Cohen ousts Becerra in Hays County judge Democratic primary runoff

Posted 10:25 p.m.

With all precincts reporting May 26 primary runoff election results, current Precinct 2 Commissioner Michelle Gutierrez Cohen has secured the Democratic spot on the ballot for Hays County judge in the November election, removing incumbent Ruben Becerra from the running.

Cohen won with 6,089 ballots, or 58.31% of the vote. Becerra received the remaining 4,353 ballots, accounting for 41.69% of the vote. A total of 10,510 ballots were cast in the primary runoff election, accounting for 5.4% of Hays County registered voters, according to unofficial results posted by the Hays County elections office.

Notable quote

At 9 p.m. May 26, Cohen said in a Facebook post that it was the honor of her life to be the Democratic nominee for Hays County judge.

"You made a little girl who grew up in Section 8 housing and whose family came to Hays County with the dream of owning land have the honor of becoming a County Commissioner. And now, you are giving me the chance to lead as your County Judge. I will not let you down. Now is the time for unity over division. Whether you voted for me, Judge Becerra, in another party’s primary, or did not vote at all, if you are a Hays County resident, I am running to give you my absolute best. I look forward to moving toward November and all the work we will do together," Cohen said in the post.

The framework

Cohen will represent the Democratic Party and appear on the ballot for Hays County judge, facing off against the Republican candidate, Geoffrey Tahuahua, in the November general election. The candidate to secure the majority of votes in that election will be the next Hays County judge.

All results are unofficial until canvassed. Visit communityimpact.com/voter-guide to see results from all local elections in your community.

Posted 7:35 p.m.

Incumbent Ruben Becerra and current Precinct 2 Commissioner Michelle Gutierrez Cohen are running for the Democratic spot on the November ballot for Hays County judge in the May 26 primary runoff election. Cohen is currently leading in the race.

What you need to know

According to early voting results, Cohen is leading with 57.48% of the vote, or 4,044 votes, followed by Becerra with 42.52% of the vote, or 2,991 votes—a total of 7,035 ballots cast.

In Hays County, 7,086 ballots were cast during the early voting period from May 18 to 22, representing 3.64% of the county’s eligible registered voters for the runoff election, according to the Hays County data.

The background

The candidates previously ran alongside Democratic candidate Joel W. Martin in the March primary elections, with Becerra receiving 49.14% of the vote, Cohen 45.42%, and Martin receiving 5.43%, according to previous Community Impact reporting.

Because no candidate received over 50% of the votes, the two candidates with the most votes—Becerra and Cohen—advanced to the runoff election, which took place May 26.

The winner of the Democratic primary runoff will face Republican candidate Geoffrey Tahuahua in the November general election, and the winner will serve as Hays County judge, according to the Texas Secretary of State's website.

Becerra has served as Hays County judge since January 2019. Cohen has served as commissioner of Precinct 2 since being elected in 2022.

Voting totals from election day May 26 have not yet been released, as polls were open until 7 p.m., or until those in line cast their vote.

What’s next?

Community Impact will update this article as more election day vote totals are released. All results are unofficial until canvassed.

Visit communityimpact.com/voter-guide to see results from all contested local and state elections in your community.