LEWARD LAFLEUR
Judge Leward LaFleur is running for a third term as Marion County Judge. United States Navy veteran. Husband and a lifelong servant of this community. Eight years of steady leadership, a restored courthouse, and a lower county tax rate.
Early Voting Open Oct 19 Through Oct 30
Early voting is open now through October 30. Both early voting locations are in Jefferson, and either one can take any Marion County voter.
Meet Judge LaFleur
Leward J. LaFleur II has served as Marion County Judge since 2018. Before he ever sat behind the bench, he wore the uniform of the United States Navy. The values the Navy drilled into him, duty, discipline, and answering the call when your community needs you, are the same values he brings to the courthouse every day.
Home is Jefferson. His wife, Brooke, was raised right here in Jefferson, owns her own business here, and gives her time to the community she grew up in. They both give their time to the community and stay heavily involved within it. When you see Leward at a ballgame, a fire department fundraiser, or a church event, that is not a campaign stop. That is just home.
As County Judge, he presides over the Commissioners Court, leads the county's emergency management, and represents Marion County across East Texas, including service on the East Texas Council of Governments Chief Elected Officials Board, an appointment to the regional transportation planning executive committee, and leadership roles in regional workforce and water planning.
His promise is simple: county government that works as hard as the people of Marion County do.
Eight Years of Results
Folks, I don't believe in making promises I can't keep. I believe in doing the work and letting the record speak. Here is some of what we have gotten done together for Marion County.
Zero debt.
Marion County has zero debt. Not "low debt." Zero. I don't know of another county around that can say that, and it didn't happen by accident. It happened because this Court watches your money like it was our own.
$10 million for water and sewer.
On June 25, 2026, our Commissioners Court secured a $10 million appropriation from the Texas Water Development Board for water and sewer infrastructure upgrades right here in Marion County. That is state money coming home to fix real problems, paid for without borrowing a dime.
Your courthouse, restored.
We brought the historic Marion County Courthouse all the way back. The restoration is finished, the rededication is done, and that building stands in Jefferson the way it ought to: preserved for our history, and updated for the work, with new LED lighting and modern climate control. It's your courthouse. We just made sure it will be standing for your grandkids. The restoration was funded largely by a $4.7 million Texas Historical Commission construction grant, with over $1.2 million in county funding the Commissioners Court had set aside over the years.
Taxes held in check.
The county tax rate adopted for 2027 is 0.5359 per $100 of value, down from 0.6069 in 2021. Year after year, this Court has adopted budgets that fund roads, law enforcement, and county services while bringing the rate down, not up.
I kept learning the job.
I was inducted as a Fellow of the Texas Judicial Academy through the Texas Association of Counties. That means going well past the education the law requires of a county judge, because the people of Marion County deserve a judge who keeps studying the law he's sworn to uphold.
I stood up for your liberties.
Early in my time in office, when health mandates were coming down on folks, I stood alongside our local law enforcement and we issued joint resolutions to protect our county employees' workplace autonomy and your individual liberties. That hasn't changed, and it won't.
We back our law enforcement.
We approved the money to upgrade vehicles and equipment for our Constable precincts, and we keep the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lake Patrol agreements in place every year so our waterways are patrolled and our families are safe on the lake.
Safety is a record, not a slogan.
Marion County earned the Zero Lost Time Safety Award from the Texas Association of Counties Risk Management Pool. That means our county employees do their jobs and go home safe. I'm proud of that one.
Our community spaces got attention too.
We updated the guidelines for public properties like the Kellyville Community Center, with clear security and occupancy rules, so your family events there run the way they should.
The unglamorous work got done too.
We authorized the major repairs the Marion County Jail needed, engineering work, pier placements, and an elevator overhaul, because a jail that isn't safe isn't safe for anybody. We partnered with the City of Jefferson on joint funding to fix the recurring sinkhole and parking lot damage downtown. And we worked through the tie-breaking votes and the federal funding allocations, including U.S. Treasury LATCF funds, that keep a small county's projects moving.
He shows up.
If something is happening in Marion County, Judge LaFleur is there. Fire department fundraisers, the Back the Badge reception honoring our law enforcement and firefighters, Bulldogs football on Friday nights, church and community events across the county. He posts updates for residents almost every day, because he believes the people of Marion County should never have to wonder what their county government is doing.
A voice for Marion County in the region.
Judge LaFleur serves on the East Texas Council of Governments Chief Elected Officials Board and was appointed to the executive committee of the regional transportation planning organization, where he fights for East Texas roads and for GoBus service that carried Marion County riders on roughly 1,900 trips in the last reported year. His water advocacy protects the interests of the communities around Caddo Lake and Lake O' the Pines, and regional partnership programs delivered services to 289 Marion County seniors, including more than 10,000 meals, along with investment in the regional 9-1-1 system that answers our calls.
Endorsed by leaders who know the job
Endorsed by Angie Smoak, former Marion County Attorney
“Judge LaFleur has earned my full support and endorsement.”
As we get closer to Election Day, I wanted to reach out here and share why Judge Leward LaFleur has my full support and endorsement for re-election.
A Texas County Sheriff and a County Judge have to share a unique relationship. We have to work closely together to make sure county tax dollars are spent right, law enforcement runs professionally, and all county offices work as a team for the people who live here. I have watched Judge LaFleur handle every bit of that in an exemplary way.
During his term, we have faced our share of difficult times, from the challenges of COVID-19 to several severe storms that affected our area. Through it all, Judge LaFleur provided steady leadership and a calm hand when our county needed it most, helping guide Marion County through the chaos and uncertainty of those moments.
Judge LaFleur has worked hard building solid relationships right here at home and across our region to help the folks who live in and visit Marion County. He’s partnered up with other leaders across the State of Texas to make sure our county’s voice is heard and our interests are looked after.
One of the most important duties a Texas County Judge performs is to be a good steward of the citizens’ tax dollars. I have watched Judge LaFleur carefully budget our tax funds without waste or abuse. He has always listened to our needs and supported the Sheriff’s Office, which has made our office better and our community safer. He makes sure all county offices are funded and can do their jobs without squandering your hard-earned tax dollars.
I am truly blessed to serve as your Marion County Sheriff, and I am just as proud to call Leward my friend and our County Judge. He has earned my full support and endorsement, and I ask you to join me in voting for Judge Leward LaFleur on November 3.
— David Capps, Sheriff
The Choice in This Election
Judge LaFleur is the only candidate for Marion County Judge whose name appears on the ballot. He earned the Republican nomination without opposition, twice, because Marion County voters know his work.
His opponent wants you to judge him by a diploma. She will tell you Judge LaFleur only has a GED. Here is what she leaves out: he earned that diploma, then he raised his right hand and served his country in the United States Navy. Marion County has never needed a judge with more paper on the wall. It needs a judge with a record, and for eight years Leward LaFleur has delivered one: a restored courthouse, a lower tax rate, steady leadership in every emergency, and a county judge who shows up for his neighbors.
A write-in campaign asks you to set aside all of that for a name you have to write in yourself. Judge LaFleur asks for your vote the way he has always asked: on his service, to our country and to Marion County. That record is on the ballot. His name is too.
Priorities for the Next Term
Roads and bridges
Keep county roads maintained and fight for Marion County's share of state and regional transportation funding.
Taxpayers first
Hold the line on the county tax rate while fully funding law enforcement and essential services.
Water security
Protect Marion County's water interests around Caddo Lake and Lake O' the Pines for our families, farms, and future growth.
Emergency readiness
Keep Marion County prepared for storms, drought, and fire danger, with clear communication to every resident.
Every community counts
From Jefferson to Avinger, Harleton, Karnack, and every community in between, county government that serves all of Marion County, not just the county seat.
How to Vote
Every Marion County vote matters. Here is all the official voting information.
Any registered Marion County voter can vote at either early voting location:
- Marion County Tax Office
119 W Lafayette Street, Jefferson, TX 75657 - Marion County Election Building
504 N Alley Street, Jefferson, TX 75657
- • October 19 to 23: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- • Saturday, October 24: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- • Sunday, October 25: noon to 6 p.m.
- • October 26 to 30: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Marion County votes at vote centers, which means you can cast your ballot at any county polling location, not just your precinct:
- • Mims Volunteer Fire Department, 9902 FM 729, Avinger
- • Kellyville Senior Citizen Building, 130 Kelly Park Road, Jefferson
- • Marion County Election Building, 504 N Alley Street, Jefferson
- • Smithland VFD, 8247 State Hwy 49E, Jefferson
- • Lone Oak Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, 120 Watts Road, Jefferson
Remember to bring a photo ID. Voting by mail: applications must be received by October 23, 2026. For locations, hours, or curbside voting, call the Marion County Elections office at (903) 665-3281, option 3, or check your registration and polling place at VoteTexas.gov.
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