Hays County Court at Law No. 1 Judge Anna Martinez Boling held off a Democratic primary challenge Tuesday from Hays County Assistant District Attorney David Mendoza, taking 63.7 percent of the vote. Boling will face Republican Robert Updegrove in November.

Hays County Court at Law No. 1 Judge Anna Martinez Boling and Hays County Assistant District Attorney David Mendoza debated last week at the San Marcos Area League of Women Voters debate. Boling and Martinez are competing for the Democratic nomination for the court at law seat in the March 2 primary.

Local political junkies will be occupied by a number of contests in the March 2 primaries after the filing deadline passed Monday to determine who will run. Democrats will consider four countywide races, while Republicans will vote on two. The Democratic primary will include the much anticipated face-off for Hays County Judge between incumbent Liz Sumter (D-Wimberley) and Precinct 2 Commissioner Jeff Barton (D-Kyle), who filed Monday. However, Hays County District Attorney Sherri Tibbe (D-Buda) can already declare re-election after no opposition filed.

Hays County Court at Law No. 1 Judge Anna Martinez Boling, appointed in August to fill the unexpired term of the late Judge Howard Warner, announced late Sunday that she has filed the paperwork to run for the position in 2010.

Questions took the stage after Hays County Commissioners appointed Anna Martinez Boling as county Court at Law No. 1 Judge, their second appointment in nine months to fill a key position in the county’s legal system.

The Hays County Commissioners Court voted 4-1 Thursday morning to pick San Marcos attorney Anna Martinez Boling to replace the late Judge Howard Warner on an interim basis in Hays County Court of Law No. 1, thus ending an episode marked by a familiar style of political sniping.

In one sweeping open letter, the family of the late Hays County Court at Law Judge Howard Warner throws its support behind Tacie Zelhart to fill his unexpired term, then Zelhart throws her support behind James Pape and the Warner family joins her in that recommendation.

Hays County officials have released the résumés for five of the seven candidates to fill the unexpired county court at law vacancy of the late Judge Howard Warner, who died on July 18 from cancer.

The Hays County Commissioners Court could appoint an interim replacement for the late Court at Law Judge Howard Warner before the end of next week.

The Hays County Commissioners Court formally requested Tuesday that persons interested in being considered to fill the vacancy in County Court-at-Law left by the death of Judge Howard Warner should notify the court by noon next Tuesday, Aug. 18.