By Thomas Warren, Editor-in-Chief
Things have recently been shaken up for Amarillo voters thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the changes Amarillo voters will now see as far as election dates, I thought it might be useful to discuss the changes in this article.
First, the Amarillo Civic Center Complex bond election, originally scheduled for May 2020, has been pushed back to November 2020. This does not mean the election is sure to happen in November, as members of the Amarillo City Council discussed in a recent meeting. The possibility still remains that the election could be canceled and moved to May 2021 due to changes in project scope and cost. However, as of this writing, the bond election to fund the majority of the $319 million project is still moving forward on the November ballot.
The runoff elections for the U.S. House District 13 seat and for 7th Court of Appeals, Place 4 are also now slated for July 14 after the runoff was originally scheduled for this month. For Republicans, voters will choose between Josh Winegarner and Ronny Jackson in the congressional race and will pick the nominee for the 7th Court of Appeals race between incumbent Larry Doss and challenger Steven Denny after Denny originally won a primary election on March 3, which was later invalidated. Democrats will choose between Gus Trujillo and Greg Sagan for Congress, in addition to statewide contests. According to a ballot listing on the Texas Secretary of State’s website, Sagan withdrew from the race after the March 3 primary, but will still remain on the ballot, with Trujillo serving as the presumptive nominee. Democrats will also have statewide contests to decide for U.S. Senator and Railroad Commissioner.
As a reminder, early voting has also been extended for the July 14 runoff, thanks to a proclamation by Gov. Greg Abbott. Early voting is now slated to begin on June 29 for the runoff contests.
While more election dates and information could change with the unprecedented circumstances we are facing today, this is where our election dates stand right now. We hope you will exercise your voice during these important election dates.