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By Dawn Burleigh
The Orange Leader

 

Two local races had everyone waiting to the last minute for a winner to be announced.

Rex Peveto won State District Judge 163rd Judicial District with 59.01% of the vote against 40.99% Michael Catt received when the final ballots were tallied on Tuesday.

Jimmy Lane Mooney won Orange County Sheriff by a slight lead with 6,991 votes to the 6,457 Rob Strause received.

John Gothia will remain Orange County Judge with 73.51% of the votes. He was elected to fill an unexpired term after Dean Crooks stepped down in March 2019 stating, “I do not believe Orange County would survive the internal strife.”

Kirk Roccaforte will continue as County Commissioner Precinct 3 after winning the election. He was appointed to fill the position after Gothia stepped down to take over as county judge.

Brad Frye will take on the Constable Precinct 3 position after receiving 77.72% of the vote.

Those newly elected will be sworn into office in January 2021.

Republican incumbent candidate Brian Babin, 36th Congressional District, won the primary but will go on to face the Democratic opponent Rashad Lewis in November. Babin has served as Congressman since January 2015. Babin is a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Before being elected to Congress, Babin served in the Texas Army National Guard, the U.S. Army Reserve, and the United States Air Force, and he worked as a dentist.

 

March 3 Primary County Election Results

 

Republican 

State District Judge, 163rd Judicial District
Michael Catt 5,479  40.99%
Rex Wayne Peveto 7,887  59.01%

 

County Judge

Ernest Bayard 3,373   26.49%

John Gothia 9,362   73.51%

 

County Court of Law No. 2

Troy Johnson 12,228

 

County Attorney

John Kimbrough 11,980

 

Sheriff

Rob Strause 6,457   48.01%

Jimmy Lane Mooney 6,991   51.99%

 

County Tax Assessor- Collector

Karen Fisher 12,505

 

County Commissioner Precinct 1

Johnny Trahan 2,342

 

County Commissioner Precinct 3

Kirk Roccaforte 2,892  70.97%

Carl LeBlanc 1,183   29.03%

 

Constable Precinct 1

Lannie L. Claybar 2,364

 

Constable Precinct 2

Jeremiah Gunter 3,269

 

Constable Precinct 3

Brad Frye 3,146  77.72%

Sambo Carpenter Jr 902   22.28%

 

Constable Precinct 4

Matt Oretago 2,944

 

Republican County Chair

David Covey 12,059

 

Democratic 

Democratic County Chair

John Cash Smith 2,199