Viertel takes county judge’s post

By Melinda L. Lucas

By the end of Tuesday’s primaries, about 24 percent of Shackelford County’s 2,261 registered voters elected a new county judge to take over next January, and followed most statewide trends in other elections.

John M. Viertel finished with 290 votes to Raleigh Breeden’s 214 to win the Republican candidacy for county judge. He will be unopposed on the November general election ballot.

Several local unopposed incumbents will start new terms in 2023, including including district and county clerk Cheri Hawkins, county treasurer Tammy Brown, and justice of the peace James Breeden, along with Pct. 2 commissioner Ace Reames and Pct. 4 commissioner Cody Jordan.