Low turnout for Republican Runoff (yes, a handful of votes can make a difference!)

Less than 1 percent of the 667,116 registered Travis County voters turned out for the Republican Primary Runoff, which wrapped up Tuesday, May 24. And just over 9,000 Travis County Democrats turned out for a Railroad Commissioner runoff on the Democratic Runoff, making for a dismal overall turnout for both parties.

In races like these, the amount of votes friends and family bring to the polls can make all the difference. In the Bastrop County Sheriff's runoff, GOP candidate Maurice Cook won by four votes. In the Houston area, pro-life attorney Briscoe Cain upset longtime Rep. Wayne Smith (R-Baytown) for the HD 128 seat by around 25 votes. A single percentage point determined most of the statewide races.

But in other races, the contest wasn't nearly as close -- with some candidates losing by some of the widest margins we've seen all campaign season. Dawn Buckingham, a Lake Travis ISD Trustee, beat Rep. Susan King (R-Abilene) 61-39 percent in a previously crowded race for SD 24. In Court of Criminal Appeals Place 5, name-recognition again seems to have contributed to a landslide victory for Richard Scott Walker, despite a hard-fought campaign by Williamson County prosecutor Brent Webster.

Below are the results, courtesy of the Texas Secretary of State's office. For all local Travis County candidates set to appear on November's General Election ballot click here.

RACE	NAME		PARTY	EARLY VOTES	PERCENT	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Railroad Commissioner
	Wayne Christian		REP	104,902	47.37%	192,599	50.88%
	Gary Gates		REP	116,519	52.62%	185,887	49.11%
				-----------		-----------
		Race Total		221,421		378,486
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RACE	NAME		PARTY	EARLY VOTES	PERCENT	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals Place 2
	Mary Lou Keel		REP	109,258	51.23%	185,257	50.96%
	Ray Wheless		REP	103,985	48.76%	178,272	49.03%
				-----------		-----------
		Race Total		213,243		363,529
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RACE	NAME		PARTY	EARLY VOTES	PERCENT	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals Place 5
	Scott Walker		REP	120,168	57.29%	207,195	57.88%
	Brent Webster		REP	89,562	42.70%	150,722	42.11%
				-----------		-----------
		Race Total		209,730		357,917
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RACE	NAME		PARTY	EARLY VOTES	PERCENT	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
State Senator, District 24
	Dawn Buckingham		REP	15,195	60.69%	26,413	61.34%
	Susan King		REP	9,841	39.30%	16,645	38.65%
				-----------		-----------
		Race Total		25,036		43,058
		Precincts Reported		348	of	348 Precincts		100.00%