Precinct 2 Commissioner Albert Ray has filed for re-election and already has a challenger in the March 2026 Republican Primary.
Ray has been county commissioner since 2019 and if re-elected will enter his third term.
Educationally, Ray graduated from Lingleville High School and then graduated from Tarleton State University in 1979 with a degree in agriculture.
His professional background includes 30 years working for TxDOT and retiring from the state. Ray then worked for a private individual building roads on a ranch. As commissioner he also has numerous hours of continuing education. “As commissioner you’re required to get 16 hours and I get somewhere close to 25 each year,” he said.
As someone who has worked with the public his whole life, he originally ran because he knew his skills could the county.
“I enjoy working with the public and trying to help people, plus at the end of the day you can step back and look at what you accomplished or what you hoped to accomplish, and I’ve worked with the public basically my whole life,” he said.
He enjoys life with his wife of 41 years, Debbie, and they have three children – April Martin who is a nurse, Kelsey Ray who is a pharmacy tech and Cameron Ray, who is the Dublin Police Chief/Interim City Manager. They also have three grandkids.
Ray said he decided to run again because of projects that have been started in the county and he wants to see completed, including the unified county dispatch for emergency services.
The commissioner said he is hoping in the future, if he is re-elected, to get more county roads paved and work on drainage problems within the county. He is also excited to see the county radio system project come to fruition next year since it should help all first responders in the county, especially those in his precinct.
When talking about strengths of the county, Ray said the county is financially strong with good leadership.
“Everybody seems to work together as a whole. There is always room for improvement but I don’t think anything is perfect,” he said.
Along with serving as a commissioner, Ray currently serves on the appraisal district board and served on the appraisal review board before he was elected as a commissioner.
Since taking his seat as a commissioner, he has missed about four or five meetings total and those were because of conflicting meetings or illness.
He has also lived in Precinct 2 his entire life – for 67 years- and has served as the Lingleville Volunteer Fire Department Chief since 2006.
Ray also attends Double N Cowboy Church outside Dublin.
“One of the big things I can look back at is I feel like I’ve improved the relationship with Dublin and the county. I feel like that’s an accomplishment, and I’m not just saying because of where Cameron is. We all have to work together,” he said.
Ray said a strength he brings to the table is treating everyone fair and like he would like to be treated.
“I make myself available 24/7 to anyone who has a problem,” he said. “I also feel like I have a pretty good knowledge and understanding on road paving which helps.”