2008 Woodie Awards
Voters return incumbents for another six-year term
Trustees in Districts 8 and 9 retain seats despite slim margins.
By Martin R. Herrera
Issue date: 4/18/08 Section: News
Originally published: 5/16/08 at 7:38 PM CSTLast update: 6/1/08 at 3:36 PM CST
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Gary Beitzel, representing District 8, received nearly 53 percent of the vote in his race against Crista Marichalar Branch, who received slightly more than 47 percent of the vote in her first run for elected office. The win means Beitzel will return for a second term on the district's board of trustees.
In the District 9 race, Jim Rindfuss defeated his challenger, Carolyn R. Montoya, 52 percent to 48 percent.
Rindfuss will now serve a third term.
Both men were excited about their wins and interpreted them to mean that voters were generally pleased with the present work of the board.
At a joint celebration with Beitzel at a Mama's Café on the North Side, Rindfuss said he is pleased with the makeup of the current board and is looking forward to continuing to serve.
Beitzel echoed that sentiment and said he is eager to continue improving services the district has to offer.
"Good services and good faculty - that's when students are going to get the best education," he said.
Beitzel and Rindfuss spent the day visiting different poll sites in their districts, hoping to talk with voters; however, both men remarked that activity seemed remarkably minimal to them.
"It might have been because of the heat that the turnout was low," Rindfuss said.
However, Rindfuss did note that more voters cast ballots in the race, specifically during the early voting period, than in his previous two runs.
Early voting results, released shortly after the polls were closed, put the two men ahead from the start. Beitzel garnered 2,962 to Branch's 2,643, while Rindfuss collected 2,573 to Montoya's 2,158.
However, neither of the women were able to overtake the men's early lead.
The final tally in the District 9 race was 3,847-3,596, while the final tally in the District 8 race was 2,962-2,643.
Despite her loss to Beitzel, Branch remained upbeat about the outcome.
Speaking from an intimate gathering of friends and family at her parents' North Side home, Branch said, "I'm proud of our work here today."
Branch said she will take the lessons learned from her inaugural run and apply them in the future.
"I'm looking forward to other opportunities to give back to the community. You'll hear from me again," she concluded with a smile.
For now, Branch, a family law attorney, will return to focusing on her law practice and "being a mommy."
Beitzel said he was eager to continue working to improve what he called this community's "hub of economic development."
The district creates a second chance for citizens of all ages to improve their education and quality of life, Beitzel said, but he also sees a challenge.
For some in the community, Beitzel said, the attitude toward higher education is that it is "for other people." Beitzel wants to change that.
Rindfuss agreed, saying, "The very best investment you can make is in your own education."
Voter turnout for Saturday's election was 6.8 percent, according to the Bexar County Elections Department. Early voting accounted for 63 percent of total votes cast.
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