Republican incumbent Rich Paces led independent challenger Jeremy Walther in the race for Kerr County's Precinct 2 commissioner seat, with reported returns as of 9 p.m. Tuesday showing Paces ahead 62% to 38%. It was the only contested county-level race this cycle; most local contests had been settled in the spring.
Those figures reflect early voting totals and do not include ballots cast on Election Day itself, according to the San Antonio Express-News. Precinct 2 covers parts of Kerrville and the Center Point area, and Paces, who was first elected to the seat in 2022, was seeking a second term against Walther, a political newcomer running without a party label.
A Messy Fight Over Walther's Eligibility
The race was shadowed for weeks by a dispute over whether Walther should have been allowed to run at all. Paces and the Kerr County Republican Party demanded in October that the county declare Walther ineligible, alleging he was disqualified from running as an independent because he had voted in a Republican runoff election in May, the Express-News reported.
Walther pushed back, arguing that state law addresses independent candidates who vote in primary elections — not runoffs — and that the Precinct 2 race was not even on the ballot during that May runoff. The commissioners court voted 4-1 to hire an outside law firm to sort out the eligibility question, with Paces casting the lone vote against bringing in outside counsel. At an October meeting, outgoing County Judge Rob Kelly said he could not act on the matter until results were formally canvassed after the votes were counted, per the same report.
Two Very Different Candidates
Paces has leaned on his record in office and his background as an oil and gas industry engineer with 36 years of experience, including executive management, according to the Kerr County Lead. He also serves as a volunteer firefighter and describes himself as Kerr County's Christian conservative commissioner. His campaign has centered on flood recovery, a countywide flood warning system, controlling spending and property taxes, groundwater issues, what he calls election integrity, and opposition to battery energy storage systems, the Lead reported. Paces has also promoted his flood response work and listed finishing renovations at the Hill Country Youth Exhibit Center, also known as the Ag Barn, along with keeping property taxes low, among his priorities.
Walther, a Texas A&M-trained ecologist, owns the Trailhead Beer Garden and Pint & Plow Brewing Company and founded the Kerrville Urban Trail System, per the Kerr County Lead's candidate guide. He co-founded the Kerr County River Foundation, a nonprofit focused on the Guadalupe River, and has campaigned on his environmental consulting background and a pitch for cross-party collaboration. Walther has said running as an independent means answering to Kerr County residents rather than party bosses or national political agendas, and he named growth, water security, emergency preparedness, and shifting roads and bridges onto a maintenance schedule — rather than fixing them only after they fail — as his priorities.
Budget Fight Looms Behind the Ballot
Money has also divided the two campaigns. The county's current budget projects a $12.7 million deficit, though Paces has said Kerr County typically spends less than it budgets, according to the Lead's reporting. Walther has called the county's reliance on reserves to balance its budget “a dangerous pattern” and has pushed for grant-writing, cost-sharing agreements, and private partnerships as alternative revenue sources, listing budget transparency and long-term infrastructure planning among his own priorities.
A Commissioners Court Already in Transition
Whoever ultimately wins Precinct 2 will join a commissioners court already undergoing significant turnover. Tom Jones won the Republican primary for county judge and ran unopposed in the general election, positioning him to replace Rob Kelly, who did not seek reelection, the Express-News reported. Jones has said he and Kelly have been working hand-in-hand on most county judge duties already, and that only the procedural responsibilities of the role will be new to him after sitting in court alongside Kelly for many months. He called the transition the easiest challenge he's faced in a couple of years and said he isn't worried that turnover on the court will delay ongoing projects, adding that commissioners learn on the job and that he plans to guide newcomers through county laws, rules, and regulations.
Jones has also led discussions and meetings with FEMA and state agencies over flood recovery, rebuilding, and financial assistance. The court will include at least two new commissioners beyond whoever wins Precinct 2. Clayson “Clay” Lambert finished first in a four-way Republican primary and then defeated former Kerrville City Councilwoman Brenda Hughes in a May runoff, winning election to serve the remaining two years of Jones's Precinct 1 term. Guy “Bubba” Walters won the Republican primary for Precinct 4 and will replace departing commissioner Don Harris, who resigned to run for justice of the peace before later withdrawing from that race. Precinct 4 covers western Kerr County, including Hunt and Ingram. Jeff Holt, elected to the Precinct 3 seat in 2024, rounds out the court.
Flood Recovery Still Shapes County Priorities
Flooding has remained a defining issue for county government regardless of who holds the Precinct 2 seat. Kerr County is still working to repair major damage from the July 4, 2025 flood, including damage to roads and bridges, according to the Express-News. A separate flood on July 16, 2026, shut down the basement of the county courthouse, forcing officials to relocate offices. The county has also taken over responsibility for installing and maintaining about 30 additional outdoor warning sirens along the Guadalupe River and other creeks, part of the broader push for improved emergency preparedness that both Precinct 2 candidates have cited as a priority.
Warning System Still Expanding
Kerr County Emergency Management says completed outdoor warning sirens are ready to activate if flooding affects the area, while the warning system continues to roll out.
