In an ESI interview, Bryan King said his margin of victory in the Republican primary for Senate District 28 did not surprise him. King will face incumbent Bob Ballinger in a run-off June 21, with the winner moving on to the general election in November. King had more votes than any of the four other candidates but did not score 50 percent, plus one or more. He took 48.23 percent to Ballinger’s 27.14 percent.
“The further I got into the campaign, the more confidence I felt,” King said. “Carroll County voters showed four years ago that they wanted me in the Senate, and Ballinger hasn’t done anything since then to change their minds.” In 2018, the district included parts of other counties where Ballinger’s votes made up for his losses in Carroll County. The district map changed for this election, bringing in part of Boone County, where King expects to perform better.
King said local media coverage has helped let voters know about Ballinger’s history of diverting attention with the latest cultural buzzwords. “He talks all the time about his ‘conservative values,’ but he shares those values with most Republicans,” King said. “He uses cultural issues as a distraction whenever anyone asks about his actual accomplishments, and to shift the focus away from his personal self-dealing.” King contrasted those smokescreen attempts to his own message of honesty and integrity.
King said he will spend the next few weeks working to get out the vote in the run-off. He said the number of other candidates reflected a general dissatisfaction with Ballinger, and he expects to get the lion’s share of their votes in a run-off. However, turnout always drops for a run-off, and King reminded everyone of the importance of voting again. “Make sure your voice is heard,” he said.
Anyone who voted in the Republican primary, or who did not vote in the primary at all, can vote in the run-off. Those who voted on a Democratic ballot in the primary cannot vote in the Republican run-off. Early voting starts Tuesday, June 14.
The run-off election on June 21 will also decide the Republican candidate for county judge, Bud Phillips or David Writer, and King said the additional turnout for that race will help him.