LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) – You can go all in. You can even pour your heart and soul into a campaign—have your blood, sweat, and tears leave the physical and emotional marks on the campaign trail.
But sometimes, it still isn’t enough.
And for some candidates in this year’s primary election for Webb County judge, they would know the feeling.
Webb County Judge Vacancy Draws Competitive Field
An open seat for the county’s top post—for the first time in more than a decade—drew a field of serious contenders.
For months, four candidates made their case to voters.
Weeks of forums, interviews, and debates marked a spirited campaign season, with each candidate bringing years of experience in government, business, and management.
But as ballots were counted on election night, the race began to come into focus.
In the end, it would come down to two. When the dust settled, half of the field saw their campaigns come to an end.
Jerry Garza finished first in the primary with just over 10,000 votes, receiving a little more than 40% of the total.
Next was C.Y. Benavides, who, most importantly, will join Garza in May’s runoff election, securing the second spot in the race with more than 6,000 votes, or just under 25%.
Karina Elizondo and Raul Reyes would both turn out thousands of voters during the primary, but would ultimately just be left short of advancing.
Panel Discussion
The two former Webb County Judge candidates in this year’s marquee race look back on the lessons from months on the trail.
Touching on political machines and the money infused into this race, both Raul Reyes and Karina Elizondo join the panel to discuss the role of political machines and campaign spending, future plans, Reyes’ experience coping with the loss of his mother during the race, the effect of social media reports, and the issues they hope won’t get forgotten by the next Webb County Judge.
That’s in addition to answering whether they’ll back a candidate in May’s runoff election.
For more headlines, click here.
Copyright 2026 KGNS. All rights reserved.