Gabriel McHenry-Herrera (RIGHT) speaks during a question and answer session hosted by Inspire Amarillo/Screenshot via Inspire Amarillo YouTube
When voters cast their ballots this week for the upcoming Amarillo City Council election, one candidate’s name will appear on the ballot misspelled.
Gabriel McHenry-Herrera, a commercial teller, is running for Amarillo City Council, Place 2. McHenry-Herrera, 29, is facing insurance agent Don Tipps and AISD employee Misty Vigil for the seat being vacated by Councilwoman Freda Powell.
McHenry-Herrera’s ballot application that he submitted to the City of Amarillo on February 1 listed his name as “Gabriel McHenry-Herrera,” the correct spelling of his name. However, the ballot that the City of Amarillo submitted to local elections administrators had his name listed as “Gabriel McHenry-Hererra,” which is the incorrect spelling of his name.
The candidate confirmed to The Amarillo Pioneer that his name is, in fact, spelled McHenry-Herrera. However, his name will still remain incorrectly spelled on the ballot.
Amarillo City Secretary Stephanie Coggins said that the ballot that includes the candidate’s misspelled name was submitted by the City of Amarillo to local elections offices. However, Coggins said that candidates were given the opportunity to review the ballot before it was submitted.
Still, Coggins confirmed that any votes McHenry-Herrera receives will still be counted toward his total and the misspelling of his name will not affect the outcome of the election.