What Falls Co. Candidates Said at President’s Day Roundup
The Falls County Republican Party hosted a Candidate Roundup at the Marlin Men’s Civic Association (MMCA) building on President’s Day, giving candidates in contested county races an opportunity to speak, as well as a few statelevel candidates.
The event was well attended, with several candidates and organizations having bought tables in advance and others buying individual tickets to listen to the political promises of candidates on the ballot. Milton Albright Catering served up stew and cornbread for guests, and live bluegrass music was provided by The Purple Hulls, identical twin sisters Katy Lou Clark and Penny Lea (Clark) Gimble ahead of political speeches.
QUOTES from Republican Candidates in CONTESTED COUNTY RACES Falls County Clerk
Incumbent Elizabeth Coker-Perez: “I started in the office in October of 2019, was appointed in January 2021 and have served as county clerk ever since. I am a lifetime resident of Falls County, I love serving the people of Falls County and the community. I would really appreciate everyone’s support and your votes in the upcoming election.” Vanessa L. Dodd was not in attendance.
Falls County Chair (Republican Party): Incumbent Elizabeth J. Nelson: “I’ve had the pleasure of serving as the County Chair since 2021, and I want to tell you a little short story about how I got into that. Although I have worked in politics and elections most of my life, this was a little bit different. When our good friend, who is now deceased, was the treasurer of the party, he kept complaining to me that the state owed them money and we had to get the money. To make a long story short, when I called down there to see what the status was, and this is not aimed at anybody, we found there was no Republican Party in Falls County because the people that had organized it had bad health, whatnot, they didn’t put people on the ballot, so the time limit went out and there was no Falls County Republican Party. A group of citizens got together and asked if I would serve as the County Chair, and I said well I guess so. The state chairman appointed me as the chair, and that wasn’t the end of the story. Then when I went to the bank to try and get the money transferred over, the bank had made an error and the money was in the name of a former county chair who had died, so it went to his estate. The family understood and knew the process, so we did get that money back, but it’s been an uphill battle. We have six precinct chairs now and are working on getting more. It’s been a struggle but it’s been fun.”
Bill Range: “I grew up right here in Marlin and I’m sure a certain percentage of you were educated by my mother, Gwen Range, 8th Grade Math. My brother was a veterinarian across the fence there; he’s retired now. I worked for the state of New Mexico and the state of Texas in 911 statewide management, so I got into the public safety sector. When I came back, I was appointed to the ESD Board by the County Commissioners, and I was elected President. I’ve been on the board for 2.5 years now, and we’ve accomplished what I would think would take five years. I’m effective in this leadership role and should you decide to elect me, I will run the party with the same standards and professionalism that I have for the ESD. Elizabeth (Richardson) has been doing this a long time, and to go back into her years as Mayor, her public service to Marlin and Falls County goes back a long time. I thought about it and thought, let the voters decide.”
Falls County Commissioner, Pct. 4: Incumbent Nita Wuebker: “I know most of you here. I am in my third term as county commissioner, and I really enjoy working for the people and for the county, and would love to continue to do the work. I have brought in a lot of money in grants for the county, probably over a million dollars. I joined a rural community and development group and have gotten a lot of grant money from that for different things. Recently we received two grants for Falls on the Brazos Park to redo the park area and put in a boat ramp. I’ve gotten grants for three families whose septic systems failed that cost them absolutely nothing. I do other things besides the county work; I stay really busy. I take all calls, no matter what time of the day it is or what day it is. I am on the Heart of Texas Council of Governments (HoTCoG) Executive Board, I’m on the Solid Waste Committee and something else- I don’t know, I’ve got a meeting up there almost every week. I appreciate your vote, and if you’re not in my precinct but you know somebody who is, ask them to vote.
Rodney Hall: “I’ve been living in Falls County for right at 50 years this year. I have been a part of a lot of great things in Falls County. Currently, I have right about 95 years total in doing volunteer work- that’s both volunteer and elected official work- where I’ve served in public education leading into my 26th year, and this will be my retirement. When we talk about serving and things like that, talking about grants- I’m definitely no stranger to grants. A lot of my time has been in public safety, and if anybody knows anything about public safety, you have to depend on grants because local money is just not there. You have to get with the state, FEMA… What can I offer? I’ve done and learned a lot of things along the way. When you start talking about maintaining a budget, that’s definitely not new to me. Whether it be Chilton ISD Budget or the company I worked for, Mars-Wrigley, I’ve handled multi-million dollar contracts simultaneously, and had close to 2 million dollars in payroll that I’m directly responsible for. Being transparent and accountable is always my motto. I set a very high standard for myself, so that’s what my expectations are. If I were elected, I would definitely be accountable to each and every taxpayer, I think that’s extremely important.”
Falls County Commissioner, Pct. 2: David Fitz has filed for the Precinct 2 Commissioner seat, currently held by Democrat F.A. Green, Sr. The two will face off in the General Election in November 2026.
Falls County Justice of the Peace, Pct. 1:
Incumbent Kaylah Rosas: “I’ve been in this position now for 5 years. I was appointed in February of 2021 by Commissioner Milton Albright after the passing of Judge Jack Smith. In March 2022, the voters of Falls County voted me for another fouryear term. My previous job as an executive secretary for the Police Chief at Mclennan Community College prepared me for this job with confidence, and the commitment of holding the law. I have a professional work relationship with DPS, Texas Game Wardens, Falls County Sheriff’s Office and the Marlin Police Department. I have successfully worked, as my record has shown, to be effective, fair, and consistent. I take great pride in my community. I will continue to work hard and be present for you. I will continue to listen to your concerns. I would be honored if you would vote for me in reelection for another term. Together we can keep precinct one moving in a positive direction like we have for the past five years.”
Alexis Parsons: “I’m a seventh generation Falls Countian. Some of you might know Will (Roe), he is the Vice Chair Falls County Republican Party and also serves on the City Council. We are making a home here. I moved away for about a decade, decided to move home, we bought a house, and we’re not going anywhere. I have served as a community outreach coordinator and patient advocate for Falls Community (Hospital) for about four years and also as a manager of Marlin Country Club, putting out both figurative and literal fires. I have reached a point in my life, I had actually reserved to run in the 2030 race, but the closer we got to the filing date, I really felt called to serve. This was my time to go ahead and put my name in the ring and see what happens. I think I have the level of integrity, accountability, and availability that I’m willing to put into something I’m passionate about, something that I think would be conducive for Falls County in this climate.”
Falls County Justice of the Peace, Pct. 2:
Sarah Funderburk: “I have lived in this community for 17 years, and while living here in this precinct, I’ve gotten to know a majority of my people and I can tell you they all want the same thing: they want a change, and that’s what I’m willing to give them. When you’re running for a position like this, it’s important that you’re active in your community and that you know what people want. I tell ya, this precinct is something else- there’s things going on in it that many don’t know, and I’ve been there to solve them, behind the scenes, and that’s what I’m going to continue to do. I’ve been running the Community Center in Reagan for over seven years, I’ve been the president, and we have a total of 11 board members. We do a lot of fundraisers and stuff like that for the community. I think this job is a serious job, and decisions that you make can affect people’s lives, so it’s important when you’re running for something like this that you know what you’re doing when you’re doing it. I can tell you as working at Hurdon Police Department I gained a lot of knowledge in setting bonds as well as the stressfulness of the job, the unimaginable death calls. I’ve seen some things that a lot of people hopefully never see. If you ask me what my M.O. would be, it’s going to be drugs and domestic violence. I have resources to help women in the community and in the precinct, and that’s what I’m going to do. I’ve been running an honest and transparent campaign this entire time and that’s what I’ll continue to do. I’m a true conservative through and through, no doubt about it. I hope for y’all’s votes.”
James “Roy” Jackson: “I was born and raised in Falls County, specifically a little town called Lott about 11 miles west of here. Three years ago, I decided to come home after spending 30+ years in real estate and property management. In 2011 I was appointed as receiver for the city of Dallas to oversee the rehabilitation and disposition of distressed commercial and multi-family properties. This was in an effort to improve the community standards and to reduce crime in the area. In 2007, I lost my son to suicide. This was something no parent should ever have to experience. After my son’s death and spending some time with the Suicide Crisis Center in Dallas, I decided to go back to school and I became a crisis and grief counselor, while also serving on the Board of Directors for the Crisis Center. I wanted to do whatever I could to assist the families who had experienced a loss by suicide and to work on suicide prevention altogether. During this time I worked closely with Mesquite, Garland, and Dallas Police Departments and I was instrumental in changing the death notification procedures, and training officers on how to speak to families that had just lost a loved one to suicide. I am certain my experience, knowledge, and education will be beneficial to you as your Justice of the Peace, Pct. 2. I am very dedicated to whatever tasks at hand and I will not stop or quit until the job is done. This is why I’m asking you for your vote on March 3 to allow me to serve the great folks of precinct 2 as your Justice of the Peace and to allow me to continue my long-running family tradition of serving Falls County. Thank you and I would appreciate your vote.”
( Mike Giles and Martha Westerman, who are facing off for the Precinct 3 JP position, were not in attendance for the event.)
Candidates in CONTESTED STATE RACES who attended and spoke at this event:
Texas House District 13: Incumbent Angelia Orr and challenger Kat Wall; Texas Senate District 22: Jon Gimble, David Cook, and Rena Schroeder.