Wheeler County, Texas — Wheeler County Judge Pat McDowell said he will not seek a second term as the filing period opens for the March primaries. McDowell called serving taxpayers “an honor, privilege, and a blessing,” but said he plans to complete his current term and leave office December 31, 2026.

In a statement, McDowell said the job is full time and “the Judge needs to be working at the Courthouse every day.” He said that at the end of another four-year term he would be well over 70 and is choosing not to hold a full-time job in his late sixties and early seventies. He noted he will not receive county retirement benefits.

McDowell pointed to tight finances. He said the county’s tax base is about half of what it was 10 years ago while expenses have not decreased proportionately. Departments have tightened belts and are operating on a no-frills budget, he said, but the county still has work to do to avoid using savings for annual operating costs. He said future Commissioners Courts will face difficult financial decisions and praised taxpayers for their hard-earned dollars. McDowell said he will remain on the job for the next 14 months and welcomes visits at the courthouse.

Ike Finsterwald announced his candidacy for Wheeler County Judge. Finsterwald is a lifelong Wheeler County resident whose family has lived and worked in the county for more than 130 years. He farms and ranches in the county and has done so for three decades. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University in 1997 and is a member of the Church of Christ in Wheeler.

Finsterwald has served on the Wheeler County Appraisal Board for 20 years, is a member of the Wheeler County Farm Bureau Board, and is the current vice president of the Wheeler ISD School Board. He said he is grateful to have been raised in Wheeler County and wants the chance to serve its people as county judge.

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