Your Vote Counts: Brazos County Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) -Three Bryan residents are looking for your vote in the Democratic Primary to become the next Brazos Valley Justice of the Peace in Precinct 4.

Celina Vasquez has been the Brazos Valley Justice of the Peace in Precinct 4 since 2019. She is a daughter of Mexican immigrants and was born in California. Vasquez then moved to Texas and has been here for 20 years.

When she arrived to Bryan, she started to teach government classes at Blinn College. Vasquez describes herself as a soccer mom to her son Diego and a devoted wife to her husband Fernando.

For Vasquez, she says she is honored to serve the community as the Justice of the Peace.

“I am the only Hispanic woman elected official in the county government. I take that responsibility very serious. I understand that this position is very crucial. It’s important and this precinct needs the continuity and the stability. I provide that,” said Vasquez.

She said if she gets reelected then she will continue to make sure the courts run smoothly. As well as continuing to work on the backlog she received when she came into office.

“One of the changes we would like to implement would be implementing a community court. Maybe once a month at one of the community sites, where the judge and the staff are there so people are not intimidated. We would bring the people’s court, the neighborhood court to the community. If they are unable to access the court downtown,” said Vasquez.

Loretta Garcia, a Bryan native, is also running for the seat.

Garcia has worked within the Brazos Valley Courthouse for 25 years. Eight of those years she worked directly with judges in Precinct 4, so she believes she has learned the skills of what one needs to do to be a successful justice of the peace.

Garcia says the Brazos Valley is extremely important to her. She is confident that there is no one better for this role than someone so active and familiar with the community.

“What better judge is there than someone born here? What better person than someone that went to school with your grandmother, with your sister, that knows your family and your neighborhood? So I can bring this to the Precinct 4. This is very much needed in our community,” said Garcia.

Darrell Booker has also lived in Bryan his whole life. He just recently stopped working at the Brazos Valley sheriff’s office after 20 years of employment.

After living in the area and working at the sheriff’s office, Booker believes that people in the community know and trust him. Booker said that he doesn’t need to create an image of himself for his campaign because he is known and trusted by so many individuals.

He said people know that they can call him up at any time in the day or night, and he will be available to help out.

“The thing is, is that people can always approach me. When people had issues at the sheriff’s department, they call me on my house phone, my cell phone... Even if they see me at the grocery store, they know they can stop me. There is never a wrong time,” Booker said.

Booker said one of the things he cherishes most is the ability to help people. He said he is ready to make the Justice of the Peace in Precinct 4, his full-time job every single day.

Justin Lopez is the one Republican candidate running for Brazos County Justice of the Peace in Precinct 4.

Early voting starts on Monday, Feb. 14.

For more information on voting sites available and more primary election information, click here..

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