Pat Murdock 4/27/2012 San Marcos Area League of Women Voters

San Marcos Area League of Women Voters Schedules Primary Candidates Forum and Debate
SAN MARCOS The San Marcos Area League of Women Voters (LWV) will hold its spring Democratic and Republican primary election candidates forum and debate Monday, May 7 at 7 p.m. at the San Marcos Activity Center. The primary elections for both parties are scheduled May 29 with early voting set for May 14 -25. Early voting for San Marcos residents will be conducted in a specially designated meeting room at the new Hays County Government Center located at 712 South Stage Coach Trail. Voters will enter the building through a specially marked door just to the left of the buildings main entrance. Early voting hours are 8 a.m. 5 p.m. May 14-18; 10 a.m. 4 p.m. Saturday, May 19; 1 -5 p.m. Sunday, May 20; and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. May 21 25. Early voting times and locations for other parts of Hays County are as follows: Kyle Kyle City Hall, 100 W. Center St., 11 a.m. 7 p.m. Monday, May 14; 10 a.m. 4 p.m. Saturday, May 19; and 11 a.m. 7 p.m. Monday, May 21. Dripping Springs Dripping Springs ISD Office, 510 W. Mercer St., 11 a.m. 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 15; 10 a.m. 4 p.m. Saturday, May 19; and 11 a.m. 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 22. Wimberley Wimberley Community Center, 14068 Ranch Road 12, Wimberley, Thursday, May 17, 11 a.m. 7 p.m.; Saturday, May 19, 10 a.m. 4 p.m.; and Thursday, May 24, 11 a.m. 7 p.m. Buda Buda City Hall, 121 N. Main St. , Buda, Friday, May 18, 11 a.m. 7 p.m.; Saturday, May 19 , 10 a.m. 4 p.m.; and Friday, May 25, 11 a.m. 7 p.m. A forum format will be used for the highly contested Republican primary races in Congressional Districts 21, 25 and 35 and State Senate District 25, as well as the contested Democratic races for State Representative Districts 21 and 35, due to the number of candidates who have filed for those positions. Candidates for contested local Hays County races have been invited to debate.

Republican candidates for the 21st Congressional District seat are Richard Mack, Richard Morgan and Lamar Smith. Democratic candidates for the 21st Congressional District are Daniel Boone and Candace Duval. Republican U.S. Representative District 25 are Brian Matthews, Wes Riddle, Bill Burch, Dianne Costa, Roger Williams, Chad Wilbanks, Justin Hewlett, Charlie Holcomb, Ernie Beltz, Jr., James Patriot Dillon, Michael Williams and Dave Garrison Filing as Republicans for the 35th Congressional District are John Yoggerst, Susan Narvaiz, and Rob Roark. Democratic candidates for the 35th Congressional District are Maria Luisa Alvarado, Lloyd Doggett and Sylvia Romo. Republican candidates for the District 25 State Senate seat are Elizabeth Ames Jones, Jeff Wentworth and Donna Campbell. Debating will be candidates who filed for State Board of Education District 5, 22nd Judicial District Judge , Hays County Sheriff, Hays County Commissioner Precinct 3 and Hays County Constable Precincts 1 and 2. Republican primary election candidates in contested races are, for the State Board of Education, District 5, Ken Mercer and Steve Salyer; for 22nd Judicial District Judge Ronnie Dickens, Bruce Boyer, David S. Glickler and David L. Nigh; for Hays County Sheriff Tommy Ratliff and Gary Cutler; and for County Commissioner, Precinct 3, Sam Brannon and Will Conley Candidates for contested Democratic races include Hays County Constable, Precinct 1, Rodrigo Amaya and David Peterson and Hays County Constable, Precinct 2, Guy Irwin and James H. Kohler. In all instances, candidates listed have been invited to participate in the San Marcos Area LWV events. Although the local Leagues Voters Guide for the primary elections will not be published until the May 13 edition of the San Marcos Daily Record, copies of both the local and state League Voters Guides will be available at the May 7 forum and debate. The local Voters Guides will also be available at www.lwvtexas.org in the Local Leagues section, or on the San Marcos Daily Record website, www.sanmarcosrecord.com. The guide will also be available at www.sanmarcosmercury.com, which will carry live video of the debate after May 7. The State Leagues Voters Guide for the 2012 primary elections will also be available on the LWV Texas website. The forum and debate, open to the public without charge,

and the Voters Guides are the San Marcos Area League of Women Voters key voter services and voter education projects. Open to men and women, the League of Women Voters guiding principles focus on the belief in the representative form of government and individual liberties established in the Constitution of the United States. A nonpartisan organization, another guiding principle is that democratic government depends upon the informed and active participation of its citizens and requires that governmental bodies protect the citizens right to know by giving adequate notice of proposed actions, holding open meetings and making public records accessible. The organizations nonpartisan stance, which members take very seriously, is always evident in League-sponsored debates and the Voters Guides. All candidates for each office will be asked the same carefully crafted questions, with each having the opportunity to be the first to respond to one question. The San Marcos Area LWV is governed by a 12-member board of directors, led by President Carole Belver. The local league board generally meets the first Monday of each month at 6 p.m. at the Price Seniors Center. For more information about league membership, call Margaret Lindsey at 512-353-2872. For more information about voter services issues, e-mail Grace Melcher Neal at LWVTXSM@gmail.com. For debate related questions, call Jeannie Lewis at 512-353-2872.