Isabel Noyola-Martin has defeated longtime incumbent Joe A. Gonzalez in the Democratic primary runoff for Nueces County Commissioner Precinct 2, securing the party’s nomination ahead of the November general election.
Noyola-Martin faced Gonzalez — better known as JAG — who has held the Precinct 2 seat since 2010.
Gonzalez represented areas including Bishop, Petronila, and parts of southwestern Corpus Christi. During his campaign, he highlighted work tied to rural transportation, youth programs, and community health initiatives, including the TRAPS truancy program and colonia improvement efforts through the Nueces County Colonia Coalition.
The runoff election was triggered after no candidate secured a majority vote during the March primary election.
Back in March, KRIS 6 News spoke with Noyola-Martin as she led the race at the time. She said one of her goals was to bring new leadership to the county.
On Tuesday night, Noyola-Martin addressed supporters at her watch party and shared her reaction to the results despite low voter turnout in the runoff election.
“I’m very, very excited. I’m humbled by the voters who came out in this very important runoff. I think I was one of the few candidates consistently out at the polls, and we did it with a lot of joy and commitment to this campaign,” Martin said.
Noyola-Martin also discussed some of the priorities she would focus on if elected in November.
“My other objective here from the beginning was to make sure that we took care of public safety, our infrastructure, and our health care systems here in Nueces County,” Martin said.
Prior to running for county commissioner, Noyola-Martin served as a Democratic precinct chair and worked as a probation officer.
Noyola-Martin is expected to represent the Democratic Party and face Republican candidate Ed Bennett in the November general election.
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