Amarillo election results: Cole Stanley wins mayor, school bonds pass and more

Saturday was Election Day in Amarillo and across the Panhandle. City council, school board and college board positions across our coverage area were up for grabs. Here's what we know.

Tonight, Amarillo elected their first new mayor in six years, with Cole Stanley winning with a resounding 75% of the votes against his five opponents.

Councilmember Freda Powell finished a distant second with 18.4% of the vote. No other candidate received more than 2.5% of the vote in the election.

Stanley now, after serving two years on the council, will take his place as mayor with a completely new city council. No sitting council members decided to run for reelection, so there will be four new councilmembers. With two of the four council races now decided, Stanley will be the only experienced city council member. Places 1 and 4 will be headed to a runoff election.

Stanley spoke about his support for the mayor in Saturday’s election and how it felt to be the next mayor of Amarillo.

“It has not really set in that we won tonight,” Stanley said. “I knew Powell would be a tough opponent and I am quite overwhelmed by the margin of victory tonight."

Stanley emphasized that the budget would be job one to evaluate as the new mayor. He said tonight’s vote resulted from the last couple of years of the council ignoring the people's voice.

“This is a kind of referendum, a vote that says you will listen to us, the people. We are your voters; we are your taxpayers; we are your boss, " Stanley added.

Stanley said that he realized being the mayor would be quite a different role than he is accustomed to.

“There will be more arrows coming my way,” Stanley said. “And I think I will be able to deal with them well. This is an opportunity to show my leadership and I will make a few misses but hopefully, I will be given some grace. We have good intentions and a heart to do the right thing.”

Council positions for Place 2 and Place 3 were won by large margins. In Place 2, Don Tipps garnered 83.8% of the vote with 17,042 ballots in his favor. Place 3 had Tom Scherlen take 58.2% of the vote, with Katt Massey a distant second with 34% of the vote.

In Place 1, Josh Craft won 43,2 of the votes, followed by Dean Crump with 33.1 % of the vote. Kelsey Richardson did garner 10.1% of the vote.

Les Simpson finished well ahead of his three challengers in the Place 4 race with 45.2%, with former mayor candidate Claudette Smith taking in 24% of the vote. John Ingerson finished third with 15.8%, with Hobert "Gunny" Brown finishing just behind him with 14.7% of the vote.

The Amarillo Board of Regents reelected incumbents Jay Barrett and Michelle Fortunato with 24.70% and 20.57%, respectively. Irene Hughes became the only new member elected to the board with 23.5% of the vote.

Three new board members were added to the Amarillo Independent School Board, with Jon Mark Beilue leading the voting with 27.6%. Also making the school board were Steve Trafton with 21.45% and Connie Brown with 16.51%.

In the closest race of the night, Place 2 Katheryn Weigand won Place 2 for the Canyon Independent School District, winning by 42 votes. Weigand garnered 50.3% of the vote to win over Jodi Davis, who received 49.7%.

In Place 1, Paul Blake ran unopposed. Casey Posey won a close race over Jared Wirt in Place 3 with 37.85% of the vote to Wirt’s 30.6%. In another close race, Laurie Gilliland won in Place 7 over Tiffany Rogers, who received 40.19%.

--Michael Cuviello 11:00 p.m.

Unofficial Election Day results: Stanley wins mayor race

All polling centers in Potter and Randall counties are reporting as of 9:39 p.m. The city notes that election results are not official until votes are canvassed on May 16.

Mayor

• Tonya C. Winston - 341; 1.6%

• Don Collins - 532; 2.5%

• Sam Burnett - 316; 1.5%

• Jeffrey McGunegle - 116; 0.5%

• Cole Stanley - 15,978; 75.5%

• Freda Powell - 3,855; 18.4%

Councilmember No. 1

• Ray White - 170; 0.8%

• Margie Gonzales - 1,293; 6.3%

• Dean Crump - 6,834; 33.1%

• Sherie Wood - 350; 1.7%

• Kelsey Richardson - 2,088; 10.1%

• Josh Craft - 8,936; 43.2% (no majority)

• Chip Hunt - 770; 4.7%

Councilmember No. 2

• Don Tipps - 17,042; 83.8%

• Misty Vigil - 1,790; 8.8%

• Gabriel McHenry-Hererra - 1,499; 7.4%

Councilmember No. 3

• Katt Massey - 7,072; 34.5%

• John Adair - 1,500; 7.3%

• Tom Scherlen 11,956; 58.2%

Councilmember No. 4

• Les Simpson - 9,189; 45.2% (no majority)

• Claudette Smith - 4,940; 24.3%

• John Ingerson - 3,218; 15.8%

• Hobert Gunny Brown - 2,996; 14.7%

— Adam D. Young, Kristina Wood, 9:45 p.m.

Potter County results: Highland Park bond elections pass, AC and AISD board leaders

Amarillo Junior College District Board of Regents

• Michele Fortunato - 4,256; 24.15%

• Jay L. Barrett - 3,714; 21.07%

• Irene Hughes - 3,636; 20.63%

• Brady Clark - 2,875; 16.31%

• Jason Foglesong - 2,425; 13.76%

• Mike Yazbek - 720; 4.08%

Amarillo ISD Board of Trustees 

• Ryan Patrick Brown - 897; 4.98%

• Kimberly Anderson - 2,089; 11.59%

• Robin Leeah - 2,401; 13.32%

• Steve Trafton - 3,616; 20.07%

• Jon Mark Beilue - 4,213; 23.38%

• Connie Brown - 2,690; 14.93%

• Dick Ford - 2,114; 11.73%

Bushland ISD Board Member

• Melissa Huffman - 98; 7.29%

• Jessica Garrett - 280; 20.82%

• Laura Stepp - 68; 5.06%

• Nicki Junell - 146; 10.86%

• Ken Stewart - 41; 3.05%

• Brad Spinks - 160; 11.90%

• Steve Hill - 146; 10.86%

• Chris Limbaugh - 64; 4.76%

• Eddie Fuentes - 128; 9.52%

• Derek Cotgreave - 22; 1.64%

• Jerry Billington - 192; 14.28%

• Total votes cast: 1,345

Highland Park ISD Board Member 

• Cindy Spanel - 84 25.30%

• April Ferguson - 73 21.99%

• Jennifer Sanchez - 97 29.22%

• Jessie Campolla - 78 23.49%

• Total votes cast: 332

Highland Park PROPOSITION A

• For - 102; 53.13%

• Against - 90; 46.88%

• Cast Votes: 192

Highland Park PROPOSITION B

• For - 105; 54.97%

• Against - 86; 45.03%

• Total votes cast: 191

— Kristina Wood, 10:25 p.m.

Randall County: Final, unofficial results for AC, AISD boards

Amarillo Junior College District Board of Regents

• Jay L. Barrett - 8,414; 24.70%

• Irene Hughes - 7,986; 23.45%

• Michele Fortunato - 7,007; 20.57%

• Brady Clark - 4,965; 14.58%

• Jason Foglesong - 4,588; 13.47%

• Mike Yazbek - 1,101; 3.23%

Amarillo ISD Board of Trustees 

• Ryan Patrick Brown - 947; 3.58%

• Kimberly Anderson - 2,810; 10.62%

• Robin Leeah - 2,605; 9.85%

• Steve Trafton - 5,676; 21.45%

• Jon Mark Beilue - 7,266; 27.46%

• Connie Brown - 4,367; 16.51%

• Dick Ford - 2,785; 10.53%

— Kristina Wood, 10:27 p.m.

Randall County votes tallied for Canyon, Bushland school boards

RANDALL COUNTY — Final unofficial results

Canyon Independent School District Board of Trustees, Place 1

• Paul Blake - 5,957

Canyon Independent School District Board of Trustees, Place 2

• Jodi Davis - 3,472; 49.70%

• Katharyn Wiegand - 3,514; 50.30%

Canyon Independent School District Board of Trustees, Place 3

• Casey Posey - 2,671; 37.85%

• Josh Grisham - 1,001; 14.19%

• Claudia Burkett - 1,263; 17.90%

• Jared Wirt - 2,121; 30.06%

Canyon Independent School District Board of Trustees, Place 7

• Laurie Gilliland - 2,974; 42.83%

• Derrick Thomas - 1,179; 16.98%

• Tiffany Rogers - 2,791; 40.19%

Bushland Independent School District Board of Trustees

• Melissa Huffman - 22; 4.63%

• Jessica Garrett - 104; 21.89%

• Laura Stepp - 24; 5.05%

• Nicki Junell - 42; 8.84%

• Ken Stewart - 18; 3.79%

• Brad Spinks - 74; 15.58%

• Steve Hill - 43; 9.05%

• Chris Limbaugh - 30; 6.32%

• Eddie Fuentes - 46; 9.68%

• Derek Cotgreave - 7; 1.47%

• Jerry Billington - 65; 13.68%

• Total votes cast - 475

— Kristina Wood, 9:48 p.m.

Perryton ISD voters approve $40M in bond packages for schools

Perryton ISD voters approved about $40 million in two bond packages for safety enhancements, renovations and improvements at school campuses and athletic facilities in the May 6 municipal election, according to a final but unofficial vote tally released late Saturday by the district.

Read more: Perryton ISD voters approve $40M in bond packages for schools

Proposition A

• For - 645; 61.25%

• Against - 408; 38.75%

Proposition B

• For - 565; 53.71%

• Against - 487; 46.29%

— Adam D. Young, 9:32 p.m.

Pampa ISD voters pass pair of $60M+ bonds

Pampa Independent School District voters passed two bonds Saturday totaling $130 million, according to final but unofficial results. Proposition A, worth $62, would fund a state-of-the-art CTE center and renovations to Travis Elementary. Proposition B, a $68 million bond that would fund a plethora of projects, will not affect homeowners’ taxes and only become effective if certain economic development criteria are met.

Proposition A

• For - 1,359; 59.19%

• Against - 937; 40.81%

Proposition B

• For - 1,346; 58.55%

• Against - 953; 41.45%

— Alex Driggars, 9:25 p.m.

Deaf Smith County alcohol option passes by wide margin

Results from Deaf Smith County indicate proponents of a local option alcohol election, which would allow on-premise alcohol sales in restaurants, prevailed Saturday. Rose Barrett also wins Hereford City Commissioner, Place 1.

Read more: Deaf Smith County votes to modernize alcohol regulations by allowing restaurant sales

DEAF SMITH COUNTY — Final unofficial results

Registered Voters: 891 of 8422 = 10.58%

Precincts Reporting: 8 of 8 = 100.00%

Local Option Liquor Election

• For - 757; 84.96%

• Against - 134; 15.04%

City of Hereford Commissioner, Place 1

• Reyna Rita Ruiz - 26; 38.24%

• Rose Mary Barrett - 42; 61.76%

— Alex Driggars, 8:24 p.m.

Polls are now closed

Polls closed at 7 p.m. across the region, though anyone in line before 7 o'clock was able to cast their ballots. Results are expected to begin rolling in later this evening. Check back on this page and for updates and find additional coverage at amarillo.com.

— Alex Driggars, 7:13 p.m.

What's on the ballot?

For information on city council and school board candidates in Amarillo and across the region, check out this story: What you need to know about May 6 elections for Amarillo, schools and more

City of Amarillo

In the Amarillo mayoral race, six candidates are running for the city's top office. Of those mayor candidates, two are currently serving as councilmembers, Cole Stanley and Freda Powell. All councilmember positions, much like the mayor, are voted at large, so each councilmember place does not represent a particular city district. The most contested race of the upcoming Amarillo city elections will be for councilmember Place 1, which will have its most candidates in history with seven people running for office.

The mayoral candidates are listed in the order below as they were drawn for their positions to appear on the ballot. Click the links to read our Amarillo Globe-News candidate profiles.

Tonya Winston, a commercial truck driver: As mayor, Winston's top priorities would be crime and safety, addressing disparities

Don Collins, retiree and seniors advocate: Don Collins seeks to restore focus to the city, with seniors no longer an afterthought

Sam Burnett, president of the Amarillo Area Transgender Advocacy Group: Burnett aims to give voice to all Amarillo citizens in run for mayor

Jeffrey McGunegle, a former Amarillo ISD teacher and life/consciousness coach: Jeffrey McGunegle: Position of Amarillo mayor is a calling

Cole Stanley, current councilmember Place 1 and business owner: As developer, Cole Stanley wants to change bidding process, tackle panhandling issue

Freda Powell, current councilmember Place 2 and office manager: After three terms on council, Freda Powell hopes to continue to serve city as mayor

Councilmember No. 1:

• Ray White (withdrawn from race but still on the ballot)

• Margie Gonzales

• Dean Crump

• Sherie Wood

• Kelsey Richardson

• Josh Craft

• Chip Hunt

Councilmember No. 2:

• Don Tipps

• Misty Vigil

• Gabriel McHenry-Hererra

Councilmember No. 3:

• Katt Massey

• John Adair

• Tom Scherlen

Councilmember No. 4:

• Les Simpson

• Claudette Smith

• John Ingerson

• Hobert Gunny Brown

Amarillo College Board (three open spots)

• Jay Barrett

• Brady Clark

• Mike Yazbek

• Jason Foglesong

• Irene Hughes

• Michele Fortunato

Amarillo ISD School Board

• Kimberly Anderson

• Jon Mark Beilue

• Connie Brown

• Ryan Patrick Brown

• Dick Ford

• Robin Leeah

• Steve Trafton

Canyon ISD School Board

Place 2:

• Katharyn Wiegand

• Jodi Davis

Place 3:

• Casey Posey

• Jared Wirt

• Claudia Burkett

• Josh Grisham

Place 7:

• Laurie Gilliland

• Tiffany Rogers

• Derrick Thomas

— Michael Cuviello, Alex Driggars

Turnout up in early voting

More than 16,000 early votes were cast in Potter and Randall counties combined.

According to Randall County Elections Administrator Shannon Lackey, the 11,533 votes cast in Randall County were 2,500 more people who took part in early voting than in 2021. In Potter County early voting, there were 4,481 votes cast, which was on pace with the 2021 election.

In both counties, each day of early voting saw an increase in total votes received, with Tuesday seeing the highest turnout. The Randall County Annex saw 2,131 voters turn out on the final day of early voting.

— Michael Cuviello

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo election results: Cole Stanley wins mayor, school bonds pass