Gilbert Garcia: GOP Commissioners Court hopefuls make their pitch at forum

Primary runoffs are over. General-election campaigns have just begun to get rolling. But there is one hotly contested Bexar County race happening right now that stands apart from all the other midterm election contests we’ve been following. It’ll be wrapped up by the end of this month. It’ll be decided by only 120 voters. It’ll feature a slate of candidates yet to be determined. The Bexar County Republican Party needs to find a nominee for the Precinct 3 Commissioners Court seat that Trish DeBerry vacated last December when she filed to run for county judge. DeBerry’s move triggered a 2022 Precinct 3 election, but happened too late to allow for a primary contest. As a result, both major parties had to enlist those precinct chairs who are based in Precinct 3 to pick their nominees. Democrats made their decision months ago, selecting their only declared candidate, longtime party activist Susan Korbel. Republicans decided to wait until after the primaries, so newly elected precinct chairs could have a voice in the process.

Given that this North Side-based precinct is the only Republican seat on Commissioners Court, it’s no surprise that the GOP nomination is highly coveted. There are some worries in the party organization that the nomination race could turn into a free-for-all, with dozens of candidates coming out of nowhere to make a play for the seat. That’s why the party, under incoming Chairman Jeff McManus, is trying to bring some coherence to the process. On Wednesday night, the party hosted a forum at a North Side barbecue restaurant for seven candidates who have expressed an interest in the nomination. McManus laid out the timeline for the nomination process (with the selection happening on June 27) and said all candidates must fill out an application form, so a vetting committee can check on their qualifications. Wednesday’s forum featured three candidates with experience in elective office: Precinct 3 interim appointee Marialyn Barnard, former Councilman Carlton Soules and current Councilman Clayton Perry. It also featured two candidates who have unsuccessfully run for City Council (Patrick Von Dohlen and Patty Gibbons) and one with a background in the military and the business world (Grant Moody). Barnard had to answer for the fact that she was given the interim appointment by a Democrat, County Judge Nelson Wolff, but she turned it to her advantage at the forum.