RepWatchr logoRepWatchrSearch. Grade. Source. Share.

Election 2026 · Marion County, Texas

Dina Carrollvs.Leward LaFleur

One incumbent. One declared write-in challenger. A countywide office with real power over budgets, emergencies, public meetings and the constitutional county court.

Weigh inSee the record

Original editorial illustration · not documentary evidence

01

What voters need to know first

The race is real. Some of the evidence is still catching up.

LaFleur is the sitting Republican county judge and won an unopposed primary. Carroll has announced a write-in challenge and filed a campaign-treasurer appointment. RepWatchr has not yet located the county’s accepted declaration or qualified-write-in roster, so her ballot status remains explicitly unconfirmed.

Source review updated July 27, 2026

Current editorial gradeNR

Records pending. Public sentiment and allegations do not manufacture a performance score.

The choice

See the people—not campaign placeholders

Authentic public-facing images now sit beside sourced biographies, links and verification gaps. Campaign statements are labeled. Public records stay separate.

Dina K. Carroll holding a kitten
Highest verified public image · 913 × 1,367Candidate image published by the Marshall News Messenger

Declared write-in · qualification pending

Dina K. Carroll

Jefferson small-business owner, educator and community advocate

Carroll’s campaign centers morality, open government and restoring trust. Independent reporting supports parts of her teaching, small-business and animal-welfare record; a detailed county-governance plan is still developing.

Public record
Teaching, small-business and animal-rescue work are independently reported.
Campaign message
“Morals matter,” transparency, accountability and respect for taxpayers.
Ballot status
Campaign says a declaration was filed; county acceptance is not yet located.
Party
No party affiliation located in the posted filing or campaign material.
Read full dossierCampaign websiteFacebookInstagram
Leward J. LaFleur II wearing a suit outside a stone-columned public building
Highest verified public image · 1,081 × 1,080Portrait from LaFleur's public campaign page

Republican nominee · incumbent

Leward J. LaFleur II

Marion County Judge since 2018 · U.S. Navy veteran

LaFleur has an eight-year county record spanning emergency management, regional transportation and water advocacy. That record also includes unresolved reported allegations that he and his attorney deny.

Public record
County judge, regional workforce and transportation chair, water-board leader.
Election history
Won the 2018 GOP primary; unopposed in the 2022 and 2026 primaries.
Current concern
Two reported misconduct allegations are denied and procedurally unresolved.
2026 primary
1,079 votes; 594 Republican ballots left the contest blank.
Read full dossierOpen official profileOfficial officeFacebook

Full candidate dossiers

Their own story, checked against outside records

Each profile uses the same structure: candidate-published biography, independently supported facts, stated priorities, public contact information and the records still missing.

Challenger dossier

Dina K. Carroll

Candidate material reviewed alongside local reporting

Candidate-published biography

Carroll says she was born and raised in Marion County, is a college graduate and certified teacher, and has spent years working with community and animal-welfare organizations. Her campaign presents her as a political outsider running on faith, family, honesty, accountability and common sense.

That paragraph reflects Carroll’s campaign website; it is not presented as an independent RepWatchr endorsement.

Supported outside the campaign

  • Local reporting identifies Carroll as a Jefferson small-business owner.
  • KSLA reported that she taught high-school English and volunteered with shelter dogs.
  • KLTV documented her role in organizing and entering a deep-well dog rescue.
  • ETCOG named Carroll and Paula Jimenez 2024 Regional Citizens of the Year.
  • The county election page posts her campaign-treasurer appointment.

Published campaign priorities

  • Open government, public records and courthouse accountability.
  • Clearer visibility into contracts, grants and taxpayer spending.
  • Respect for citizens who question government without retaliation.
  • Support for families, teachers, law enforcement and animal welfare.
Verification still needed

Accepted write-in declaration, fee or petition acceptance, degree and certification records, a county-budget plan, emergency-management plan and court-administration specifics.

Incumbent dossier

Leward J. LaFleur II

Official records, public statements and independently reported history

Verified public biography

LaFleur is a U.S. Navy veteran who returned to East Texas and entered county leadership in 2018. Commissioners appointed him to complete the retiring county judge’s term that August after he won the Republican primary. He has since served as Marion County Judge and in regional workforce, transportation and water roles.

Personal family details published by his campaign are omitted here because they do not measure performance in office.

Documented experience

  • Marion County Judge since 2018; current Republican nominee.
  • CEO–RTPO board member since 2018, executive committee since 2021 and chair since 2023.
  • Texas Judicial Academy fellow for education beyond statutory requirements.
  • Signed county disaster and burn-ban orders under emergency authority.

Documented positions and projects

  • Opposed a proposed transfer of Lake O’ the Pines water rights.
  • Participated in regional passenger-rail planning through the CEO–RTPO coalition.
  • Chairs the East Texas Water Advisory Board, according to 2026 reporting.
  • No stand-alone 2026 campaign platform was located.
Performance records still needed

Commissioners Court attendance and votes, budget and audit trend data, contracts, public-record response times, recusal history and current disposition records for the reported allegations.

Issue-by-issue source guide

What each candidate has actually put on the record

“Not located” is intentional. RepWatchr does not invent a position because a candidate has not yet published one.

County issueDina K. CarrollLeward J. LaFleur II
Open records & contracts

Campaign position: publish where money goes, who receives contracts and what grants require.

Record review: no 2026 platform located; county response-time and contract data are still being gathered.

Budget & taxpayers

Campaign position: transparency and respect for taxpayers; no line-item or tax-rate plan located.

Incumbent record: presides over budget decisions; multi-year budget, audit and tax comparisons are pending.

Emergency management

Not located: no detailed disaster-readiness or recovery plan found in published campaign material.

Documented action: activated a March 2026 disaster declaration and later ended a burn ban.

County court

Campaign theme: lawful, moral and accountable court leadership; no criminal/probate caseload plan located.

Incumbent record: current constitutional county judge; docket, disposition and recusal metrics are pending.

Water & transportation

Not located: no detailed Lake O’ the Pines, Caddo Lake, road or regional-transport plan found.

Documented position: opposed the water-rights transfer and holds regional transport leadership roles.

Families & community

Campaign position: protect children, respect parents, support teachers, law enforcement and animal welfare.

Not located: no consolidated 2026 platform covering these topics was found.

Candidate-controlled positions were reviewed on July 27, 2026. Send a newer platform or primary record to the evidence desk.

The accountability ledger

What is documented—and what is not yet resolved

Receipts lead. Conclusions follow. Missing records are shown instead of quietly filled with assumptions.

Documented public service

The record in favor

  • Regional leadershipService on the East Texas CEO–RTPO board, executive committee and chair role is documented.
  • Water advocacyPublic reporting places LaFleur in the local opposition to a Lake O’ the Pines water sale.
  • Electoral standingHe is the incumbent Republican nominee after an uncontested 2026 primary.

Public-interest concern

Reported, denied and still unresolved

Two people reportedly alleged unwanted sexual touching arising from a 2025 gathering. LaFleur denies both allegations.

An initial complaint was classified by a special prosecutor as a fine-only Class C matter and sent to municipal court. After an adult made a new complaint, the city returned the matter for review of possible Class A charges. On April 21, the district attorney said LaFleur had not been charged. RepWatchr has not located a later public filing, dismissal, conviction, acquittal or final disposition.

Reported allegationsDenials publishedReview last reportedNo later disposition located
Read the KLTV report and denialSubmit a primary record

What the office controls

This is not only a courtroom job.

County budget
Presides over Commissioners Court
Emergency management
Countywide coordination and declarations
Public administration
Contracts, priorities and intergovernmental work
County court
Criminal and probate jurisdiction listed by Texas OCA

Ballot & money trail

Who is qualified, what was filed and what voters can verify

Campaign language does not establish ballot access. Official acceptance, posted reports and final election results control.

Official result

Leward J. LaFleur II

Republican nominee

2026 primary
Unopposed
Votes
1,079
Undervotes
594
Evidence
Official final canvass
Open the official results

Verification pending

Dina K. Carroll

Declared write-in challenger

Treasurer form
Posted by county
Declaration
Campaign says filed
Fee or petition
Acceptance not located
Qualified roster
Not yet located
Open the posted treasurer form
Status checked July 27, 2026

The Texas write-in filing window runs through 5 p.m. August 17, 2026. This page will update when Marion County publishes acceptance records or its qualified-write-in list.

Read the Texas write-in rules

02

Marion County community pulse

If the election were today, who would you support?

Everyone may participate. Results are segmented by server-verified residence so Marion County voices can be viewed separately from outside and unverified responses.

Integrity gateThe poll interface is built; verified voting is not switched on in this preview.

Launch requires the staged database migration, Turnstile keys and server-owned residence verification. RepWatchr will not collect a misleading “local” result from self-reported geography.

  • One signed-in account, one current response
  • Facebook, X or email login plus bot challenge
  • County segment determined on the server
  • Small segments hidden below the privacy threshold

How the grade works

A county judge is graded on the job—not on applause.

Community sentiment is displayed beside the record but never enters the grade. Allegations affect the grade only after an authoritative finding or authenticated primary record supports a rules-based deduction.

NRNot rated

Minimum evidence threshold not met

Stewardship & delivery30%

Budgets, audits, roads, emergency management and measurable county outcomes

Transparency & access20%

Records compliance, meeting access, disclosure and responsiveness

Attendance & decisions20%

Commissioners Court participation, votes, recusals and stated reasons

Ethics & compliance20%

Authoritative findings, conflicts, campaign compliance and corrective action

Public response10%

Answers, corrections and follow-through on documented public questions

Read the full scoring and correction method

Race timeline

Six dates define the race

  1. First allegation and denial reported

    Local reporting describes the referral history, LaFleur’s denial and a visiting judge.

  2. LaFleur wins unopposed GOP primary

    Official final result: 1,079 votes and 594 undervotes.

  3. Second allegation and renewed review reported

    The district attorney says LaFleur has not been charged; LaFleur’s attorney denies both allegations.

  4. Carroll announces write-in challenge

    Her campaign enters the race; official qualification remains to be verified.

  5. Write-in filing deadline

    Texas sets 5 p.m. as the deadline for declared write-in filings for the November election.

  6. General election

    Only official Marion County results determine the office.

Public square

Question the record. Bring receipts.

Facebook, X and email sign-in are supported. Sourced comments rank above unsupported claims.

Public question

Share the receipt, not just the outrage.

Source-backed snippet

Public question: Dina Carroll vs. Leward LaFleur | Marion County Judge 2026. Open the record, check the source trail, and ask the official or board to point voters to the missing receipt. https://www.repwatchr.com/elections/texas/marion-county-judge-2026

Before the meeting

Before the meeting: open Marion County Judge race, name the public source, ask what record answers the question, and request the missing link be posted for voters.

Ask this public question

Can you point voters to the public record, vote, filing, agenda, or source link that supports your position on Marion County Judge race? Current source trail: official filings, public records and attributed reporting.

Public Discussion

0 comments
Community rules: lawful disagreement stays visible, sourced comments rank higher, and threats, doxxing, spam, or unlawful harassment are removed.

Join the conversation about the Marion County Judge race

Sign in with a social profile or email. Verification and moderation rules still apply.

or use email
Log InSign Up

Source room

Open the same material RepWatchr reviewed

Each claim above should remain traceable, correctable and time-stamped.

  1. 01Marion County electionsOfficial
  2. 02Official 2026 Republican primary resultsOfficial
  3. 03Texas write-in candidate proceduresOfficial
  4. 04KLTV: allegations and LaFleur responseReporting
  5. 05CBS19: February complaint and denialReporting
  6. 06News-Journal: prosecutorial review and correctionReporting
  7. 07Dina Carroll campaign-treasurer appointmentOfficial
  8. 08Carroll write-in announcementReporting
  9. 09Dina Carroll campaign backgroundCampaign
  10. 10Dina Carroll published beliefs and prioritiesCampaign
  11. 11KSLA: Carroll teaching and animal-shelter volunteer workReporting
  12. 12KLTV: Carroll's role in a Jefferson dog rescueReporting
  13. 13ETCOG: Carroll named a 2024 Regional Citizen of the YearOfficial
  14. 14Marion County Judge official officeOfficial
  15. 15Workforce Solutions East Texas: LaFleur regional leadershipOfficial
  16. 16ETCOG: LaFleur biography and CEO–RTPO chair roleOfficial
  17. 17News-Journal: LaFleur's 2018 appointment as county judgeReporting
  18. 18Marion County: March 2026 disaster declarationOfficial
  19. 19Texas Judicial Academy fellow announcementOfficial
  20. 20Texas Tribune: Lake O' the Pines water disputeReporting
  21. 21Texas OCA: constitutional county-court jurisdictionOfficial
  22. 22LaFleur public campaign page and portraitPhoto source
  23. 23News Messenger: first allegation, referral history and LaFleur denialReporting

Have a docket, complaint, disposition, Commissioners Court record or correction? Send it to the evidence desk. Candidate portraits are reproduced for identification in this editorial race guide, with the public source attached to each image. Rights holders may request a source or permissions review through the same desk.