Local Republicans on July 23 will choose their candidate to fill the McLennan County Commissioners Court Precinct 2 seat that became vacant when Patricia Miller, a Democrat, died unexpectedly on Jan. 28 during surgery.
Democrats last month picked Jeremy Davis, 29, a Waco Independent School District trustee, to run in the Nov. 5 election. He beat out Travis Gibson, son of the late Commissioner Lester Gibson, and Tracy Guillory, who served as Miller's office manager and executive assistant.
“I've heard that more than eight people are interested in running,” Republican Party Chairman Chris DeCluitt said of the crowd forming to challenge the Democratic candidate for an east county seat by McLennan. “I know DL Wilson is filling out forms as we speak.”
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Donis “DL” Wilson confirmed to the Tribune-Herald that he would like to seek the Precinct 2 seat for a third time, having lost the last two elections to Miller.
County Judge Scott Felton could have appointed an interim commissioner to represent District 2 until the November election after Miller's death, but said he wanted to leave the matter in the hands of voters. He said other members of the court would oversee the affairs of Precinct 2 until November.
Miller was the only Democrat on the commissioners court. Commissioners Jim Smith, Ben Perry and Will Jones are Republicans, as is Felton.
A news release from the McLennan County Republican Party says the County Executive Committee and Precinct Executive Committee will hold back-to-back meetings beginning at 6 p.m. July 23 at party headquarters, 539 N. Valley Mills Drive, and DeCluitt said the public is invited to attend.
Six precinct 2 chairmen will vote on choosing a candidate to run for county commissioner, while precinct chairs “somewhere in the 30s” will choose a candidate to run for judge of the County Court Number 3.
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An election to appoint a successor to District Court No. 3 Judge Ryan Luna was made necessary when Texas Governor Greg Abbott appointed Luna to preside over the 414th State District Court in Waco following the judge's retirement Vicki Menard. Menard was the first female district judge in McLennan County.
In June 2021, commissioners appointed Luna to the new District Court No. 3, which primarily handles civil and misdemeanor cases. Luna was elected the following year to a four-year term.
DeCluitt said Democrats may also nominate someone to run for County Court Judge No. 3, but McLennan County Democratic Party Chairman Mark Hays could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
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