Tuesday's election left Republican Sammy Catalena with just more than the majority needed to win the seat for Brazos County Commissioner Precinct 2; Democrat Irma Cauley easily secured the seat for Precinct 4.
Of the 5,241 votes that came in, 2,816 -- nearly 54 percent -- were cast for Catalena. Hugh Seale collected about 33 percent of the votes, and 12 percent of the votes cast were for Jerry Fickey.
Cauley, the current commissioner for Precinct 4, took the lead after early voting results with about 63 percent of the votes and her position didn't waver much afterward. A total of 910 votes were cast for Precinct 4, and Cauley secured nearly 63 percent of the votes, which was 570.
About 37 percent of Precinct 4 voters, or 340, cast votes for her opponent, Bryan City Councilman Paul Madison.
Precinct 2
Cheers filled an intimate dining room at the Hilton as the results came in indicating Catalena was leading the Precinct 2 seat. With no Democratic opponent on the November ballot, the primary results mean Catalena will win the seat.
"I feel really great," Catalena said as soon as the results were in. "I feel great for all these people in this room because they all worked really hard to make this happen. I am humbled by winning this without a runoff and I credit it to family, friends, workers and all the people that voted for me."
He said he will use the time between now and taking office to learn more about county workings.
"This time will give me a chance to get everything in order," he said. "I hope I can get in there before it's time to take office and learn about the county and visit with different department heads so that when I do take office, I have a better idea of what to expect."
As county commissioner, Catalena's duties will include taking part in overseeing construction and maintenance of local infrastructure, hiring most county employees and setting their salaries, establishing tax rates, issuing bonds and creating offices to fulfill specific county needs.
Even with several family-owned businesses to run, including Catalena Hatters in downtown Bryan, he said he's confident he'll be able to handle the responsibilities the position entails.
"When you deal with a $150 million budget that Brazos County has, it's a full-time job," he said. "I'm dedicated and committed to serve full time."
Precinct 4
In Bryan, Irma Cauley celebrated her victory with a few close friends and family members who drove in from different parts of Texas.
"I'm very humbled and grateful to everyone," Cauley said. "I want to thank everyone that supported me and I want everyone to know I appreciate the calls and the prayers."
Successfully communicating to constituents that she has their best interests in mind is what Cauley attributed her victory to.
"I think that for the most part, the community knows that I've attempted to do a good job and that I will continue to," she said.
The race isn't over for Cauley yet; she'll face Republican Louis Garcia Jr. in November.
Cauley said she's relying on the support of her constituents and her strong work ethic to keep the momentum of her campaign.
Madison commended Cauley for a job well done.
"I think that the voters have spoken, and I really congratulate Irma on a tremendous job," he said.
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