texas Secretary of State’s site. Please note if a local candidate below does not have a biography, it was not made readily available by press time.

Republican Candidates

President

Asa Hutchinson

Donald Trump

Ron Desantis

Vivek Rmaswamy

David Stuckenberg

Chris Christie

Ryan Binkley

Nikki Haley

U.S. Senator

R.E. Rufus Lopez

Ted Cruz

Holland Gibson

U.S. Representative District 1 (uncontested)

Nathaniel Moran is focused on issues important to East Texans in his first term in office, including strengthening border security, supporting law enforcement, constraining spending, and rolling back the federal government’s overreach and the liberal policies of the Biden Administration. He has also been vocal in his support for Israel, using his committee positions on Foreign Affairs and Education and Workforce to condemn antisemitism evident in organizations ranging from the United Nations to college campuses.

Railroad Commissioners

Corley Howell

Petra Reyes

Christie Clark

James Matlock

Christi Craddick

Justice, Supreme Court, Place 2

Jimmy Blacklock

Justice, Supreme Court, Place 4

John Devine

Brain Walker

Justice, Supreme Court, Place 6

Jane Bland

Presiding Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals

David Schenick

Sharon Keller

Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7

Gina Parker

Barbara Parker Hervey

Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8

Lee Finley

Michelle Slaughter

State Representative District 5

Jeff Fletcher began to practice law in 1994. Fletcher resides in Mineola, where he continues his private law practice. His beliefs include protecting the lives of unborn children, border security, the U.S. Constitution as the basis for daily life, accountability and responsibility for individuals’ actions and conduct, election integrity, gun rights, parents’ rights, opposition to radical gender ideology, and obscene material in schools.

Cole Hefner is a pro-life conservative who believes in securing and defending the border, protecting the right to bear arms, reducing government spending, and stopping handouts to illegal immigrants.

Dewey Collier served as a combat soldier and a nurse. He brings a unique perspective to the table – one of courage, leadership and a commitment to caring for others. As a decorated Veteran, Dewey knows the sacrifices made by those who defend our freedoms, and he will fight to ensure a strong and secure future for our country and the Lone Star State.

State Representative District 6

Daniel Alders is the president of Drake Management Services, a commercial property management company based in Tyler. Before joining Drake, Alders was the East Texas Regional Director to Sen. Ted Cruz, serving as the senator’s primary liaison to business owners, organizations, community leaders, and constituents across a 35-county region.

District Judge 7th Judicial District (uncontested)

Kerry Russell

District Judge 114th Judicial District (uncontested)

Austin Reeve Jackson

District Judge 475th Judicial District (uncontested)

Taylor Heaton

County Court at Law No. 2 — Unexpired term

Sara Maynard was appointed to serve as the Judge of County Court at Law No. 2 by the Smith County Commissioners Court on Dec. 27, 2022. Previously, Maynard managed a private practice firm for over twenty-two years after finishing the University of Houston Law School. Fifteen years of that time, she represented numerous children of Smith County in CPS cases. Judge Maynard served as a prosecutor at Tyler Municipal Court for twelve years. She has also handled estate planning, probate, civil and criminal law. Most recently, she served as an assistant Smith County district attorney prosecuting juvenile cases.

Amy McCullough currently serves as Presiding Judge for the criminal court of record for the City of Tyler. In this role, she handles approximately 45,000 cases annually, including theft, drug paraphernalia, assault, and alcohol-related cases. During her time on the bench, Judge McCullough has created several programs to improve the effectiveness of the court and decrease recidivism rates among the adults and juveniles who come through her courtroom.

Smith County Sheriff

Chris Green has been a resident of Smith County for over three decades. Green has been in law enforcement for more than 30 years, having the duty and powers of a state peace officer to enforce all laws of Texas. He was an active Game Warden for 20 years and served 10 years as a Special Game Warden Reserve, with much of that time spent in Smith County. He’s also been a small business owner

Larry Smith has over three decades of experience in local and federal law enforcement. He has been the sheriff of Smith County since 2013. His promises include more transparency, more deputies on the streets, more training, emphasis on drug law enforcement, violent crimes and homicide investigations, fighting crime and corruption and more. The Bible, U.S. Constitution, and Texas Constitution are Smith’s guides when serving.

County Tax Assessor-Collector

Gary Barber has been the Tax Assessor-Collector for Smith County since he was first elected in 2004. Before being elected for public office, Barber worked for the Smith County Appraisal District for over eight years. In addition to his various paying jobs, he has managed the accounting responsibilities for Amy B’s, his wife’s retail business, for 26 years. He is past president of the Tax Assessor-Collector Association and is a current Texas School Assessors Association board member. Barber graduated from John Tyler High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from The University of Texas at Austin.

County Commissioner Precinct 1

Christina Drewry is a leader and advocate for liberty. For more than two years, Drewry has attended weekly Commissioners Court meetings, school board, city council, emergency services district, and County Commissioners Court to know why and how they are spending taxpayers’ dollars. She is committed to working hard, listening to constituents’ concerns and being a voice for those who may not have the opportunity to be heard—a citizen-first candidate who wants to be the guardian of constituents’ tax dollars.

Incumbent Pam Frederick has 20 years of governmental experience. She’s served on various boards and government roles, including Mayor of Bullard 2011-2022, Bullard City Council 2003-2011, Christus Mother Frances Hospital Community Leadership Board, Smith County Area Go Texan Scholarship Committee, and Strategic Planning Committee – American Freedom Museum. She is committed to serving our community and affecting positive change as a representative who is accessible to the citizens.

County Commissioner Precinct 3

Rusty Smith works for Brookshires Grocery Company as an IT Manager in their retail and corporate business. Before Brookshires, he worked in a similar role for Trane for 21 years. Smith has been a volunteer firefighter for 12 years with the Winona Volunteer Fire Department. During his career, he served as assistant chief for the department, which was his first exposure to management. He began his volunteer career in 1994 and retired in 2006 after being elected Mayor of the City of Winona. Smith was first elected to the position of Alderman for the City of Winona in May 2000 and served three terms for six years.

J. Scott Herod, conservative, small business owner, and rancher is a nearly lifelong resident of East Texas. If elected, Herod looks forward to serving his community, supporting law enforcement, and protecting all constitutional rights. Herod lives near Chapel Hill, where he ranches cattle and owns Cut Beef, selling pasture-raised, grain-fed beef to individuals and restaurants across the U.S.

Incumbent Terry Phillips took office in January 2009 as Commissioner for Precinct 3, the largest of the four commissioner precincts. Phillips thinks of himself as a straightforward, down-to-earth, plainspoken conservative. He worked as a Well Test Analyst at Otis Engineering. In 1980, the couple moved back to Tyler, where he worked for Getty Oil Company. Soon after, Texaco bought out Getty Oil, and he remained with Texaco USA through the mid-1980s, when he began acquiring real estate. He continues managing properties today.

County Constable Precinct 2

Wayne Allen was sworn in as Smith County Precinct 2 Constable on Nov. 18, 2022. Allen began working for the Tyler Police Department in 1991. He served as a police officer for almost 30 years and is an honorably retired Financial Crimes Detective with the Tyler Police Department. In February of 2019, Wayne retired from the Tyler Police Department. He moved into corporate security with The Home Depot, serving as District Manager of AP and Safety before being elected Constable of Precinct 2.

County Constable Precinct 3

Jim Blackmon has lived in Smith County for over 40 years and graduated from Chapel Hill High School in 1985. Blackmon graduated from Tyler Junior College with an associate’s degree in criminal justice. In 2002, he was issued his basic peace officer license from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards. Since then, he has also earned his intermediate, advanced, and master peace officer licenses.

County Constable Precinct 4

Josh Joplin is the Smith County Precinct 4 Constable. Before starting in law enforcement, he was the captain of the Arp Police Explorer program during his youth. Joplin went on to the Brownsboro Police Department, where Joplin was the K9 handler from 2012 to 2014. He became a police officer for the City of Winona and a school resource officer for the Marshall ISD Police Department. He returned to Brownsboro Police Department in 2015 and continued as the department’s K9 handler and warrant officer until January 2017 when he was elected and sworn into office as the Smith County Precinct 4 Constable.

County Constable Precinct 5

Wesley Hicks is a lifelong resident of Lindale and a graduate of Lindale High School. Hicks holds an associate degree in criminal justice from Tyler Junior College, is a graduate of the East Texas Police Academy and holds a master peace officer license. Before serving with the Constable’s Office, Hicks worked for the Smith County Sheriff’s Office as a patrol deputy, sergeant and lieutenant.

Democratic Candidates

President

Gabriel Cornejo

Joseph Biden Jr

Star Locke

Dean Phillips

Armando Perez-Serrato

Marianne Williamson

Frankie Lozada

Cenk Uyagur

U.S. Senator

Carl Sherman

Meri Gomez

Heli Rodriguez Prilliman

Colin Allred

Roland Gutierrez

A Robert Hassan

Steven Keough

Thierry Tchenko

Mark Gonzalez

Railroad Commissioners

Katherine Culbert

Bill Burch

Justice, Supreme Court, Place 2

Dasean Jones

Randy Sarosdy

Justice, Supreme Court, Place 4

Christine Vinh Weems

Justice, Supreme Court, Place 6

Joe Pool

Bonnie Lee Goldstein

Presiding Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals (uncontested)

Holly Taylor

Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7

Nancy Mulder

Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8

Chika Anyiam

State Representative District 6

Cody Grace is a local businessman dedicated to improving public education and teachers’ pay. Growing up in and raising his teenage daughter in public education, he’s seen the hard work and dedication teachers have for their students. Education, infrastructure and economic development are focal points of his campaign.

County Commissioners Precinct 3

Dave Hansen

Edith Mayfield Wilson

County Constable Precinct 1

Ralph Caraway Jr. began his career as an intern at the Smith County Sheriff’s Office and then worked in various divisions within the office. In 2013, he became a patrol sergeant before transitioning to Narcotics Sergeant. In 2015, he was promoted to Jail Lieutenant and was Jail Captain from 2015 to 2018. He worked for the Smith County District Attorney’s Office from 2019 to 2022.

Derrick Holman is a former Smith County deputy.

Willie Mims is the longest-serving Chief Deputy and Sergeant for the Precinct 1 Constable office from (2005 to 2020). His 22 years of experience as a licensed peace officer makes him highly knowledgeable about the residents and businesses throughout Precinct 1. His entry into this race underscores his enduring commitment to fostering a safer, more connected community through principled and community-focused leadership. His vision for law enforcement is firmly rooted in collaboration and transparency, reflecting his unwavering commitment to ensuring that the voices and concerns of the community are not just heard but actively addressed.

Important dates

Feb. 5 is the last day to register to vote. People may register to vote at any time. Any U.S. citizen, 17 years and 10 months old, is eligible to register to vote. Anyone interested in registering to vote can get more information on the Smith County elections website at smith-county.com/government/departments/elections/voter-registration.

Early voting by personal appearance is from Feb. 20 to March 1. Feb. 23 is the last day to apply for a ballot by mail, and March 5, 2024, is the last day to receive a ballot by mail.