SAN ANTONIO – County Court at Law 14 Judge Carlo Key has moved to have his opponent in the March primary disqualified, claiming in a lawsuit filed this month that she does not reside in Bexar County.
The suit, filed in state district court Jan. 12, states that challenger Audrey Martinez and her family actually live in a Floresville home in Wilson County.
Key told KSAT he was compelled to have Martinez’s residency investigated after multiple people raised the issue at various campaign events.
An investigator hired by Key uncovered property records showing Martinez and her husband purchased a two-story home in Wilson County in late 2024.
Multiple public filings, including Martinez’s husband’s voter registration and vehicle registration, tie the couple to the property.
In an interview with KSAT, Martinez countered that a manufactured home on her parents’ property in south Bexar County is her actual residence.
She described the Wilson County property as a “getaway home” that the family occasionally stays at when her husband works nights.
“It was easier and more convenient to have my husband close. Sometimes the kids don’t get to see him. With three kids, it gets hard to do that by yourself,” said Martinez, who sat down for an interview with KSAT at the manufactured home.
She estimated that the family has stayed at the Wilson County property around 50 times since the home was purchased.
Investigator recorded footage of Martinez family staying at Wilson County property
Central to the suit is drone footage and other media recorded by Key’s investigator covering several days in a row in November.
The video, provided to KSAT Investigates by Key and his attorney, shows Martinez, her husband and their three young children coming and going from the Wilson County property.
Still images captured on the ground show vehicles belonging to the couple parked at the residence at various times of day.
“I think it’s very important whoever the next judge be have respect for the rule of law. If you’re living in a trailer that’s on your family’s property, that’s paid for, and that is where you live, then why would one go and buy a 33,000-square-foot home at $500,000, pay the taxes, pay the insurance, not rent it out? Why would anyone do that?” Key asked.
To run for judicial office in Bexar County, a person must be at least 25 years old, a U.S. citizen, a licensed attorney in Texas and have resided in Bexar County for at least two years.
Martinez calls lawsuit weak, invasive and frustrating
Martinez, a former Bexar County prosecutor who most recently worked as a prosecutor for the 81st District Attorney’s Office, said she and her husband bought the manufactured home in 2019 and are raising their three children in it.
A family member of Martinez showed KSAT mail delivered to the Bexar County property that has Martinez and her husband’s names on it.
“This is our house,” said Martinez, who added that having her parents 100 feet away and her children’s school nearby are the main reasons they have stayed in the smaller residence.
She pointed out that the school is an hour and 15-minute drive from the Floresville property, meaning it is not feasible to live there full-time.
The Wilson County property was recently appraised at $516,730, records show.
The Bexar County manufactured home had an appraised value of $96,840 as of 2024, according to records.
Martinez said she is not worried that she will be ruled ineligible and called Key’s lawsuit a weak case.
“I’m running for public office, I realize that. I realize I can be in the public light, but to the extent that you are following me and my family, my children have no role, no part of this,” Martinez said. “It’s very invasive and honestly, as a mom, as any parent, it’s very frustrating.”
How did the dispute end up in court?
Attorney Mary Pietrazek said she was contacted by Key in early December about a possible legal challenge to Martinez’s residency.
Pietrazek and Key were informed by the Bexar County Democratic Party that the March 3 primary ballot had already been finalized.
Even though Martinez’s name will appear on the ballot, a judge can still rule her ineligible, according to the suit.
The suit, which does not name Martinez as a defendant, was instead filed against Bexar County Party Chair Michelle Lowe Solis and Bexar County Elections Administrator Michelle Carew.
Solis declined comment in an email to KSAT, stating that the suit had been forwarded to counsel.
Carew, through a county spokeswoman, also declined to comment for this story.
If Martinez is ruled ineligible, the suit calls for the party chair and elections administrator to no longer acknowledge Martinez as a candidate or count any votes she received.
No court date has been set as of Thursday, records show.
No Republican filed to run for County Court at Law 14, meaning the winner of the primary between Key and Martinez will be declared the winner.
Key, the senior county court judge, is seeking a third consecutive term in County Court at Law 14 and has served as a judge for a total of 12 years.
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.