Updated March 2 at 12:30 a.m.


With 43.54 percent of the Travis County vote, or 3,514 votes, former Lake Travis ISD trustee Dawn Buckingham won the Republican nomination for state Senate District 24 in the county. However the district also includes several western Texas counties, and candidate Susan King from Abilene took the overall lead with 27.22 percent, or 32,431 votes. Buckingham finished second overall with 24.76 percent, or 29,501 votes. Jon Cobb finished third with 20.4 percent of the total vote, or 24,309 votes.

Buckingham and King will face one another in a runoff election as they are the top two vote-getters and no candidate finished with more than 50 percent of the votes March 1. The winner of the runoff will face Virginia “Jennie Lou” Leeder, who ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination, for the District 24 seat in November.

King took the second spot in Travis County with 15.06 percent of the vote, or 1,215 votes, followed by Jon Cobb with 14.65 percent of the vote, or 1,182 votes; Ryan Downton with 10.41 percent of the vote, or 840 votes; Brent Mayes with 9.69 percent of the vote, or 782 votes; and Reed Williams with 6.65 percent of the vote, or 536 votes.

Buckingham could not be reached for comment.

All results are unofficial until canvassed.

Posted March 1 at 7:10 p.m.


Early voting results indicate that Dawn Buckingham is leading the primary election for the Republican nomination for state Senate District 24 in Travis County with 45 percent, or 1,909 votes.

The remaining candidates include Jon Cobb with 14.33 percent or 608 votes; Susan King with 13.91 percent or 590 votes; Brent Mayes with 10.37 percent, or 440 votes; Ryan Downton, with 9.88 percent, or 419 votes and Reed Williams with 6.51 percent or 276 votes.

Candidate Virginia “Jennie Lou” Leeder is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination for state Senate District 24.

The seat was vacated by former Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay.

In Texas, both the Democratic and Republican parties hold a primary election to determine which candidate should represent each party in the general election. Both parties use the primary election results to determine how many delegates to assign to each of their respective party’s presidential candidates. The delegates then vote at conventions to decide their party’s nomination.

In Texas, voters can participate in the primary election by voting Democrat or Republican but not both.

For more information on State Senate District 24 candidates participating in the Jan. 20 forum hosted by the Central Texas Water Coalition, read our story about a recent water forum.

All results are unofficial until canvassed.