TYLER, Texas — A key seat on the Smith County Commissioners Court will be on the ballot in the spring.
Pct. 3 Commissioner Terry Phillips confirmed to CBS19 that he is seeking re-election. The incumbent has been in office for almost 15 years and is facing two challengers.
Phillips said he hopes to continue being the conservative representative that his constituents have come to know.
"I'm not doing it for the money," Phillips said. "It's just to try to make this county a better place than when I got here and make it a better place when I leave."
His re-election bid comes as members of the Phillips family face legal challenges for a dispute with Smith County deputies earlier this year. Phillips said he is not worried about the incident impacting his efforts to keep his seat.
"I want my record to stand for itself," Phillips said. "Not something else a family member may or may not have done. If constituents don't want me here, I won't be here and I'll be fine like I said I'm not doing this for the money. I love serving them and I love helping people in every way that I can."
As of Tuesday, two challengers have registered to run against Phillips for the county seat.
Rusty Smith is a former mayor of Winona and said his background with local government could help him fit into this position. He wants to be a part of the county’s future plans.
"I think there's a lot of changes coming up with the county," Smith said. "A new courthouse being built and the parking garage, there's a lot of things that are happening. There's a lot of good potential for the county coming up and it would be nice to be involved with it."
J. Scott Herod is also tossing his hat into the race with his business background. He’s the owner of Cut Beef and believes there needs to be a fresh perspective in the commissioner’s courtroom.
"I'm hoping that people look at the attributes that I bring to the table," Herod said. "And see that with a lot of big items coming that are going to affect Smith County fiscally, they can see that right now is the best time for good stewardship of our fiscal resources."
There is still time for others to register to run for the seat. Philips points out his record of being fiscally conservative as a key reason why he thinks his constituents will vote to keep him in office.
"I have a conservative record of voting against every tax increase," Phillips said. "Against pay increases for ourselves and all those kinds of things. You're not going to find anyone more conservative than me."
Voting for the seat of Smith County Pct. 3 commissioner is scheduled for the March primary election next year. If none of the candidates secures over 50% of votes then a run-off election could take place in May. The official election for the seat will take place in November 2024.