Val Verde County Judge Lewis Owens Wins Reelection As Mary Jane Ross Takes District Clerk
Val Verde County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. won another term Tuesday with 7,572 votes to 4,047 for Robert Beau Nettleton, according to unofficial county results. Republican Mary Jane Ross won the district clerk race, and incumbent commissioners Juan Carlos Vazquez and Gus Flores held their seats.
DEL RIO, Texas – Val Verde County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. won another term Tuesday, Nov. 3, defeating Republican Robert Beau Nettleton by more than 3,500 votes, according to unofficial results released by the Val Verde County Elections office.
Owens, a Democrat, finished with 7,572 votes to 4,047 for Nettleton, a former Precinct 3 commissioner, according to the county’s summary results report, which was generated at 10:49 p.m. Tuesday with all ballots counted. The win came less than a week after Owens announced on Oct. 28 that he had been diagnosed with cancer and said he still intended to serve if re-elected.
Turnout was 38.6%, with 11,980 ballots cast out of 31,038 registered voters, according to the report.
Ross wins district clerk race
The closest countywide race was for district clerk. Republican Mary Jane Ross received 6,026 votes and Democrat Rachel Magallanes received 5,449, according to the unofficial results.
Commissioners and justices of the peace
- Commissioner, Precinct 2: Juan Carlos Vazquez (D) 1,361, Rey Robles (R) 892
- Commissioner, Precinct 4: Gustavo (Gus) Flores (D) 1,431, John I. Wardlaw (R) 1,352
- Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1: Jesse James Trevino (D) 1,624, Mario Bosquez (R) 785
- Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2: Robert (Bobby) Hernandez (D) 1,312, J. Randel Dissler (R) 822, write-in James Fernandez 117
- Justice of the Peace, Precinct 3: Ashly Vicuna (R) 2,727, Loida S. Arellano (D) 1,412
Vazquez and Flores are the incumbents in their precincts and will return to commissioners court.
Unopposed county offices
Unopposed candidates on the Val Verde ballot included County Court at Law Judge Sergio J. Gonzalez with 8,792 votes, County Clerk Teresa Esther Chapoy with 8,039, County Treasurer Aaron D. Rodriguez with 8,381, County Surveyor Abner Martinez with 8,156, Justice of the Peace Precinct 4 Hilda Castillo Lopez with 2,154 and 83rd District Judge Robert E. Cadena with 8,360, according to the report.
How Val Verde voted in the big races
Val Verde County voters favored Democrats at the top of the ticket. James Talarico received 6,360 votes in the U.S. Senate race to 4,940 for Ken Paxton, and Gina Hinojosa received 6,025 votes for governor to 5,565 for Gov. Greg Abbott, according to the county report.
In the race for the 23rd Congressional District, Democrat Katy Padilla Stout received 5,737 votes in Val Verde County, Republican Brandon Herrera received 5,274 and independent Ben Mendoza received 504. State Rep. Eddie Morales Jr. carried the county 6,532 to 4,954 over Republican Robert Garza in House District 74.
All results are unofficial until the vote is canvassed by Val Verde County Commissioners Court later this month.
Read our earlier coverage: Val Verde County Judge Lewis Owens Faces Beau Nettleton On Ballot Days After Cancer Diagnosis
Also read: Where To Vote In Val Verde County On Election Day Tuesday November 3
Sources: Val Verde County unofficial results, Nov. 3, 2026 | Val Verde County Elections | Texas Secretary of State Election Night Returns
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