LEANDER, Texas — Esme Longoria served on Leander City Council for three years but just lost her seat to Michael Herrera by four votes. It was a race so close, she decided to take action.
"We really had a low turnout and we knew that this was going to be a close race, even to the single digits, so that didn't come as a surprise," Longoria said. "I felt compelled to do the recount."
The recount will involve both Williamson and Travis counties and will cost $12,000, which Longoria said will be covered by campaign funds she is raising.
"The recount is just to verify that the votes are all counted and all the mail in ballots are counted correctly, and any provisional ballots that were received on Election Day were counted," Longoria said.
KVUE reached out to Longoria's opponent, Herrera, for an on-camera interview. He declined but sent this statement:
"I understand Esme's need to have a recount to bring closure to this election and I am fine with it. I believe the results will validate my election. With that said, it is my hope that there won't be any variance in the numbers, not so I win, but to assure the public that they can trust that their votes are being counted accurately."
A city of Leander spokesperson told KVUE voter turnout for Leander voters in Williamson and Travis counties was just over 10% of registered voters. With the election determined by a marginal number of votes, Longoria hopes it sends a message that she has said countless times.
"Every vote matters, especially in local elections. So, really, you want to be impacting things locally," Longoria said.
Mike Sanders is the precinct chair for the Williamson County Republican Party and said the power is determined by these local elections.
"These are the people who raise your taxes. And so, it matters very much who you choose to be on these governing bodies because those people can either be people who are taxpayer-friendly or people who want to raise your taxes as much as they can," Sanders said.
Ultimately, Longoria wants to see this through to maintain the integrity for elections and for herself.
"I don't know if it really will have a change in the outcome, but I will say that it will provide some closure for me to move on," Longoria said.
Below is where the recounting will take place. Once the full recount is finished, the city secretary will prepare a final report.
Travis County Election Division
- Thursday, May 23, at 9 a.m.
- 5501 Airport Blvd. in Austin
Williamson County Election Department
- Friday, May 24, at 10 a.m.
- 301 SE Inner Loop #104 in Georgetown