Tyler

By MALENA OGLES and ROY MAYNARD
Staff Writers

Smith County Republican Party Precinct 2 voting chairs selected Andy Dunklin as the Republican Party’s nominee for Smith County Precinct 2 constable Monday night.

Since no Democrat filed to be on the ballot, Dunklin will take office as constable on Jan. 1, 2009, for a four-year term. Dunklin will replace Constable Frank Creath, who won the nomination in March, but died June 15 after a long battle with leukemia.

The Smith County Republican Party’s candidate recruitment committee reviewed the qualifications of six potential candidates, and narrowed it down to three finalists: Andy Dunklin, Todd Thoene and Glenn Potter.

Monday, 11 precinct chairs in Precinct 2 met at the Smith County Republican Headquarters to hear comments from each of the candidates and to vote on the party’s nomination.

Each of the candidates was given 10 minutes to tell the precinct chairs their qualifications and why they should be chosen. The chairs then voted Dunklin as the Republican nominee.

County Chairman Ashton Orvetz III said there are 12 precinct chairs, but that only 11 voted because one person was on vacation. Oravetz said the final decision process lasted about a half hour.

“It was very close,” he said.

Dunklin, 49, of Flint, said he was grateful for the confidence the committee placed in him.

“I look forward to taking office and will be working with the Commissioner’s Court and the interim constable to make a smooth transaction,” he said.

In June, Smith County commissioners appointed retired Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Paul Fisher to complete Creath’s unexpired term, which ends in January. Fisher did not seek the nomination.

Dunklin is a retired police officer and Texas Department of Public Safety trooper and owns Pressure Clean of Tyler, an outdoor cleaning company.

Dunklin is a graduate of Chapel Hill High School and the East Texas Police Academy. He holds certificates from Tyler Junior College and the SMU Southwest Management Program.

Andy Dunklin
(Staff file photo by Jaime R. Carrero)