Duane Crocker wins Victoria’s election for mayor, avoids runoff | News

Victoria Councilman Duane Crocker secured the race for mayor Saturday night, avoiding a runoff in a crowded race of six candidates.

As of 8:50 p.m. with 14 out of 14 precincts, unofficial vote totals showed Councilmember Duane Crocker as the winner.

Duane Crocker: 61.40%, 2,499 votes

Josephine Soliz: 20.27%, 825 votes

Karissa Winters: 9.29%, 378 votes

Robert Constantine: 5.77%, 235 votes

Jacob Sauseda: 1.67%, 68 votes

Peter Brown: 1.60%, 65 votes

A runoff election would have been required if no candidate obtained 50% or more of the vote.

Of Victoria’s 37,404 registered voters, 4,070 or 10.88% cast votes in this election.

Candidates wait as returns come in

Throughout town, many of the six candidates were hosting watch parties on Saturday night as returns came in. 

On the north side of town, candidate Bob Constantine was joined by supporters at Franklin’s Backyard Bayou. 

“I hope whoever takes this tonight that they will take other people’s views that were in the race into consideration,” Constantine said before the early vote results had been released about 7:30 p.m.

If Constantine does not win the election or a top-two spot if it goes to a runoff, he said he would likely endorse another candidate who he was not ready to name at the time.

Josephine Soliz

At Mumphord’s Place, candidate Josephine Soliz was joined by family and friends as the results came in. Around 8 p.m. with 13 of 14 precincts reporting, Soliz said she believed the election would not head to a runoff as Crocker had secured about 62% of votes at the time. 

At 8:30 p.m., Soliz called Crocker and appeared to share a friendly conversation over the phone with her City Council colleague. As for returning to Council, Soliz said she is still unsure whether she will run for reelection in May.

“I haven’t decided yet,” she said. “I’ll take the next 13 days … to make a decision if I will run.”

The filing deadline for the May election is Feb. 16.