Bill Whitmire announces candidacy for county judge

_{Bill Whitmire, Former Chairman of the Republican Party of Milam County, announces his candidacy for the Republican Nomination to the office of Milam County Judge.}

_{Whitmire, 52, had been the County Chairman of the Republican party of Milam County since 2009 when he took over for Judge David Barkemeyer prior to Barkemeyer’s initial run for County Judge. Whitmire has worked in the energy industry out of his family office in Cameron for the past 20 years, working with property owners, public officials, and government agencies at the local, state, and federal level. Prior to coming home to Central Texas in 2002, Whitmire served 14 years in the United States Navy as a Naval Aircrewman completing five overseas deployments and numerous short-term detachments all over the world.}

_{Whitmire grew up in Lee County and has resided in Milam County for the past 20 years where he has been a board member of various Milam County Organizations including the Milam Community Theater and the Morning Star Ranch in Milano. He is also on the Church Council at the First Baptist Church of Rockdale.}

_{“I am proud and excited to announce my candidacy for the Republican Nomination for Milam County Judge,” Whitmire said. “A county government that is efficient, effective, and reliable is vital in these difficult times. I will represent the people of Milam County with the same energy, determination, and transparency that has characterized my career working with landowners throughout the Brazos Valley and my service in the United States Navy.”}

_{“After three years of unparalleled rising property taxes, no noticeable movement on the county’s healthcare dilemma, and a reactive rather than proactive approach to the growth taking place in Milam County, our County-Level Leadership is sacrificing what it means to live in Milam County. It’s time to step up and prepare for the growth the future will bring while preserving the values and beliefs that make Milam County the place we love.”}

_{Whitmire’s wife, Melissa, is a Family Nurse Practitioner at Country Meadows Clinic in Thorndale. They are the parents of eight children and the proud grandparents of two grandchildren. They live outside Milano with their youngest son who is a student at Milano High School.}