Tensions Flare as Potter GOP Candidates Draw Ballot Order

Dan Rogers During the Ballot Drawing/Photo by Noah Dawson

Tensions about paper ballots hit a new high during the Potter County Republican Party ballot order drawing on Thursday evening.

For most of the night, operations proceeded smoothly, with candidates, proxies, and volunteers drawing from decks of cards to determine their place on the ballot, with higher ballot order placements going to those who drew the lowest numbers.

Then, as the meeting reached the Potter County Commissioners’ Court races, Potter County Republican Party Chairman Dan Rogers, a vocal proponent of using paper ballots, announced a different system would be utilized. Citing the fact that incumbents H R Kelly and John Coffee opposed a plan presented by Rogers to use only paper ballots during the primary, Rogers stated those races would use an “electronic” method of drawing.

Instead of using cards, the candidates in both two-way races would each write a number on a slip of paper. Rogers then announced which candidate’s number was closer to one selected by a random number generator on his phone, with that candidate being placed at the top of the ballot. Rogers did not show what the generator looked like, and, after he was asked to show what number the generator had picked, claimed that the number had already “disappeared.”

In the Commissioner Precinct 1 race, Dan Rogers determined that Chip Hunt would be placed on the top of the ballot, with incumbent H R Kelly being placed second. Then, in the drawing for Place 3, Kelly correctly predicted that challenger Kimberlee Gray would get the top spot over incumbent John Coffee.

The scene then quickly devolved as tempers flared.

Dan Rogers defended the apparent opaqueness of the system, telling Coffee and Kelly “that’s exactly what you’re doing to the voters.” Shouting quickly ensued, with the incumbents and their supporters questioning the validity of the process and supporters of Rogers arguing that the system was as fair as the voting system utilized by Potter County.

“I think it’s unfortunate that Dan chose to treat the two county commissioners different than everyone else,” Coffee later told The Amarillo Pioneer. “I’m very disappointed in our county chair and his lack of integrity.”

The ballot order for contested races in the Potter County Republican Party Primary is as follows (please note that, for multi-county races, this is only the ballot order in Potter County):

President of the United States

1. David Stuckenberg

2. Asa Hutchinson

3. Donald J. Trump

4. Ron DeSantis

5. Chris Christie

6. Vivek Ramaswamy

7. Ryan L. Binkley

8. Nikki Haley

United States Senator

1. Ted Cruz

2. Holland “Redd” Gibson

3. R E (Rufus) Lopez

Texas Railroad Commissioner

1. Christie Clark

2. James “Jim” Matlock

3. Petra Reyes

4. Christi Craddick

5. Corey Howell

Texas Supreme Court Place 4

1. John Devine

2. Brian Walker

Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge

1. David J. Schenck

2. Sharon Keller

Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7

1. Barbara Parker Hervey

2. Gina Parker

Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8

1. Michelle Slaughter

2. Lee Finley

State Representative District 87

1. Richard Beyea

2. Caroline Fairly

3. Cindi Bulla

4. Jesse Quackenbush

108th District Court Judge

1. Sam Brown Silverman

2. Pamela Sirmon

3. Tim Pirtle

4. Joe Marr Wilson

Potter County Tax Assessor-Collector

1. Thomas Warren III

2. Tamra Read Dickerson

Potter County Commissioner Precinct 1

1. Chip Hunt

2. H R Kelly

Potter County Commissioner Precinct 3

1. Kim Gray

2. John Coffee

Potter County Constable Precinct 1

1. Darryl Wertz

2. Zach Coleman