South Galveston News

Cheryl Johnson, the incumbent tax assessor-collector for Galveston County, received 16,561 votes to win her Republican primary race with 61% of the vote. 

There isn't a a candidate from the Democratic party running for county tax assessor-collector, so Johnson will run unopposed in the November election and serve another four years. 

"It was a win for the taxpayers of Galveston County," she told Community Impact Newspaper. "I am extraordinarily appreciative of all of the supporters and the volunteers that helped us with this victory. I could not have done it without them. I am ready to get back to business,"

Johnson's opponent, Jackie Peden, received 10,555 votes, or 38.9% of the vote. The co-owner of an accounting firm in Friendswood was the first candidate to challenge Johnson to the position since 2008. 

The two candidates were involved with lots of negative bickering while advertising and campaigning. Peden highlighted that Johnson's staff had a high turnover rate and charged that Johnson was allowing illegal immigrants to stay on the voter rolls. 

Johnson said Peden's false attacks were uninformed and some were racist. Johnson also said she hoped residents realized that Peden's campaigning wasn't acceptable. 

“This is a victory for the taxpayers of Galveston County,” Johnson said.

Johnson has held the position of tax assessor-collector for 16 years and she said she is glad to have unofficially won the position again. 

“It feels fabulous,” Johnson said to the Daily News. “It was a really hard-fought campaign. It was the ugliest campaign that I had ever seen. My hope is that this type of campaigning will never again occur in Galveston County.”

Johnson will begin her next term in January 2021.