SAN ANTONIO – UPDATE: Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar has won the Democratic primary, and will face former Bexar County Clerk Gerard Rickhoff, who won the Republican ticket.
Sheriff Salazar won with 53% of the vote defeating Sharon Rodriguez, and Gerard Rickhoff defeated Willie Ng with 52%.
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(Original Story)
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar is leading so far in his bid for a second term, while former Bexar County Clerk Gerard Rickhoff is leading on the Republican ticket.
With 65% of precincts reporting, Salazar is leading with 55% of the vote, beating out four other candidates including embattled former constable Michelle Barrientes Vela, who has 11% of the vote. Sharon Rodriguez is in second with 16% of the vote.
Watch our election night livestream here.
Rickhoff has 52% of the vote, holding off two other challengers including former chief criminal investigator Willie Ng. Ng trails with 30% of the vote.
If no candidate in each primary receives 50%, plus one vote, then the top two vote-getting candidates head into a runoff election on May 26.
Votes
%
Javier Salazar(D)
Sharon Rodriguez(D)
Michelle Barrientes Vela(D)
José Treviño(D)
Pete Lozano(D)
(280 / 280)
Votes
%
Gerard C. "Gerry" Rickhoff(R)
Willie Ng(R)
Gary W. Garcia(R)
(280 / 280)
Races to watch during the primary election around San Antonio
Salazar’s first term as sheriff has had its difficulties.
The office dealt with numerous arrests of deputies and jailers, erroneous releases, inmate escapes and inmate suicides. Last year, the county jail also briefly fell out of compliance after failing a Texas Commision on Jail Standards inspection.
They were problems that persisted before Salazar’s term and ones that he promised to fix when he beat former Sheriff Susan Pamerleau in 2016.