Riley Wins GOP Primary in Montgomery County Precinct 2, Will Run Unopposed in November

In a decisive election held on Tuesday, voters in Montgomery County awarded Republican incumbent Charlie Riley 54.03% of the vote, defeating challenger Bob Harvey. This victory paves the way for Riley to secure an unopposed fourth term in the upcoming November election.

As all precincts have reported, unofficial results indicate that Riley has secured 54.03% of the vote, while Harvey stands at 45.97%, based on county tallies. The absence of a Democratic candidate for the seat has solidified the Republican nominee's path to re-election.

Riley characterized the campaign as the most contentious he has encountered, attributing voter frustration to misinformation surrounding a state-managed road project. Riley stated to the Chronicle that “(Harvey) could have stopped that if he wanted to.” “However, it appears that he was not inclined to do so.”

Construction activities along FM 1488, where the installation of a center median has led to increased traffic delays, have been the focus of the ongoing dispute. Riley noted that a significant portion of the criticism on social media has blamed the county for the project; however, it is important to clarify that oversight and maintenance of the project fall under the jurisdiction of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).

Riley stated that the impact of the campaign was significant. “It was effective—I lost a significant number of votes from residents on FM 1488 due to the spread of misinformation and outright falsehoods,” he stated. He stated his intention to move past the campaign and maintain collaboration with state transportation officials for the benefit of residents. Riley stated, “I’m going to continue to get FM 1488 done, even though it is not my job.”

Harvey has not provided a response to several requests for comment.

Michael Ghutzman has secured the Republican nomination to succeed retiring Judge Kathleen Hamilton on the 359th District Court, garnering 60.09% of the vote against Jo Ann Linzer, who received 39.91%. Ghutzman, who serves as the chief of the Major Crimes Section at the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, is set to run unopposed in the upcoming November general election.

Ghutzman completed his education at Montgomery High School before obtaining a law degree from the University of Houston in 2015. Since joining the District Attorney’s office in 2017 under the leadership of former District Attorney Brett Ligon, he has successfully prosecuted over 4,000 cases.

Riley secured a commissioner position in 2014, following a 13-year tenure as the precinct's operations manager.