Historic voter turnout could not reach the levels needed to end arrests for possession of small amounts of marijuana in the South Plains, and two mayoral candidates have an extended race as two sitting city council representatives head into a runoff election.
Despite the highest voter participation for a May municipal election in at least the past twenty years, barely 19% turnout closed the door on “Prop A,” a grassroots effort that started a year ago to decriminalize low-level marijuana possession in Lubbock city limits.
In May 2022, turnout represented 13% of all registered voters in the county.
Adam Hernandez, the organizer for the decriminalization effort and third highest vote-getter in the mayoral race, says there is something to celebrate in the increased numbers, but they underline a longstanding problem with representation in the city.
“For any sort of leadership change to happen, for anything like Prop A to pass, as it really should have here in the city, we're going to have to look at that turnout, and get that total, that voter turnout, increased in the areas that don't normally show up,” Hernandez said. “Right now, we have two —literally two— districts of the city that decide all the decisions and all of the leadership.”
Lubbock Representatives from the Texas legislature and local law enforcement joined with megachurches in a well-funded political campaign to speak out against Prop A as an effort to undermine public safety.
Lubbock now joins San Antonio as the second Texas city to reject a local marijuana decriminalization effort.
The contest continues at the mayor’s seat, with District 3 city council representative Mark McBrayer taking 37% and District 4 city council representative Steve Massengale taking 28%.
Neither candidate could break the 50% needed, so they will move to a runoff election on June 15.
These two candidates took part in Texas Tech Public Media’s mayoral candidate forum. You can learn more about what their plans are for the city by watching the forum here:
On the city council, another runoff will take place for District 2 between Gordon Harris and Anah Menjares, where only 99 votes separated Harris as a slight leader.
Half the city council seats were filled by unopposed elections.
In McBrayer’s District 3, David Glasheen will take his place, and in Massengale’s District 4, Brayden Rose will join the dais. Council representative LaTrelle Joy’s seat in District 6, where she did not run for reelection, will be filled by Tim Collins.
This ends a two-year stretch during which, for the first time, Lubbock’s city council was seated by a majority of women.
Jorge Hernández, Municipal Judge since 2017, returns for another term after also running opposed.
On the Lubbock ISD school board, District 1’s Lala Chavez will return after she finished with 68%, over her opponent Terri Morris, who took home 31% of the vote.
In District 2, local teacher Mary Ann Lawson completed the election with 67% against LaCarl Richardson with 32%
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