Jen visits Jim Wells County, meets GOP Co-Chairman during primary voting

Jen’s visit to Jim Wells County put an Election Day spotlight on the county Republican Party’s organizing work, as she met with GOP Co-Chairman Charlie Ragland while voters were casting ballots in the March 3 Texas primary. The stop mattered less as a campaign photo-op than as a sign that party leaders see this South Texas county as worth cultivating, even in a place where Democrats have long held deep roots.

Jim Wells County sits on U.S. Highway 281 west of Corpus Christi, with Alice as its county seat and largest town. The county spans 845 square miles, was founded in 1911, and was named for James B. Wells Jr. Its population was 38,891 in the 2020 Census and an estimated 38,804 on July 1, 2025, with Hispanic or Latino residents making up 79.8% of the county. That demographic makeup helps explain why a Republican visit there stands out.

The timing of Jen’s stop came during a busy primary cycle. Early voting ran from February 17 to 27, Election Day was March 3, and runoff elections were scheduled for May 26 if needed. The Jim Wells County Elections Office posted an unofficial cumulative results report at 8:55 p.m. on March 3, underscoring how quickly local officials moved to document a contest that was drawing attention well beyond county lines.

Those results showed how difficult the GOP’s turnout climb remains. Jim Wells County’s Republican primary turnout was 9.43%, with 2,425 total votes cast among 25,714 registered voters. Of those ballots, 1,376 were cast early in person and 1,049 came on Election Day itself. In a state cycle shaped by a competitive Republican U.S. Senate race and other statewide contests, the numbers showed a county still capable of being mobilized, even if only modestly.

The county elections office also posted notices, sample-ballot materials and runoff-election information for May 26, including polling-location details. That kind of administrative follow-through, paired with a county-party visit from Jen and Ragland, suggests Jim Wells County is being treated as more than a pass-through stop. For Republican organizers, it is a place where turnout can still be moved, precinct by precinct, if they keep showing up.