In early voting and final box tallies for Orange County’s two contested races in Tuesday’s primary election, it appears that Democrat Percy Flanigan will face Republican and former Pine Forest Mayor Jody Crump for the Precinct 4 commissioner’s seat in November.

As winner of Tuesday’s primary, Flanigan unseated incumbent Commissioner Beamon Minton.

In unofficial results provided late Tuesday by the Orange County Elections Administrator’s Office, Flanigan took 792 votes; or 53.7 percent, to Minton’s 682 votes, or 46.2 percent.

Crump, the only Republican candidate, tallied 805 votes.

And in the race for Precinct 1 justice of the peace, which could have produced a runoff in April, David Peck won over Joel Ardoin and Mike Abbott.

In unofficial results provided late Tuesday by the Orange County Elections Administrator’s Office, Peck took 791 votes; or 50.6 percent. Ardoin tallied with 544 votes; or 34.9 percent; and Abbott 226 votes (14.4 percent).

Justice Joe Parkhurst, whose term ends Dec. 31, did not seek re-election.

“I’m very thankful and humbled,” Peck said by phone late Tuesday. He thanked his wife Patsy and others for support. “I can’t begin to thank them all because I’d leave somebody out. The people have spoken and I’m ready to continue to work in the court the way Judge Parkhurst will leave it. I’m ready to serve.”

Ardoin could not be reached by presstime, however, noted in a radio interview he could possibly ask for a recount.

In the race for U.S. representative, District 8, at presstime with 110 of 247 precincts reporting, incumbent Kevin Brady was the clear front-runner with 32,825 votes, or 79.9 percent. Challengers Scott Baker, Melecio Franco and Tyler Russel each received less than 12.5 percent, with 110 precincts reporting.

Early voting results only, released at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, showed 4,444 – 1,818 Republican votes; or 40.91 percent; and 2,626 Democratic votes, or 59.9 percent.

In all, 9, 250 were cast in Orange County, according to election officials; 4,483 Republican votes; or 48.46 percent; and 4,767 Democratic votes, or 51.54 percent.

Uncontested races:
Democratic Party Chairperson:
Mark Carter

Republican Party Chairperson:
Trudy Pellerin

All Democratic Party:
• 260th District Judge – Buddie Hahn (I).
• Judge, County Court at Law 1 – Michael Shuff (I).
• County Clerk – Karen Jo Vance (I).
• County Treasurer – Christy Khoury.
• District Clerk – Vickie Edgerly.
• County Judge – Carl Thibodeaux (I).
• Commissioner, Precinct 2 – Owen Burton (I).
• Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 – Derry Dunn (I).
• Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 – Janice Menard (I).
• Justice of the Peace Precinct 4 – Rodney Price (I).

In statewide returns, unofficial results showed that Democrat Bill White took an early lead to secure the Texas Democratic Party’s nominee for governor, leaving incumbent Republican Rick Perry and Republican challenger Kay Bailey Hutchison fighting for first place.

But that fight didn’t last long. At about 10 p.m. Tuesday, Hutchison conceded. At presstime Tuesday, Perry had 52.7 percent of the vote, to Hutchison’s 30.8 and Debra Medina’s 16.3.

For the office of lieutenant governor, unofficial returns with 5,222 or 8,380 precincts reporting showed that Democrat Linda-Chavez Thompson with 51.02 percent will challenge Republican incumbent David Dewhurst.

It was still too close to call Tuesday between Democrats Hector Uribe and Bill Burton, only 1 percent apart with 5,222 precincts reporting. The winner will challenge Republican incumbent Jerry Patterson for the office of General Land Commissioner.

In the Agriculture Commissioner’s race, with 5,222 precincts reporting Democrat Hank Gilbert (56.6 percent) was the front-runner over Richard “Kinky” Friedman (43.3 percent). The winner will go up against Republican incumbent Todd Staples.

And in the race for Railroad Commissioner, Republican incumbent Victor Carrillo was challenged in his own party by David Porter. With about half the precincts reporting at presstime, Porter with 60.7 percent (to Carrillo’s 39.2) will apparently go up against Democrat Jeff Weems in November.

How Orange County voted:
(Unofficial returns):

Governor:
Democratic Party
Bill Dear – 48
Clement E. Glenn – 28
Alma Ludivina Aguado – 34
Star Locke – 27
Bill White – 1,956
Felix (Rodriguez) Alvarado – 27
Farouk Shami – 266

Republican Party:
Kay Bailey Hutchison – 393
Rick Perry – 1,206
Debra Medina – 206

Lieutenant Governor:
Democratic Party
Ronnie Earle – 868
Marc Katz – 360
Linda Chavez-Thompson – 801

General Land Commissioner:
Democratic Party
Hector Uribe – 362
Bill Burton – 1,675

Commissioner of Agriculture:
Democratic Party
Richard “Kinky” Friedman – 899
Hank Gilbert – 1,304

Railroad Commissioner:
Republican Party
Victor G. Carillo – 367
David Porter – 1,072

Propositions results by county, state

Those voting in the Republican primary Tuesday had five propositions to weigh-in on.

Designed to gauge voter opinions on issues that have been key to the Texas Republican Party for several years, the state’s Republican Executive Committee placed them on the ballot during its 2009 meeting in Austin.

Unofficial results at presstime Tuesday, with 5,713 of 8,236 precincts reporting, had all propositions passing. In final results for Orange County, unofficial tallies showed all five propositions passed. 

Statewide:
• Prop. 1: asks whether photo identification should be required to cast a ballot in Texas.
• For 1,048,501; Against 81,780.

• Prop. 2: asks whether every government body in Texas should be required to limit annual increases in its respective budgets to inflation and population increases, and if it must exceed that limit whether the decision should be mandated to voters.
• For 1,021,57; Against 90,037.

• Prop. 3: asks whether federal income taxes should be cut for all taxpayers.
• For 1,041,240; Against 76,973.

• Prop. 4: asks whether the use of the word God, prayer and invocation or display of the Ten Commandments from the Old Testament of the Bible should be allowed at public gatherings and institutions.
• For 1,089,743; Against 54,294.

• Prop. 5: asks whether a sonogram should be required to be seen by a pregnant woman prior to her elective abortion.
• For 769,030; Against 345,575.

How Orange County voted:

Prop. 1:
Yes – 4,065
No. 168

Prop. 2:
Yes – 4,115
No – 183

Prop. 3:
Yes – 4,165
No – 139

Prop. 4:
Yes – 4,319
No – 60

Prop. 5:
Yes – 3,435
No – 797