Following Bexar County Commissioner Trish DeBerry’s last-minute entry into the county judge race, Precinct 3 candidates have until Monday to file for the March primary.
DeBerry, whose first term as Precinct 3 commissioner began in January, filed to run for Bexar County judge on Monday. That triggered her automatic resignation under Texas’ “resign to run law,” but Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff has 60 days to appoint her successor. That person will serve on an interim basis.
“In accordance with Election Code Chapter 202, the local Party Chairs have been informed by the Bexar County Elections Administrator Jacque Callanen, upon directive from the Keith Ingram, Elections Division Director for the Office of the Secretary of State, that filing for the recently vacated County Commissioner Precinct 3 seat will open immediately,” Wolff said in a statement Wednesday.
Though Wolff gets to choose DeBerry’s immediate replacement, that person is not guaranteed a seat for the rest of DeBerry’s unexpired term, Bexar County Elections Administrator Jacque Callanen said. Her term was set to end in 2024.
“This way they can have a primary, the Democrats and Republicans,” Callanen said. “And it gives them an official candidate that would be on the ballot in November and that person would take the unexpired term on Jan. 1. And they would have to run again in two years, just like [current Precinct 2 Commissioner] Justin Rodriguez did.”
Wolff appointed Rodriguez in January 2019 to replace former Precinct 2 commissioner Paul Elizondo, who died in December 2018. Rodriguez ran for the seat in 2020 and won the Democratic primary that March, which also secured him the seat as he did not draw a Republican opponent.
People interested in running for Precinct 3 commissioner now have until 6 p.m. Monday to do so. Potential candidates must file with one of the Bexar County parties.
“The party chairs are ready,” Callanen said. “This will be a fast turnaround.”
