As was expected, the May 24 primary runoff election here in Hemphill County elicited little interest. Of 2,299 registered voters in this county, only 217 actually cast runoff ballots—all but a dozen of those on Republican candidates.

For those who are counting, that amounted to a turnout of 9.44 percent.

The lethargic response was notable, though, if only because several high-stakes races for each p…