Editing Hays County, Texas (section)

== Government and politics ==
Hays County currently leans towards the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] in federal elections. The county was strongly Democratic-leaning before the 1970s, then (like some other suburban counties in the state) began trending towards the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] in the 1970s.

The county began trending Democratic again in the late 2010s and early 2020s. It has backed Democrats in most statewide races since 2018, including for President (in 2020 and 2024), despite Democrats losing all statewide races in Texas.<ref>{{cite web |date=November 6, 2018 |title=Cumulative Report — Official HAYS COUNTY — General Election |url=https://hayscountytx.com/download/departments/elections/results/2018/09.%2006%20Nov%202018%20General%20Election%20Cumulative%20(official).pdf |access-date=January 28, 2021 |website=Hays County, Texas |publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Hays County Texas 2020 election results |url=https://hayscountytx.com/download/departments/elections/results/2020/nov_03_general/Cumulative-Results-Nov-2020-General-official-PDF.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://hayscountytx.com/download/departments/elections/results/2020/nov_03_general/Cumulative-Results-Nov-2020-General-official-PDF.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |access-date=January 28, 2021}}</ref> In 2024, [[Kamala Harris]] became the first Democratic presidential nominee to carry Hays County despite losing the presidential election since 1968.

Until 2020, when [[Joe Biden]] won the county with 54.4% of the vote, the last Democrat to carry Hays County in a presidential election was [[Bill Clinton]], with a plurality of 39.8% of the vote in 1992. The last Democrat to win a majority of the vote in the county before 2020 was [[Jimmy Carter]], with 54.4% in 1976. [[Lloyd Bentsen]] had been the last Democratic Senate candidate to carry the county, winning 69.2% of the vote in 1988, until 2018, when [[Beto O'Rourke]] carried the county with 57.1% of the vote.<ref name="uselectionatlas.org">{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/|title = Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections}}</ref>

{{PresHead|place=Hays County, Texas|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=July 25, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Democratic|58,438|65,528|1,861|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2020|Democratic|47,680|59,524|2,191|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|33,826|33,224|5,114|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|31,661|25,537|1,813|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|29,638|28,431|983|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|27,021|20,110|692|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|20,170|11,387|2,760|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|12,865|11,580|2,395|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|10,008|10,842|6,417|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|11,716|11,187|361|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|12,467|6,663|57|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|6,517|6,013|759|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|5,714|7,005|156|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|5,406|4,068|45|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1968|Democratic|1,993|3,546|644|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|1,279|3,780|5|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|1,606|2,916|7|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1956|Democratic|1,873|2,017|14|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|2,135|2,070|3|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|555|2,239|193|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|495|1,690|243|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|453|2,371|4|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|286|1,964|9|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|220|1,822|8|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|1,088|620|0|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|394|1,616|79|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1920|Democratic|242|1,075|339|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|123|995|15|Texas}}
{{PresFoot|1912|Democratic|60|939|66|Texas}}
{{U.S. SenHead|place=Hays County, Texas|Seat=1|source=<ref>{{cite news |title=2024 Senate Election (Official Returns) |website=Commonwealth of Texas by county |date=November 5, 2024 |access-date=December 5, 2024 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-elections/texas-senate-results}}</ref>}}
<!-- U.S. SenRow should be {{U.S. SenRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{U.S. SenRow|2024|Democratic|54,436|67,475|3,665|Texas}}
{{U.S. SenFoot}}
[[Ann Richards]] in 1990 was the last Democratic gubernatorial candidate to win the county, when she took 56.6% of the vote that year, until [[2018 Texas gubernatorial election|2018]], when [[Lupe Valdez]] won with a 49.6% plurality.<ref name="uselectionatlas.org"/>

In the 2022 elections, Democrats won all but one race in Hays County; They flipped several countywide seats previously held by Republicans.<ref name="kxan.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.kxan.com/news/local/hays/9-out-of-10-midterm-races-won-by-democrats-in-hays-county/ |title=9 out of 10 midterm races won by Democrats in Hays County |website=kxan.com |date=2022-11-09 |access-date=2024-07-14}}</ref>

Democratic voters mostly reside along the I-35 Corridor and communities East. Communities West of the I-35 Corridor lean Republican. San Marcos, home of [[Texas State University]], and the city of Kyle generally vote Democratic. Driftwood, Dripping Springs, Wimberley, and Woodcreek generally vote Republican. Elections within the county are often decided by margins in Bear Creek, Belterra, Buda, and the county's northcentral border along Travis County.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

=== County government ===

==== County Judge and commissioners ====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" | Position
! style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" | Name
! style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" | Party
|-
| style="background:blue;" |&nbsp;
| County Judge
| Ruben Becerra
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |&nbsp;
| Commissioner, Precinct 1
| Debbie Ingalsbe 
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |&nbsp;
| Commissioner, Precinct 2
| Michelle Cohen
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:red;" |&nbsp;
| Commissioner, Precinct 3
| Lon Shell
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
| style="background:red;" |&nbsp;
| Commissioner, Precinct 4
| Walt Smith
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
|}

==== County Officials ====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="2"  style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;"| '''Position'''
!  style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;"| '''Name'''
!  style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;"| '''Party'''
|-
| style="background:blue;" |&nbsp;
| Criminal District Attorney 
| Kelly Higgins
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |&nbsp;
| District Clerk
| Avery Anderson
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |&nbsp;
| County Clerk
| Elaine Cárdenas
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:red;" |&nbsp;
| Sheriff
| Gary Cutler
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
| style="background:red;" |&nbsp;
| Tax Assessor-Collector
| Jenifer O’Kane
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |&nbsp;
| Treasurer
| Daphne Sanchez Tenorio 
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
|}