Early Voting is currently underway for the Texas Primaries with Election Day set for Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
The Freestone County Republican Party held a Candidate’s Forum last Monday, February 16, to allow county residents the chance to get to know the many candidates vying for a spot on this year’s Primary Election ballot.
Welcoming the large crowd was Republican Party Chair, Keith Turchi, followed by the Pledges to the American and Texas flags, led by Linda Weldon.
Offering up a prayer for the county, country, and candidates was Pastor Jim Albin of First Baptist Church, Wortham.
Moderator and candidate introductions were given by Julianne Watkins with Buzz Russell serving as event moderator.
County Judge
Candidates for County Judge were up first. On the ballot for the primaries are current sitting (interim) Judge Lloyd Lane (below left), Jeff Looney (below, right), and James Tyus (not in attendance).
–Lane: I’m a member of the Fifth Generation of my family in Freestone County. I was born and raised here and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. I became a commissioner in 2021. During my time serving the county, we moved the tax office, updated and moved the 911 department, updated deputy equipment, acquired new patrol cars for the sheriff’s office and new fire trucks for each volunteer fire department; and there are more big things coming. Getting a new jail is most important right now, and we are working towards getting that done.
–Looney: I support law enforcement officers and all emergency services. I’m for protecting land and resources. I’m not afraid to stand up or make decisions. We need a joint effort in setting goals and objectives for the county. I will be transparent. Senior Services can’t be left out. Property taxes are important to me as well. I invite you to contact me if you have any questions.
Question: The FY 2026 budget was adopted with a tax rate increase to .3335% to generate more revenue for the county. What specific strategies will you implement to ensure long-term fiscal stability without further increasing the tax burden on residents?
–Lane: When I began serving as Commissioner in 2021, the tax rate was set at .39375%. Since then, it has been lowered twice, but due to the continual rise in cost to inmate housing and unfunded mandates from the State, we were forced to raise it up to .3335%. I do believe it was a mistake to lower it the past year because of the county’s needs, but we are lower than all the surrounding counties.
–Looney: If you look at my track records, in the ten years I served as Fairfield’s City Administrator, we never raised City taxes. We must look at other ways to extend the tax rate, and to be fair and disciplined with the budgets.
Question: In Texas, the County Judge serves as both the presiding officer of the Commissioner’s Court and a judicial officer. How do your specific qualifications – whether in law, city management, or business – prepare you to handle this dual responsibility effectively?”
–Lane: As interim judge, I have received education for the position and have been serving in those capacities daily since taking the position.
–Looney: I have a master’s degree in public administration and an education certificate. Also, I have 38 years of experience, having served as city judge for Mexia, city administrator for Teague, Fairfield, and other cities. I listen and do my best to be fair.
Commissioner Precinct 2
Next up were the candidates for Commissioner P2, incumbent Will McSwane (below, left) and Trent Harris (below, right).
–McSwane: I grew up in precinct 2; graduated from Teague High School. My roots are deep here. I believe we all have a duty to give back. I plan to keep taxes low, maintain county control locally, and improve infrastructure daily. This event is grassroots government at its finest. I want to thank these people for doing this forum.
–Harris: I’ve been in Freestone County for the past 50 years. In 1975 my family opened Harris Garage, and I have owned it for the past 16 years. I think I can do a good job as commissioner.
Question: With the recent push for AI data centers and large-scale solar projects, how will you specifically balance the need for new tax revenue with protecting the property values and quiet, rural character of our neighborhoods? Are there specific regulations you would support to ensure these developments don’t harm surrounding homeowners?
–McSwane: I think we must handle these things very delicately and on a case-by-case basis because they are not all the same. The major concerns are regarding water and electrical use, sound, and location. We recently toured a facility that is very similar to what is coming to Freestone County, and it was compliant to the standards we set in the contract. The project is proposed to start with three buildings and could possibly build up to 10 with money coming to the county in the amount of $2-Billion per building, not to mention about 120 jobs.
–Harris: If this data center is like he (McSwane) says, I think it will be good on the jobs. As for the solar farms, I’m not for them. I don’t like them.
Question: The Sheriff’s office has reported a significant strain on staffing and a high cost for out-of-county inmate housing and transport. Do you support expanding our local jail facilities to keep inmates (and tax dollars) in-county, or do you have a specific plan to use technology and court scheduling to reduce these costs without increasing our property tax rate?
–McSwane: This mess didn’t happen overnight. When it was built, it wasn’t meant to house as many inmates as we currently have on a regular basis. Inmate housing is a mess, statewide. I’m hoping that the data center may be an avenue to obtaining a new jail without causing a significant burden to the taxpayers. Jails aren’t cheap. We are still doing our research so we can make sure to build what is needed.
–Harris: Yeah, hopefully money from the solar farms and data center projects will help fund the new jail. I agree with everything he (McSwane) said.
Commissioner Precinct 3
Candidates for Commissioner P3, interim Richard McGowan (below, left) and Jerred Swinburn (below, right), came next.
–McGowan: I have been in Freestone County for the past 30 years and have served as a law enforcement officer for the past 17 years, the last five years as Constable P3. I know what it takes to maintain roads, bridges, and buildings, and how to take care of the employees. I am also experienced at doing budgets.
–Swinburn: I’ve been in Freestone County for the past 50 years; grew up in Dew and am a Fairfield High School graduate. I’m not a politician, but I felt called to serve our county, doing it for the people, not the money.
Question: What are the specific needs in P3 that differ from the other precincts?
–McGowan: Need are basically the same in all precincts. We have to stick to a budget while maintaining roads, trees, bridges, and more the best we can.
–Swinburn: We need to do work on all roads, not just the ones that are already black topped.
Question: The Sheriff’s office has reported a significant strain on staffing and a high cost for out-of-county inmate housing and transport. Do you support expanding our local jail facilities to keep inmates (and tax dollars) in-county, or do you have a specific plan to use technology and court scheduling to reduce these costs without increasing our property tax rate?
–McGowan: I’ve been in law enforcement and dealing with that jail for the past 17 years and it’s only getting worse. There is no repairing that jail; it’s too far gone. I’m all for a new jail! Each year we are spending too much on housing inmates out of county. With that and all the other things required to run the jail, the county spends $200,000 per year just to maintain it. All the new tax revenue from the projects should help with the construction of a new jail.
–Swinburn: We 100% need a jail update. With all the new solar farms and the data center, we need to utilize those tax revenue resources.
Constable Precinct 3
Following were candidates for Constable P3, interim Jimmy (LJ) McAdams and Robert Willis.
Question: A large portion of a constable’s workload involves serving civil papers and executing evictions. What specific experience do you have with the Texas Property Code and civil law, and how will you ensure your deputies handle these high-tension situations both legally and professionally? Can you describe your philosophy on de-escalation when serving warrants or court orders in residential neighborhoods?
–McAdams: I’ll always go through the court when serving civil papers and executing evictions. I have over 2,000 hours in law enforcement training. We train for de-escalation. I stay calm and maintain professionalism when dealing with the public.
–Willis: I’ve been in law enforcement for 28-½ years, much of that with the Sheriff’s office, where I have served many civil papers. I always do my research before serving and I serve with compassion, because a lot of times this is one of the roughest times in someone’s life. As for de-escalation, we train for that regularly because you’ll be doing a lot of it as law enforcement.
Question: As a constable, you have county-wide jurisdiction. How will you coordinate with the County Sheriff and local Police Departments to avoid duplicating services and ensure that taxpayer money isn’t being wasted on overlapping patrols?
–McAdams: Starts with getting out and being seen to help deter crime. There is no overlap because we are in great need of more officers in the county.
–Willis: Communication with the other agencies, first and foremost, to make sure you don’t overstep on something another agency is already working on.
Justice of the Peace Precinct 4
There are two candidates for JP4, incumbent Lisa Hendrix and Adam Minze. Mrs. Hendrix was not in attendance; therefore Mr. Minze was given three minutes to address the crowd.
–Minze: I’ve been in public service for 28 years, most of it in law enforcement with on the Federal, State, Local, and School levels. I feel I’m the perfect candidate for this position. I know how to interpret and enforce the law. It’s time to bring the JP Court back to the people by being approachable and available.
Republican Party County Chair
Running for Republican Party County Chair are incumbent Keith Turchi and Linda K Weldon.
–Turchi: This job is volunteer only. We don’t get paid for this. My job is to find good candidates, to inform voters with guides and information, and to provide records and candidate filings to the Secretary of State. With no funding, I do my best to deliver something of value to our voters. Our Republican Party is very healthy with many great candidates.
–Weldon: My greatest concern is the party not reaching the voters. We need to engage with voters and candidates. I plan to get us all connected, to reach out. We need to be visible and channel the energy!
Precinct 1 Chair
Running for P1 Chair are Brenda Finch and Elizabeth Waters.
–Finch: This is a huge opportunity to use my skills to enhance communication, because communication is what I do as a digital marketer. I would be honored to help P1 to grow. P1 is the largest precinct, and the biggest challenge is that much of the contact information on the voters’ list is incorrect. I would like to be able to get not just phone numbers but also email addresses for each registered voter in P1 to provide better communication. I work with auto dealers daily in my job. If I can work with them, I can work with anyone.
–Waters: I moved to Freestone County in 2018 because I wanted something new. I’m a strong supporter of voting, red or blue, and making sure everyone exercises their rights! I want to help empower and develop the Republican Party here in Freestone County. I plan to keep people informed by using all methods of communication available. I know how to communicate well and I’m great and solving problems.
State of Texas Governor
The following candidates for the position of Governor were in attendance and spoke to the crowd for three minutes each.
–Evelyn Brooks: We need something different in Texas! We need Christ everywhere. It’s the people that make Texas what it is. I currently serve on the State of Texas Education Board. We need to take back the education system!
–Stephen Samuelson: Most importantly, see my website… www.TexanResilience.net because I have a vision for Texas Self-Reliance. Corruption or Freedom – You decide.
–Pete “Doc” Chambers: I am NOT a politician. All political power is in YOU, the voters. I spent 39 years in the military, served in Operation Lonestar. We need to take action. I stand against government overreach.
–R.F. “Bob” Achgill: I grew up hunting in Buffalo, lived overseas for 18 years. Resource extraction is one of the biggest problems facing the State of Texas. Our water and energy are being extracted at a great rate. Vote for the guy not on the sign, because he’s not on the take.
–Charles A Crouch: I’m ex-military. The Arab threat is real; they have infiltrated us. On day one, I will declare Texas a Christian State. I am a businessman who understands growth. I homeschooled my children for 10 years and understand educating children.
State Senator District 5
One candidate running for State Senator District 5, Apollo Hernandez, attended and spoke to the attendees for three minutes.
–Hernandez: I am a retired combat veteran (Marine) with a degree from the University of Texas Business School and A&M University School of Law. My top priorities are Term Limits, Education, and Property Taxes. We need tested leadership in the State of Texas.
House District 13
One candidate running for House District 13, Kat Wall, attended and spoke to the attendees for three minutes. Angelia Orr was unable to attend. Representing her at the meeting was Nick Cooper, however, he did not speak on her behalf.
–Wall: I am from the Centerville area. I’m for safe communities, pro tax relief, for expanding energy, protecting parental rights, expanding infrastructure, 2nd amendment rights, and no Sharia Law because it is not compatible with our constitution. The state doesn’t respect our resources; it makes me so mad! I would be honored to represent you!
Unopposed Positions
Some Republican Candidates running unopposed in the primaries were also in attendance. Those who chose to speak included:
–County Treasurer – Mandy Chavers (incumbent): I am honored to be the custodian of Freestone County funds. I hope to continue in this position for years to come.
–Justice of the Peace P1 – John Thorne (interim): I’ve been a Freestone County resident since 1998. I served as a Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Warden for the past 28-½ years, retiring to accept this interim position to complete Judge Theresa Farris’ term. I feel that I’m fair and reasonable, treating people with respect and compassion. I am familiar with legal aspects of the job and am currently learning the civil side
–Justice of the Peace P3 – Cinnamon Archibald (incumbent): I began my service as JP 3 in 2015 after years of watching my sister Theresa serve as JP1 and thought it would be something interesting that I could do. I have enjoyed working in this position and hope to continue doing so. This is the first time I’ll be running against anyone from the democratic party in November, so I’m a little nervous. I also serve as the Municipal Court Judge for the City of Streetman. I appreciate all of the support over the years and your continued support.
Also in attendance, but not speaking, were:
–Commissioner P4 – Clyde Ridge (incumbent)
–P2 Chair – Linda Sanford
–P5 Chair – Elizabeth Ferrari
–P5 Chair – Julianne D Watkins
–P7 Chair – Mike Chenault
–P13 Chair – Gwen Vandermartin
Also running unopposed, but not in attendance were:
–District Clerk – Teresa Black
–County Clerk – Renee Gregory
–JP2 – Jim Lawrence
Closing remarks were given by Keith Truchi.
Be sure to get out there and vote! Let your voice be heard!
