May 28—There are two Walker County men fighting for the Republican seat for State Representative District 12 — Ben Bius and Trey Wharton. The position covers six counties and unofficial results have begun to trickle in from early voting.

As of 8:46 p.m., Wharton leads Bius 9,579 to 3,580 with Brazos, Grimes, Madison, Robertson, Walker and Washington counties reporting their early voting and mail ballot results. All unofficial results are being reported to the Texas Elections Division of the Secretary of State.

Walker County is reporting all unofficial voting in person and by mail garnered 4,280 votes — 873 for Bius and 3,407 for Wharton.

Members of the Texas House of Representatives serve two-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Legislators assume office at the beginning of the legislative session, which starts at noon on the second Tuesday in January in the year after the election.

According to BallotPedia.org, to be eligible to serve in the Texas House of Representatives, a candidate must be a U.S. citizen, 21 years old before the general election, a two-year resident of Texas before the general election and a district resident for one year prior to the general election.

In 2023, a legislators salary was $7,200 per year with a $221 a day per diem.

The general election will occur on Nov. 5, 2024. The other candidates on the November ticket include Democrat Dee Howard Mullins and Libertarian Robert Profili.

Contact Brenda Poe at editor@itemonline.com