Marfa election to be canceled due to lack of candidates
TRI-COUNTY — The deadline to file to run for available local city council and school board positions in the May 3 General Election has now passed. The City of Marfa and Marfa ISD School Board saw only incumbents file for reelection, meaning there are no contested races and they will cancel their joint election. Elections will take place in Presidio and Alpine.
Early voting runs from April 22 to April 29, 2025. The last day to register to vote in the May 3 election is April 3. To check your voter eligibility, visit the secretary of state’s website.
Presidio County
Marfa City Council
Mayor Manny Baeza, Mayor Pro Tem Raul Lara and City Councilmember Travis Acreman all filed to keep their seats, which are up for election this coming May. The city council plans to declare the unopposed candidates elected and cancel the election at their next regular meeting on February 27.
Marfa ISD School Board
The Marfa ISD School Board saw only incumbents — Teresa Nuñez, Ruben Martinez, Phil Boyd and Jay Foster — file to keep their seats, meaning they will cancel the election due to no opposed races. This marks the fourth year in a row that the school board election has been canceled due to too few candidates.
Presidio City Council
Presidio Mayor John Ferguson’s post and three seats on the city council will be on the May 3 ballot. An unfilled position when Nancy Arevalo became Presidio County tax assessor-collector was filled recently with the city council appointment of Bianca Martinez Bailon, but that term ends in May — thus Bailon needed to file to run for the seat for a full term.
Ferguson filed for reelection as mayor. Bailon, Abel “Billy” Hernandez, Arian Velazquez-Ornelas, Jose “Pepe” Acosta and Silverio Escontrias have filed for full-term city council seats. Juan Saenz and Alondra Flores have filed for the unexpired term.
Presidio ISD School Board
Three seats are up for election for the Presidio ISD School Board — positions currently held by Board President Iris Galindo, Juventino Martinez and Jusby Vazquez. The top three vote getters for the at-large board will be elected.
Galindo and Martinez are the only incumbents who filed for reelection. Four new candidates — Josefina Burrola, Maria Lucero Montoya, Jose Antonio Padilla and Jeremy Thomas Velasquez — are also vying for a spot on the board.
Brewster County
Alpine City Council
Council seats for wards 1 and 3 will be on the ballot. Both council members currently in those roles, Reagan Stone and Darin Nance, respectively, did not file for reelection. Andres “Andy” Ramos, Richard Portillo and Austin Smith have all filed to run for the Ward 1 seat. Robert Rückes, who previously served as the city’s building official, has filed to run for the Ward 3 seat unopposed.
Alpine ISD School Board
Alpine ISD School Board posts currently held by Haley Babb in District 5 and Mary McCallister in District 7 are up for election this May. Babb filed to run for reelection unopposed, while Josh Cross filed for the District 7 seat unopposed.
McCallister said while she has enjoyed her time on the board, she decided not to run again due to personal reasons. The school board will cancel the election and its next meeting due to no opposed races.
Jeff Davis County
Valentine ISD
Four seats on the Valentine ISD School Board held by George Watters, Jackie Means and Laci Bevans and one vacant seat are up for election. Watters and Means filed for reelection and new candidate Leticia Navarette filed to be on the board, meaning there will still be one vacant seat. The school board will not need to hold an election due to no contested races.