Local business owner and Democratic candidate Ruben Becerra was voted the new Hays County judge, defeating longtime Republican county commissioner Will Conley, according to unofficial election results.

With all precincts reporting, Becerra has 39,859 votes, or 51.72 percent. Conley has so far secured 37,210 votes, or 48.28 percent.

The judge seat was left vacant after Bert Cobb announced in August 2017 that he would step down to receive treatment for leukemia.

Becerra, a former San Marcos planning and zoning commissioner and chair of the San Marcos CISD Bond Oversight Committee and the San Marcos Main Street Advisory Board, ran on a platform of strategic growth, reducing the county’s debt and lowering the “ever-growing burden of property taxes.”

Conley served as Precinct 3 Hays County commissioner from 2004-2016 and is a founding member of the Greater San Marcos Partnership. He ran on a platform of improving traffic flow, school safety and ensuring the preservation of the county’s natural resources.

Editor's note: This report has been updated to reflect vote totals from all precincts.