Following the conclusion of the Nov. 3 general election, the city of Kyle will hold an election on Dec. 12 to fill the recently vacated District 3 seat and determine the winners of the Mayoral and District 4 races through runoffs.
The overview
On Sept. 25, District 3 Council Member Claudia Zapata announced her resignation, citing “harassment and dehumanization” she experienced in social media groups dedicated to Kyle politics and at City Hall during public meetings, according to previous Community Impact reporting.
The City Council called for a special election to fill the vacant seat on Oct. 5. The election will be held on Dec. 12, the same day as two runoff elections are slated from the Nov. 3 general election.
The filing deadline for District 3 candidates passed on Nov. 2, according to the city website. The race will feature five candidates:
Larry D. Stamps
Mario Reyes
Zachary A. Coppedge
Alex Villalobos
Mark Schmidt
Zapata will continue to serve in her role until a new candidate has been elected, according to previous Community Impact reporting. If the special election results in a runoff, the elected candidate will not be qualified to serve until January 2027 at the earliest.
Another thing
The city of Kyle Mayoral race and the District 4 race appear likely to go to runoffs, to be held Dec. 12. According to unofficial voting totals, no candidates received over 50% of the vote, so the top two candidates with the highest vote counts from the general election will participate in the runoff.
All general election results are unofficial until canvassed Nov. 9.
Incumbent Yvonne Flores-Cale will face off with Robert Rizo in the Mayoral runoff, as indicated by unofficial election reporting. Flores-Cale secured 49.98% of the vote, and Rizo earned 37.99% of the vote, according to previous Community Impact reporting.
“Election night has been a whirlwind of emotion, and you are all in my heart tonight,” Rizo said in a statement. “I believe Kyle has so much to offer, now and for future generations. From these results, it appears we are headed to a runoff. Provisional ballots may change the final total once they are cured by the elections office.”
“We look forward to receiving the final numbers, and we will remain diligent in making sure every vote is counted,” Flores-Cale said in a statement. “Because this is about more than an election. It is about the people who call Kyle home.”
Leah Kaufman and Kenneth Rocha will face off in the District 4 runoff as indicated by unofficial election reporting. Kaufman secured 47.01% of the vote, and Rocha earned 27.55% of the vote, according to previous Community Impact reporting.
“With all precincts reporting, the unofficial results point toward a District 4 runoff,” Rocha said in a statement. “We may be the underdog, but our commitment has never been stronger.”
“Over the next several weeks, I'll continue getting out into our neighborhoods, meeting residents, listening and sharing my ideas for Kyle's future,” Kaufman said in a statement.
