*Results are complete, but unofficial.
Republican candidate Morgan Hammer has been elected to Hays County Commissioners Court Precinct 3. With 52.82% of the votes, Hammer beat her Democratic opponent, Rebecca Minnick, by 1,933 votes.
Hammer, a first-time runner and Texas State alumnus, said she is dedicated to improving the quality of life for Hays County residents.
“My number one priority is public safety. My second top priority is going to be water conservation and preservation and third is emergency services,” Hammer said. “I plan on doing all of those things by looking at the budget as a whole and making sure each item is addressed.”
Hammer said her vision for Hays County is to continue with responsible growth. She hopes to ensure growth in the county is efficient and carried out at a quick pace to address the needs of residents.
“[Making] sure that our infrastructure is where it needs to be, that people are having a great quality of life… and then also making sure that all the residents in Hays County are safe,” Hammer said. “We’re also making sure that we do it all in a responsible manner so that we protect our natural resources.”
Hammer plans on leaning into funds from TxDOT to carry out infrastructure projects, in order to not use taxpayer dollars.
“I think a lot of people don’t know TxDOT is helping counties with the most funding they’ve ever given out,” Hammer said. “I plan on working well and learning all of the aspects to using those TxDOT dollars to be able to not have taxpayers pay for our roads.”
Hammer knows the impact of her newfound role within the Hays County Commissioners Court and said though her campaign was difficult, it was worth every second.
“I feel like I’ve just been the whole time living in a robot mode,” Hammer said. “Now that the time is here and all that hard work has paid off, I’m just extremely grateful and privileged to be able to serve this county.”
Minnick, who was also running for the first time, decided to enter the race with her primary focus being water supplies within the county. Minnick has been a member of the Wimberley City Council since 2019 and has also held a position on Wimberley’s Planning and Zoning Commission.
Carter Lawson and Jamie Moore contributed to the article.
