Election Season Is in Full Swing!

By Gloria Way

  Chambers County is a deep red Republican county that has no Democrats running in any countywide elected office in 2026. As a result, the winners of the countywide offices will be determined in the GOP primary which will be held on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Incumbents of several high-profile offices are being challenged and that is making for some interesting and exciting races.

  Longtime 253^rd District Court Judge Chap Cain is being challenged by local Liberty lawyer Josh Fitzgerald. Cain has served for 28 years as district judge and says, “an office is only as honorable as it is honorably filled.” Cain is asking voters to allow him to continue as district judge. For more information, follow Judge Cain on Facebook.

  Josh Fitzgerald is a native of Liberty County with 20 years of legal experience. This is his first run for office, and he says he is running to “bring fresh leadership, accountability, and efficiency to the 253^rd District Court serving Chambers and Liberty County”. For more information, follow Fitzgerald on Facebook.

  One of the most contentious races is for State Representative District 23. Incumbent Terri Leo Wilson of Galveston County is being challenged by Cove resident Nathan Watkins. Wilson is seeking a third term and touts her record of being a top 10 conservative in the state house. Wilson also speaks on her record “helping the small local bills get passed as well as the big, major bills”. She was on the State Board of Education for 12 years before being elected as a state representative and has been instrumental in education issues plus ensuring textbooks for public schools are not skewed to a certain ideology. Terri’s commitment to conservative causes extended beyond her legislative and educational endeavors.

  For over four decades, Wilson has been a stalwart grassroots activist, tirelessly promoting the Republican Party of Texas Platform and Legislative Priorities. From her involvement in various party positions to her active participation in conventions, Terri is a steadfast advocate for conservative principles which earned her the Faithful Servant Award from the US Pastor’s Counsel, Protector of the Family Award from the Foundation for Life, and the Texas Family Advocate of the Year Award from Concerned Women for America.

  Nathan Watkins is vice president of Americus Holdings. Americus Holdings, LTD, assembles and executes strategic public and private commercial development projects that maximize value and return for its clients. He is a former city manager of Mont Belvieu, Texas. While leading the 4th fastest growing suburb in the Houston MSA he successfully negotiated $4 billion in economic development projects and rolled out more than $200 million in capital projects including facilities, roads, water, sewer, parks, and broadband internet service. Mr. Watkins pioneered municipal broadband as a critical utility in The State of Texas.

  Prior to his time with the City of Mont Belvieu, Nathan spent six years in the United States Navy serving on the USS Enterprise as flight deck firefighter and a member of the Captain’s Tactical Navigation Team. After his time on the USS Enterprise, he volunteered for Naval Special Warfare training as a Special Warfare Combat Crewman (SWCC) in Coronado, CA. While there he served as Class Leader for SWCC Class 49 and was later stationed at Special Boat Team 22. As a member of Special Boat Team 22, Nathan deployed to the Al Anbar Province of Iraq as a National Level Asset working directly with Seal Team Six and Delta Force.

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