First votes can be cast in elections on Monday
By SHANNON CRABTREE scrabtree@leader-news.com

Monday will be the first opportunity to cast early ballots in city, El Campo school and the Isaacson Municipal Utility District races.

Early voting is scheduled to be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, April 28, to Friday, May 2; and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, May 5 and 6. Voters will be able to cast ballots in the El Campo Fire & EMS station for both the city and school election.

IMUD ballots can be cast at the district's North Liberty Street office.

Wharton County Elections Administrator Judy Owens estimates there are currently 5,355 eligible voters in the city of El Campo and 8,431 in the El Campo school district.

Voting will be conducted with the county's electronic system.

This year the El Campo at-large Council election has drawn seven candidates - incumbents Philip Spenrath and Kenneth Martin along with Henry Dornak Jr., Otha Edison, Jimmy Roppolo, Tim Ryan and Richard Young.

In the city of El Campo, the top three vote-getters of all at-large candidates win the posts. Historically, the mayor and mayor pro tem are selected from these three posts.

This will be the first city election residents in newly annexed areas will have a chance to participate in (please see related story).

In the El Campo school race, two seats on the board are contested.

In Position 6, incumbent Tommy Turner is facing challenger Paul Soechting while in Position 7, incumbent Dr. Melissa Kainer Erwin is facing Clayton Ryan.

KULP Radio 1390 AM will be holding candidate roundtable discussions for city and school candidates. The city roundtable is set for Wednesday, April 30, starting at noon in El Campo City Hall while the school roundtable is currently set for Thursday, May 1, at noon.

Both are scheduled to be broadcast live and recorded for later rebroadcast.

Candidates will be asked to answer a series of questions from a media panel with timed responses.

In the IMUD, incumbents Floyd Fisher, Floyd Shimek and Joe Juroska Jr. face challenger Brenda George. The top three vote-getters will win seats on the board.

With no opposed candidates, the following governmental entities are canceling their May elections allowing incumbents to return unopposed:

Wharton County Junior College - The three incumbents set to return are Position 3, Georgia Krenek of Wharton; Position 4, Phil Stephenson of Wharton; and Position 8, Oliver W. Kunkel Jr. of Needville.

West Wharton County Hospital District - Incumbents Michael Appling, Stephen Cooper, Kristi David, Chip Jenkins, Richard Kerzee and Anthony Cisneros are set to return.

Louise Water District - A.E. Thomas and Paul Blumrick should be re-sworn in May.