Updated at 10:30 p.m. March 1

Former San Marcos City Council Member Shane Scott claimed the Republican nomination for Hays County justice of the peace, Precinct 1, Place 2, and Democrats Maggie Hernandez Moreno and Sandra Sepulveda Lopez will vie in a runoff for a chance to face Scott in the November election, according to March 1 unofficial results. With 18 out of 18 precincts reporting, Scott received 60.3 percent, or 1,914 votes. His opponent, James "J.D." Elshoff, received 39.7 percent, or 1,260 votes. Scott could not be reached for comment March 1. “Naturally I’m very disappointed,” Elshoff said. “I had hoped to prevail in the primary. I want to thank all of those who did vote for me. I also want to thank my opponent for running a clean and professional campaign. That’s the way it should be done.” Hernandez Moreno led the Democratic race but failed to secure more than 50 percent of the votes. Her final tally amounted to 45.3 percent, or 2,077 votes, while Sepulveda Lopez finished with 38.63 percent, or 1,771 votes. "Although we are disappointed that we weren’t able to establish a Democratic nomination tonight, we are greatly encouraged by the narrow margin that separates us from our opponent," Sepulveda Lopez said in an emailed statement. "As a new candidate with no political background, it is extremely encouraging to have put up such promising numbers in relation to someone with deep political roots in this community. Overall I am proud of the way we have approached this endeavor and have great expectations for a positive outcome in a runoff." Hernandez Moreno could not be reached for comment after the final results were posted at about 10 p.m. on March 1. All results are unofficial until canvassed.

Posted at 7:40 p.m. March 1

Republican Shane Scott is in pole position to capture his party's nomination for Hays County justice of the peace, Precinct 1, Place 2, while Democrats Maggie Hernandez Moreno and Sandra Sepulveda Lopez appear headed for a runoff, according to March 1 unofficial early voting results. Hernandez Moreno received 45.38 percent, or 1,036 of the early voting tallies. Sepulveda Lopez received 37.8 percent, or 863 votes. “We are heading down the road of the possibility of being in a runoff,” Hernandez Moreno said. “We knew that was a possibility when we got a third candidate in our race. I will be keeping an eye out to see if the election day results, as they come in, are enough for me to pull in over 50 percent of the vote.” Scott, a former San Marcos City Council member, claimed 58.6 percent, or 879 votes. He could not be reached for comment after polls closed at 7 p.m. Trailing Hernandez Moreno and Sandra Sepulveda Lopez is Scot Courtney with 16.82 percent of the votes, or 384 votes. Scott’s lone challenger in the Republican race, J.D. Elshoff received 41.4 percent, or 621 votes. Elshoff, an adjunct faculty member in Texas State University's School of Criminal Justice, said it was too early to react to the voting returns so far. He said that early voting can be an "imprecise" measure of a candidate's viability to win. Courtney is a San Marcos criminal defense attorney with 20 years of trial experience, according to his campaign website. Sepulveda Lopez is a lifelong San Marcos resident who serves as a justice clerk in the office of the Hays County constable for Precinct 5, according to her campaign website. "I feel like we pulled good numbers," Sepulveda Lopez said. "I am very happy with the race I ran." The Place 2 office was vacated last year when Hernandez Moreno's mother, Margie H. Hernandez, died. The office of Precinct 1, Place 1 Justice of the Peace JoAnn Prado has managed the Place 2 docket since Hernandez's death, according to the county website. Precinct 1 covers southeastern portion of the county from San Marcos north to the banks of the Blanco River. Hays County justices of the peace are elected to four-year terms. All results are unofficial until canvassed.