On Saturday, Jones County candidates gathered at the Bunkhouse in Stamford for a chili cook off.
On March 3, residents of Jones County will choose the Republican candidates for the November general election. Besides statewide races Jones County voters are picking nominees for County Clerk, County Commissioner, District Clerk, County Judge, Justice of the Peace, County Treasurer and State Representative. Republican candidates for the offices gathered Saturday with a different kind of contest: a chili cook off.
County Republican Party Chair Alan Jumper, who is uncontested on the ballot, organized the event as a way for residents to meet the political candidates they will be voting for. "The idea of having a gathering, where our candidates could interact with folks face-to-face, sounded like it would be a really good thing to do,” Jumper said Saturday. "I heard from a lot of Jones County residents that they really wanted to be able to ask questions and talk to the candidates, so that was the idea behind it.”
Each of the candidates brought chili and side dishes, which people could test and vote on as they mingled.
Isaac Castro, the Jones County district attorney, said this year's elections are unusual because there are multiple candidates in almost every race. "It’s good having get-togethers like this and being able to meet them and speak to them personally, and the chili cook off is a thing of beauty. They might decide today who they are going to vote for all these different offices, because virtually every office that’s up for election is contested.”
There are four Republican candidates in the races for Jones County judge and justice of the peace, and two Republican candidates running for County Clerk and County Treasurer.
The ballots on the chili cook off are still being counted.
Early voting in the primary runs until February 27th, with election day on March 3.