Dateline: March 9, 2006

Trout defends position as commissioner 

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Donley County Democrats in Precinct 4 favored incumbent County Commissioner Bobby G. “Bob” Trout over challenger Brad Dalton by a 35 to 21 margin in Tuesday’s primary election.

Trout will now go into the November election with no opponent on the Republican side.

The only locally contested race in the general election will be for the office of Justice of the Peace of Precincts 1&2. Incumbent Republican Jimmy Johnson will face a challenge from Democrat Connie Havens.

Other unchallenged officers this fall will be County Judge Jack Hall (D), County Clerk Fay Vargas (D), County Treasurer Wanda Smith (R), Justice of the Peace of Pcts. 3&4 Ann Kennedy (D), and Commissioner Pct. 2 Donnie Hall (R)

Also unchallenged is Republican Landon Lambert seeking the County Attorney’s office.

A total of 287 local citizens cast ballots in this year’s primary elections, but new voting tabulation machines required by the federal government were unable to break down that total by Republican and Democratic voters.

Only 11.2 percent of eligible Donley County voters cast ballots in the primaries.