Voters Boost Abatement Foes to Runoff

Unofficial results from the March 3 Republican primary show Young County voters elevating several candidates who have voiced opposition to tax abatements tied to proposed large-scale projects such as the Tapaderos Solar Farm and the Project Saltworks data center.

The countywide races drew particular attention in Precincts 2 and 4, where turnout was higher than average and helped reshape two seats on the Young County Commissioners Court.

In Precinct 2, challenger Travis Kunkel defeated incumbent Commissioner Scott Shook by a wide margin. Mr. Kunkel, a landowner, received 61.2 percent of the vote to Mr. Shook’s 38.7 percent.

Mr. Shook had served one term on the court.

In Precinct 4, voters narrowed a three-way race to two candidates who will meet in a May runoff election.

Cooper Dodd, who has publicly opposed the proposed data center and tax abatements tied to it, led the field with 37.5 percent of the vote. Bobby Swetnam, a Precinct 4 road hand who works under incumbent Commissioner Jimmy Wiley, placed second with 33.3 percent. Mr. Wiley declined to seek re-election after serving since 2007.

Landowner Charlotte Smith-King, who also expressed opposition to the data center and related tax abatements, received 29.2 percent and was eliminated from the race.

Mr. Dodd and Mr. Swetnam will face each other in a May 26 runoff.

A runoff will also decide the race for Young County judge.

Former Young County Judge John C. Bullock led the three-candidate field with 39.7 percent of the vote. Judge Bullock, who previously served nearly three decades as both commissioner and county judge, retiring in 2022, has voiced opposition to tax abatements connected to the proposed solar and data center projects.

However, Judge Bullock presided over earlier commissioners courts that granted tax abatements to wind farms now operating in the county.

Incumbent Judge Win Graham placed second with 34.9 percent of the vote. Judge Graham has overseen negotiations with representatives of the solar farm and the proposed Project Saltworks data center and has cited estimates from the Young County Appraisal District that the projects could bring roughly $15 million annually to county tax rolls.

Don Sexton, a retired Navy pilot and business owner, who also expressed skepticism about the data center project and tax abatements, finished third with 25.4 percent of the vote.

Judge Bullock and Judge Graham will advance to the May 26 runoff.

Because no Democrats filed for the countywide races, the winners of the Republican runoffs will effectively decide who will take office Jan. 1, 2027.

However, by that time the fate of the data center may already be settled. The current commissioners court has expressed support for the development and voted unanimously to approve a tax abatement agreement for the Tapaderos Solar Farm earlier this year.

Any agreement for the proposed data center is expected to be finalized before the newly elected officials take office. It remains unclear what options, if any, candidates opposing the abatements would have to alter or block the projects once agreements are finalized. The bulk of the commissioners’ job entails maintaining mostly gravel roads across 919 square miles of Young County, and voting on the budget.

In other countywide races, incumbent County Clerk Tina Gilliam narrowly defeated challenger Timi Boucher-Hall, receiving 51.6 percent of the vote to Boucher-Hall’s 48.4 percent.

Incumbent District Clerk Stacy Beller-Mallory and County Treasurer Kyle Milam both ran unopposed and will return to office.

Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 Jason Hearne and Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 Joey Stewart also ran unopposed, as did Republican County Chair Lane Burgess, who was re-elected.