Incumbents win City council election, CCISD sees return of former trustee

By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press
 
Places 6 and 7 on the Copperas Cove city council will have familiar faces on the dais for the next three years. Place 6 incumbent Vonya Hart ran unopposed and will begin her second term of office.
In the race for Place 7, incumbent Jack Smith bested challenger Latisha McCullough Walton at the polls on Tuesday.
Smith received 1,379 votes, or 67 percent, with Walton receiving 803 votes, or 37 percent, according to the final unofficial results received from Coryell and Lampasas Counties.
This will be Hart’s and Smith’s second full terms in office. The two will serve through November 2026.
For the CCISD board of trustees, Place 6 incumbent John Gallen faced Carl “Moose” Smith for the position. CCISD elections are held in Coryell County as well as the portions of Bell County which fall inside the CCISD boundaries.
Gallen came out ahead in the polls on Tuesday evening, with 1,474 votes, or 61.73 percent, and Smith receiving 914 votes, or 38.27 percent. 
For Place 7, Jeff Gorres ran unopposed. Gorres previously served on the school board from 2019-2022, and will replace Dr. Karen Harrison. A reception was held on Tuesday for Dr. Harrison. Gorres will be sworn in next week after the votes are canvassed by the board. 
All voting results are considered final unofficial until both the city council and the CCISD board of trustees canvass the results.