Val Verde County Republicans swear in new chair, eye Abbott re-election

Val Verde County Republicans swore in their new chair and precinct chairs as the party heads into a general election season that will hinge on candidate recruitment, turnout and election-day work in Del Rio and across the county.

The precinct chairs now taking office are more than ceremonial posts. In Texas, they serve two-year terms and are elected in even-numbered-year primaries, and their job is to represent the Republican Party in each precinct, identify and register voters, turn out the vote, serve on the County Executive Committee, work elections and run precinct conventions.

That makes the leadership change a practical test for how much more aggressively the Val Verde County GOP can organize on the ground. Sharon Petitt has already been active in that role, accepting ballot applications from candidates during filing and helping organize Republican candidate signups at Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q in Del Rio before the March 3, 2026 Republican Party primary.

The party’s local strategy is also tied closely to Gov. Abbott. Republican Party of Texas guidance for 2026 precinct conventions says precinct delegate allocations are based on the number of votes cast for Abbott in the 2024 November general election, keeping his statewide showing at the center of precinct-level organization and convention planning.

Val Verde County Republicans have also built their election operation around familiar local sites. Party members have gathered at the Val Verde County Courthouse and the Ramada Inn for election-night and canvassing events, underscoring how the county party has mixed campaign work with the mechanics of election administration.

County elections are handled through the Val Verde County Clerk’s Office, where Teresa Esther Chapoy is listed as county clerk. As the 2026 cycle moves forward, the new precinct chairs will be expected to help with the work that matters most in Del Rio-area precincts: finding candidates, tracking voters, covering the polls and keeping Republican turnout organized from filing season through the general election.