Wednesday, March 05, 2008
By Emily Ingram
Tribune-Herald staff writer
Incumbent Precinct 1 McLennan County Commissioner Wendall Crunk saw his long tenure end Tuesday night when Kelly Snell easily defeated him in the Republican primary election, garnering 57 percent of the vote.
“His negative campaign must have worked,” Crunk told the Tribune-Herald late Tuesday night. “We’ve been trying to counter his negative letter-writing campaign. We should’ve been calling our constituents and encouraging them to vote instead of trying to count his negative letters.”
Late night, long lines at Carver Academy
Central Texas votes
- Primacaucus — Clogged caucus meetings, voter enthusiasm enlivens presidential race in Waco
- State Rep., Dist. 56 — Anderson tops Sibley in Texas House race
- Commissioner, Pct. 1 — Snell stuns incumbent Crunk in Precinct 1
- Commissioner, Pct. 3 — Mashek coasts to victory
- Sheriff — McLennan County sheriff: Lynch in a landslide
In response, Snell, a 49-year-old energy conservation owner, said he had only been sending out facts.
“I don’t know if it’s negative,” he said. “It’s truthful, though.”
Snell won 2,217 votes in unofficial election returns, while Crunk garnered 1,683.
Crunk, 68, said he hopes Snell will continue in his footsteps, fighting against the Trans-Texas Corridor which, as proposed, would “destroy some of the towns in my precinct.”
Snell said he opposes the Trans-Texas Corridor and wants to see improvements to Interstate 35 before discussion of another roadway through Central Texas.
“I’d like to thank the voters of Precinct 1,” Snell said Tuesday night. “I’d like to thank them for accepting our message to get the county running like a business and get them to become good stewards of our tax dollars.”
In his campaign for a fourth term, Crunk touted his business experience and his fight against coal-fired power plants proposed in or near McLennan County.
Snell attacked what he said were unnecessary tax hikes by the commissioners court. And in a swipe at Crunk and other county commissioners in 2006, he said he didn’t believe commissioners should vote themselves pay raises. He vowed never to vote himself a raise while in office.
eingram@wacotrib.com
757-5745
