Democrats Sweep Williamson County Races as Talarico Claims Statewide Seat
Heather Jefts becomes the first woman and first Democrat in 40 years to hold the county judge position in Tuesday's election.
By Pedro Barnes ·
Williamson County Democrats captured all four contested countywide offices on Tuesday.
Heather Jefts defeated Republican Steve Snell for the position of county judge. Jefts, a small-business owner and former Cedar Park City Council member, won by nearly 10 percentage points. This victory makes her the first woman to hold the office and the first Democrat to serve in the role in four decades.
James Talarico defeated incumbent Attorney General Ken Paxton for a statewide Senate seat. Talarico, who represents Round Rock, previously served in the Texas House of Representatives for District 52 starting in 2018. His win marks the first time a Democrat has secured statewide office in the region in more than 30 years.
Democratic candidates Harmon Rhea and Erin Block also secured victories in their respective races. Rhea defeated incumbent Republican Ross Boles for the Precinct 4 commissioner seat by a similar margin to Jefts. Block defeated Republican Bill Fairbrother for the county clerk position. Democrat Eric Hanke also won the race for county tax assessor-collector against Republican Catherine Totty.
Kim Gilby, chair of the Williamson County Democratic Party, expressed surprise at the magnitude of the sweep. She described the result as a culmination of years of effort. The Democratic slate created a unified court with Jefts at the helm.
Jefts credited the party's ground game for mobilizing base voters. This strategy allowed her campaign to allocate resources toward rural areas and growing Latino and South Asian communities. She said outreach efforts in these groups contributed to a high volume of crossover and partisan votes that carried the ticket across the finish line.
Michelle Evans, chair of the Williamson County Republican Party, cited a lack of cohesion and energy in her party's operation. She noted that Republicans spent more on the election but failed to match Democratic turnout in key precincts. Evans acknowledged that ten Republican candidates won unopposed, which she called a victory secured at the December filing deadline.
Evans stated that the party must now reevaluate its approach to governance. She emphasized that the election was a policy contest rather than a personality dispute. Democrats will now control the county executive office and the commissioners court majority.
