Straight Ticket Voters Didn't Impact State and Local Races

RICHMOND, TX -- The dust has barely settled on what most voters 40 and older can attest is the most contentious in recent memory.

While the contest between Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and President-elect Donald Trump drove people to the polls, so did the desire for change in some races in Fort Bend County.

According to the final vote tally, of the 408,793 registered voters in the county, 266,857, or 65 percent of the registered county voters.

As in Harris County, Fort Bend County voters who voted a a straight ticket for either the Democratic or Republican parties.

According to the Fort Bend County Clerk's Office, 48 percent voted straight Republican, while 50.4 percent voted straight Democrat in early voting.

In the general election, Republican straight party voters numbered 47.3 percent, compared with 51 percent for Democrats.

Overall, Trump captured 44 percent of the vote totals to Clinton's 51 percent.

While the straight ticket voters impacted the totals for president, it didn't seem to affect the voting in other races.

For instance, Republican Congressman Pete Olsen retained his seat, defeating Democrat Mark Gibson 61 percent to Gibson's 39 percent.

Other Republican candidates, such as Debra Lehrmann, Eva Guzman, and Paul Green, who all retained their seats on the state supreme court.

Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls won his re-election bid or sheriff, and defeated veteran lawman Michael Ellison, winning 53 percent of the votes cast in Tuesday's general election.

It was the second go-around for Nehls and Ellison who faced each other in the 2012 election.

While Nehls remains Fort Bend County's top cop, voters did make a change in the county commissioner's race with former Rosenberg Mayor Vincent Morales defeating Commissioner Richard Morrison, who'd held that
seat since 2008.

More Fort Bend County election results can be found right here.

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