On May 2, Bastrop County voters will decide who runs their cities. Not Washington. Not Austin. The cities where they live, pay taxes, and raise their families.
Most of them will not show up.
In the 2024 Bastrop city council election, fewer than 2,100 people voted. In a city of over 14,000 residents. In Smithville, turnout was even lower. These are races decided by a few hundred votes — sometimes fewer than fifty.
That means your single vote in a city election carries more mathematical weight than your vote in any presidential election in your lifetime. And the decisions these officials make hit your wallet, your neighborhood, and your daily life far more directly than anything that happens in Congress.
Why Local Elections Affect You More Than National Ones
It is easy to get caught up in the drama of national politics. But consider what your local elected officials actually control:
Your property tax bill. City councils set the municipal tax rate that appears on your property tax statement every year. In a county where property values have surged, even a small rate increase translates to hundreds of dollars out of your pocket. The people you elect to city council decide whether to hold the line or let spending creep upward.
Your water and utility rates. City councils approve water, sewer, and garbage rates. In a fast-growing area like Bastrop County, infrastructure costs are rising. The question is whether your council manages those costs responsibly or passes them directly to ratepayers without accountability.
Your roads, sidewalks, and development. City councils approve zoning changes, subdivision plats, and development agreements. When a new 500-home subdivision goes in next to your neighborhood, your city council voted to allow it. When the road in front of your house floods every time it rains, your city council sets the capital improvement priorities.
Your public safety. City councils fund the police department, set staffing levels, and approve law enforcement contracts. The safety of your community is a direct function of the budget your council passes.
Your kids’ community. While school boards govern the schools directly, city councils shape the community around them — parks, recreation, code enforcement, and the economic environment that determines whether families stay or leave.
The President of the United States has zero authority over any of these decisions. Your governor has limited influence. But the five or six people sitting on your city council? They control all of it.
The May 2 Election: Who We Support and Why
Bastrop County Conservatives has officially endorsed three candidates for the May 2, 2026 uniform election. Each was vetted by our membership and evaluated against our 15 core conservative values.
Ishmael Harris — Bastrop Mayor
Ishmael Harris has served on the Bastrop City Council and has a proven record of leadership in our community. As Bastrop faces rapid growth — the city manager projects 20,000 residents by 2029 — the mayor’s role is critical. Harris understands that growth must be managed responsibly: protecting existing neighborhoods, maintaining infrastructure, and keeping taxes in check.
The mayor of Bastrop is the face of the city and chairs the council meetings that determine how your tax dollars are spent. This is not a ceremonial position. It is the most consequential local office on the ballot this cycle.
BCC endorses Ishmael Harris for Bastrop Mayor.
Wini Griffin — Smithville City Council, Place 4
Smithville is at a crossroads. The city is growing, new families are moving in, and the decisions made by the city council over the next two years will shape the character of Smithville for a generation. Wini Griffin is a conservative voice committed to responsible governance, community values, and ensuring that Smithville’s growth serves the people who already live there — not just developers.
City council Place 4 votes on every budget, every tax rate, every development proposal, and every infrastructure project. The person in this seat has a direct say over your water bill, your property taxes, and whether your neighborhood retains its character.
BCC endorses Wini Griffin for Smithville City Council, Place 4.
Daña Tovar — Smithville City Council, Place 5
Daña Tovar brings fiscal discipline and a community-first mindset to the council race. In a city where every budget decision is felt immediately by residents, Tovar is committed to accountability, transparency, and conservative stewardship of public resources.
Smithville’s city council is a five-member body. Two seats on a five-person council is 40% of the vote. Electing strong conservatives to Place 4 and Place 5 simultaneously is a rare opportunity to shift the direction of an entire city government in a single election.
BCC endorses Daña Tovar for Smithville City Council, Place 5. Learn more at electdanatovar.com.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: Your Vote Is More Powerful Here
Let’s do the math.
In the 2024 presidential election, 39,956 ballots were cast in Bastrop County. Your single vote represented 0.0025% of the outcome.
In a typical Bastrop city council race, around 2,000 ballots are cast. Your single vote represents 0.05% of the outcome — twenty times more influence than in a presidential race.
In a Smithville city council race, turnout can drop below 500. Your single vote represents 0.2% of the outcome — eighty times more influence.
And these are the officials who set your tax rate, approve development next door, and fund your police department.
There is no election on any ballot, at any level, where your individual vote carries more weight than a local city election. If you care about your community, this is where caring translates into action.
What Happens When Conservatives Don’t Vote Locally
We have seen what happens in other Texas communities when conservatives stay home for local elections:
- Austin went from a moderate city council to a progressive supermajority — not because Austin’s population shifted overnight, but because conservative voters stopped showing up for city elections while progressive activists organized relentlessly.
- School boards across Texas have been captured by candidates who won with fewer than 1,000 total votes in low-turnout elections.
- Bond elections pass with 12–15% turnout, committing taxpayers to hundreds of millions in debt that did not have broad community support.
Bastrop County is not there yet. But the warning signs are clear. The county is growing fast, and many of the new arrivals come from places with very different political expectations. If conservatives cede local elections by default, we will wake up one morning to find that the character of our community has been reshaped by a small number of organized voters who simply showed up when we didn’t.
How to Vote on May 2
Registration deadline: You must be registered by April 2, 2026 to vote in the May 2 election. If you have moved, update your registration at bastropvotes.org.
Early voting: April 21 – April 29, 2026. Multiple locations across Bastrop County. Check bastropvotes.org for hours and locations.
Election Day: May 2, 2026 — polls open 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
What’s on the ballot: City council races, mayoral races, school board elections, and any local bond propositions. Your sample ballot is available at bastropvotes.org.
The Bottom Line
Every election matters. But the elections that matter most to your daily life are the ones closest to home. The people who set your tax rate, approve development in your neighborhood, fund your police department, and manage your city’s budget are elected in May — not November.
Bastrop County Conservatives endorses Ishmael Harris for Bastrop Mayor, Wini Griffin for Smithville City Council Place 4, and Daña Tovar for Smithville City Council Place 5.
These candidates were vetted by your neighbors. They align with the conservative values that have defined this community for generations. And they need your vote — because in a local election, every single one counts.
Show up on May 2. Bring a neighbor. Defend Bastrop County one city council seat at a time.
For the full list of BCC endorsements, visit bastropcc.com/endorsements. To learn more about our 15 core values and endorsement process, visit bastropcc.com/about.
Pol. Adv. Paid for by Bastrop County Conservatives PAC. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.