Wednesday, December 11, 2024
In the highly anticipated 2024 election, voters in Hood County and across the nation headed to the polls to vote for the next president: former Republican president Donald Trump or vice president and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
As results started pouring in late Tuesday night, Trump ultimately triumphed in the presidential election — both nationally and in Hood County.
According to the Associated Press, Donald Trump had earned 277 electoral votes nationally, while Kamala Harris secured 224. By press time, Trump also led in the popular vote, receiving 71.6 million votes compared to Harris' 66.8 million. However, the outcomes in Michigan, Arizona, Nevada and Alaska remained undetermined, leaving 35 electoral votes still up for grabs. While these states were leaning toward Trump, they were too close to call, so even if Harris were to win all 35 remaining votes, she would still fall short of surpassing Trump's total.
While the national results were somewhat close, Hood County's vote strongly favored Trump, with the former president securing 30,136 votes compared to Harris' 6,052.
According to ABC News, Trump will now return to the White House as the 47th president, becoming the second U.S. president to be elected to two nonconsecutive terms, following President Grover Cleveland. He will also make history as the first president to enter office while facing felony convictions, adding another unprecedented chapter to his political legacy.
In the race for one of Texas’ two United States Senate offices, incumbent Republican Ted Cruz was victorious, with 5.9 million votes (53.2%) to Democrat Colin Allred’s 4.9 million (44.5%).
Meanwhile, in the local race in Hood County, Cruz received a commanding 29,072 votes, significantly outpacing Allred, who secured 6,587 votes in the county.
In the race for State Representative in District 59, incumbent Shelby Slawson emerged victorious with 29,662 votes, while her Democratic challenger, Hannah Bohm, received 5,454 votes.
HOOD COUNTY VOTER TURNOUT
The presidential election always draws significant attention, and this year was no exception, with millions of Americans heading to the polls to make their voices heard.
In Hood County, the enthusiasm was equally strong, with more than 28,859 of the 51,697 registered voters participating in early voting, reflecting a 55.2% turnout.
On Election Day, more than 7,500 additional voters headed to the polls, which brought the overall voter turnout to an impressive 36,715 (71%), as residents cast their ballots in both the presidential race and a range of local elections.
KEY LOCAL RACES
The race for Hood County District Clerk saw Republican Melanie Graft triumph with 27,467 votes, easily defeating Democratic opponent Jon Back, who received 7,364 votes. Similarly, in the race for Hood County Clerk, Republican Christine C. Leftwich ran unopposed, securing a decisive victory.
The sheriff's race was another highlight, with incumbent Roger Deeds running unopposed and securing a resounding win. Andrea Ferguson was similarly unchallenged in the race for County Tax Assessor-Collector, as were Kevin Andrews and Jack Wilson, who each ran uncontested for the County Commissioner seats in Precincts 1 and 3, respectively.
Other candidates who ran unopposed in their races include: District Attorney Ryan Sinclair, County Attorney Matt Mills, Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 Sissy Freeman, Justice of the Peace Precinct 4 Dub Gillum, and County Constables for Precincts 1-4: Chad Davis, John D. Shirley, Randy Ellis and Chad Jordan.
SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES
Hood County residents also voted in the Granbury Independent School District race — a local race that generated significant buzz on social media in the weeks leading up to the election.
For GISD Place 3 — currently held by Melanie Graft — Tim Bolton secured his place with 17,251 votes compared to candidate Bret Deason’s 10,129. For GISD Place 4, incumbent Courtney Gore triumphed with 16,186 votes while challenger Jaci Lopez garnered 11,470.
PROPOSITIONS
Hood County voters also weighed in on a pair of propositions affecting Bluff Dale ISD.
Proposition A included the issuance of $1 million in bonds for the construction, acquisition and improvement of school infrastructure, while Proposition B called for a larger bond issue of $1.5 million for the construction, renovation and expansion of school facilities. Both measures were rejected by voters, with more ballots cast against the propositions than in favor.
Similar to the Bluff Dale ISD propositions, Hood County’s two propositions also sparked strong debate among local residents.
Hood County Proposition A — calling for a bond issuance not to exceed $50 million for the expansion and renovation of the county’s law enforcement center and jail — was rejected by voters. The measure received 16,201 votes in favor and 17,245 votes against.
Also rejected by voters was the Hood County Hospital District Proposition A, which proposed approving an ad valorem tax rate of $0.02 per $100 valuation for the current year. This rate, which was $0.02 higher than the voter-approved tax rate, would have been used to fund indigent healthcare and emergency medical services within the district. The measure garnered 14,283 votes in favor and 19,150 votes against.
In contrast, the City of DeCordova's local option election passed, allowing the legal sale of all alcoholic beverages, including mixed drinks. The measure received strong support, with 1,844 votes in favor and 225 votes against.
For a full list of Hood County’s election results, visit the county website or go to results.enr.clarityelections.com/TX/Hood/122858/web.345435/#/summary.
