Amanda Rodriguez will be San Marcos' next mayor after a landslide win over Ryan Thomason, according to Hays County election officials, who reported she took 73% of the ballots cast in the city election compared with Thomason's 27%. The result leaves little doubt about who will succeed outgoing Mayor Jane Hughson, who did not seek reelection this cycle.
A Decisive Finish in the Mayor's Race
The margin was reported as a near three-to-one blowout, according to Yahoo News, citing Hays County elections officials. A separate unofficial tally posted by Hays Free Press put the numbers at 18,612 votes, or 72.86%, for Rodriguez against 6,933 votes, or 27.14%, for Thomason. That outlet logged the count as of 11:29 p.m. Tuesday, with all 34 Election Day locations reporting, though it cautioned that all results remain unofficial until canvassed.
Rodriguez currently holds the city council's Place 6 seat, according to the San Marcos Record. Thomason, meanwhile, is a former two-term council member who served six years before leaving office in December 2015, per the same outlet's candidate profile.
Timeline for Making It Official Remains Unsettled
Exactly when San Marcos will finalize the results is unclear, and the available sourcing does not agree. The San Marcos Record reported that canvassing and the release of official results were expected by November 9, while a City of San Marcos election page separately states that the canvass and swearing-in ceremony were scheduled for November 16, 2026. Neither account resolves the discrepancy, and the Hays County tallies reported so far are explicitly labeled unofficial pending that canvass.
Because Rodriguez is vacating her council seat to move into the mayor's office, San Marcos has called a special election to fill the remainder of her term, which runs through November 2027, according to the City of San Marcos' election information page.
Other San Marcos Council Races Also Settled
Rodriguez's win was one of several decisive San Marcos city council outcomes reported this week. Incumbent Alyssa Garza defeated Jane Hughson for the Place 3 seat, 65.77% to 34.23%, according to Community Impact. Hughson had chosen not to seek reelection as mayor and instead ran for the council position against the incumbent.
In the Place 4 race, Heather Hunter unseated incumbent Shane Scott, winning 67.51% to 32.49%, the outlet reported. Lisa Prewitt won the Place 6 seat that Rodriguez is vacating, besting Juan Miguel Arredondo and Bill Miller with 51.16% of the vote to their 35.26% and 13.57%, respectively.
Wider Hays County Results Lean Democratic
San Marcos' city races unfolded alongside broader Hays County contests that also drew attention this election cycle. Every seat on the Hays County Commissioners Court will be occupied by a Democrat starting in January, according to KUT, which also reported that voters chose Democrat Alfonso Salazar as the county's new district attorney.
Elsewhere on the county ballot, Johnny Flores defeated Abby Gibson for a Hays County Precinct 2 seat, 69.2% to 30.8%, per KUT's reporting. In the Texas House District 45 race, incumbent Erin Zwiener defeated Tennyson Moreno, 68% to 32%, the station reported.
