The Brown County Republican Women’s Club hosted a Candidate Meet and Greet Luncheon on Friday, January 14th, ahead of the March 1 Primary. The purpose of the meeting was to give Brown County voters the opportunity to meet candidates and discuss the issues of importance to the upcoming primary election. Candidates in contested races were given two minutes each to address the crowd in attendance. 

The candidates for County Commissioner in Precinct 2 were the first group to the podium with Incumbent Joel Kelton speaking first. Kelton said he is a long time resident of Brown County who believes he serves with a strong voice for Precinct 2 who brings a “common sense approach to local government” which he said means he is a strong conservative. Jeff Hoskinson was the next candidate to speak. Hoskinson said he “drives the roads of Brown County every day” and that he “sees some stuff that [he] could make better.” Hoskinson stated he is for lower taxes and that the local government at the lowest spot is responsible for the raise in property taxes. He plans to vote conservatively and be open to new ideas. Bo E. Allen’s family has been in Brown County since 1880. Allen has spent 35 years serving on the May School Board. He spoke on the board’s accomplishments during his tenure and his role as Fire Chief in May. His focus is to use that experience to “move Brown County forward,” he said.

George Huseman, candidate for County Commissioner in Precinct 4, spoke next. Huseman is a retired Army Veteran who has accomplished four tours in Iraq. He said he believes “there is a lot of money out there being spent that could be spent better for our roads.” He also promised to serve “with the same integrity that [he] served with in the Army.”Huseman shared that his experience as a contracting officer in the Army means he knows how to get things done properly. He also asked for prayers for opposing candidate, Larry Traweek, who was absent from the forum due to an illness. 

Joel Kelton spoke on Larry Traweek’s behalf. Kelton says Traweek is from a multigenerational family from Brown County and is well respected across his precinct. He stated that Traweek is a “solid conservative and to all who know him a straight talking individual”. Traweek is also very supportive of the Brown County Youth Fair. 

Bryan Thompson, Incumbent Justice of the Peace Precinct 3, has been in the position since 2007. He said he appreciates serving Precinct 3. He reminded the audience that he has the experience necessary to be successful as JP. He also promised to be fair and treat people equally. Thompson stated that he makes his cell phone number readily available to the public to ensure he is available at all times to Brown County residents. 

Brian Edwards, opposing candidate to Thompson, has been in Brown County since 2015. Edwards said he got to Brownwood “as fast as he could” and that he wanted to “come to a place where there was peace, people that care about each other, and a sense of community.” Edwards has worked in Criminal Justice for 7 years and looks forward to “bringing a new perspective” to the position. Edwards said he “looks forward to hearing from the constituents of Brown County so that he knows how to best serve them.”

Ted Perez, Incumbent Justice of the Peace Precinct 4, took the podium next. Perez was chosen to replace Judge Jim Kavanaugh after his retirement in July 2021. He served the Lubbock Police Department for 31 years. Before being chosen as the replacement for Judge Kavanaugh, Perez was a Brown County Deputy for courthouse security. Perez believes his “law enforcement experience, being bilingual, along with his 6 1/2 months as the incumbent Justice of the Peace” make him “the best choice” for the position.

Harold “HQ” Thomas is on the Precinct 4 JP ballot as HQ Thomas. Thomas comes to Brownwood after being the Chief of Police in Hutto, Texas. He has 36 plus years of Law Enforcement experience. He attended the National FBI Academy at Quantico. He is an adjunct professor at Howard Payne University where he teaches Criminal Justice. He believes it’s important for the office of JP to listen and that “people want to be heard.”

Rusty Howell is an Air Force Veteran. He has an engineering degree from Wayland Baptist University. Howell said he sees a “trend in our elected officials where they get elected and then they change a little bit.” He said that he believes that this season for Brown County is “not about politics, but about leadership.” Howell plans to bring a constitutional conservative style of leadership to Precinct 4.

The last four candidates to speak were those in the race for Brown County Judge. Judge Paul Lilly spoke first beginning with thanking the ladies of the BRCW for hosting the event and then telling a joke that he says President Reagan once told. Judge Lilly spoke on his time in Washington as a part of the COVID debate and national strategy and his personal encounters with President Donald Trump. Judge Lilly recapped his successes over the last three years including the creation of the Grants Coordinator position that has brought in over $9.2 million to Brown County. He also expressed grief over the 200 lives lost in Brown County due to COVID but reminded the audience that as long as he is the judge, he will not close Brown County businesses due to the illness. 

Terry Blevins was next to speak. Blevins said he built, managed, and eventually sold multiple Brown County businesses. He said he is “unparalleled in [his] work ethic” and that his platform is simple: do the right thing. He will make only 3 promises: accountability, availability, and commitment. Blevins said he is “committed to our community and focused on our community.” He also stated that he would like to “cultivate a return where citizens serve the community and politics was not a career path”.

Shane Britton spoke next. He thanked the BCRW club for hosting the event and shared that “as the father of three daughters who is constantly pressing on them the importance of being strong-willed and independent that there was no better group to speak to than a bunch of strong-willed and independent women.” Britton began speaking on the position stating, “if there is anything I say today that I want you to remember it’s that qualifications matter.” He continued, “Brown County is a business” and that the citizens of Brown County own that business. Britton said that if you were hiring someone to work at your business, you would look at qualifications, education, certifications, etc. Britton said that, “we have to reopen the Brown County Court that has been closed in the last 3 years to just judicial activities.”

Before he spoke on the position of County Judge, Britton shared his praise for County Attorney Candidate (Unopposed) Jennifer Broughton who was absent due to illness. He shared that the two speak daily and are working together to ensure the success of Broughton’s transition into the position. He said that he hopes that “the citizens of Brown County realize how lucky they are to have an attorney with the caliber of Jennifer to be the next county attorney”.

Last to speak was Molly Kay Smith. Smith graduated from Baylor University in 1999 with a degree in education. She built her own cattle business. Smith hopes to “bridge the gap between rural and urban living.” She said her primary goal as Chair of the Commissioner’s Court is to “improve morale” and to “implement proper parliamentary procedure.” Smith shared that her number one priority is water conservation stating that “the population of Brown County is growing but Lake Brownwood is not.” She shared her “100 percent support” for the Brown County Sheriff’s Office. Smith ended her two minutes with a quote from the second female Governor of Texas, Ann Richards, “If you give us a chance, we can perform. After all, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astair did. She just did it backwards and in high heels.”

There will be several chances to meet all the candidates as we approach early voting which begins on February 14th. Get to know the candidates and follow all the elections coverage at brownwoodnews.com/2022-local-elections/.