No winner declared in Texas election

No winner was decided Tuesday in the Texas special senate election to replace resigning Sen. Teel Bivins, R-Amarillo.

Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, received the highest number of votes with 34 percent but failed to obtain the required 50-percent-plus-one to win the election outright. Seliger and contender Kirk Edwards, R-Odessa, who earned 22 percent of the vote, will have a runoff.

The runoff date has not yet been determined, said Bailey County Clerk Sherry Harrison. However, it will be held as soon as possible, she added.

Voters in Bailey and Parmer counties were in step Tuesday with other Texas counties in District 31, favoring Seliger. Seliger drew 242 votes in Parmer County while Edwards garnered 117. In Bailey County, Seliger gained 102 votes while Edwards finished third in the voting.

Colleen Stover, Parmer County Court Clerk, said Seliger did well because he was better known than the other candidates.

“I think people are somewhat familiar with him in this area because of his ties in Amarillo,” Stover said. “People are familiar with his background and have appreciated his service in the past.”

Seliger is an Amarillo businessman. He is 50 years old and served four terms as Amarillo mayor.

Lee Gibson, R-Dumas, gained 107 votes in Parmer County, followed by Don Sparks, R-Midland, with 45 votes; Bob Barnes, R-Odessa, with 31 votes; Elaine King Miller, D-Amarillo, with 27 votes; and Jesse Quackenbush, R-Amarillo, with 27 votes.

In Parmer County, 596 of the 5,004 registered voters cast votes, Stover said.

Parmer County Election Judge Darlene McManigal of Farwell said the turnout was small.

“Unless we’re having a local or national election, it is pretty slow,” McManigal said. “This is average for a special election.”

In Bailey County, Miller finished second with 56; Edwards, 36; Gibson, 28; Sparks, 22; Barnes, 17; and Quackenbush, 4. In all, 265 of the 3,982 registered Bailey County voters went to the polls, said Harrison.

Bailey County Election Judge Debora Noble of Muleshoe said voter turnout was low.

“There wasn’t enough publicity to get the voters out,” she said. “I only got one pamphlet on one man. People just didn’t know we were having an election. Even the older crowd didn’t know the names. Only one candidate stated his platform.”

Bivins’ district covers the top of the Panhandle through Midland-Odessa. President Bush recently appointed Bivins ambassador to Sweden.

Vote notes

> Of the votes cast in Bailey County, early voters sent in 46, while in final voting Precinct 1 drawing 70; Precinct 2, 93; Precinct 3, 20; Precinct 4, 18; Precinct 5, 8; and Precinct 6, 13.

> The breakdown of Parmer County voters by precinct, in addition to the 61 early votes, was Friona, 283; Bovina, 98; Farwell, 78; Oklahoma Lane, 36; and Lazbuddie, 40.