With less than a month remaining before the May 26 Republican primary runoff for Kendall County Judge, candidate Ricky Gleason is taking his closing message directly to voters: Kendall County needs leadership that listens first, plans ahead, and protects the Hill Country way of life for the next generation.
Gleason, a lifelong Kendall County resident, financial advisor, and former two-term member of the Boerne Planning and Zoning Commission, advanced to the runoff against incumbent Shane Stolarczyk after the March 3 primary. In a three-way Republican race, Gleason earned 3,979 votes, or 40.94 percent, while no candidate cleared the 50 percent majority required for an outright win. Because no Democrat filed, the runoff winner will run unopposed in November and become Kendall County's next County Judge.
'This race is about the next 50 years of Kendall County, not just the next four,' Gleason said. 'The voters I meet every day want a county government that works with them, not against them. That is the kind of leadership I am committed to bringing to the courthouse.'
Gleason has built his campaign around what he calls a 'CEO mindset' rooted in servant leadership, drawing on more than a decade of experience as a financial planner and business consultant. He currently serves as a partner and financial advisor at Prime Capital Financial and is a co-founder of Forge Business Brokerage, where he advises local owners on succession and exit planning.
'In Texas, the County Judge is effectively the CEO of the county,' Gleason said. 'That role calls for someone who builds consensus, manages a budget responsibly, plans for what is coming, and respects the people who pay the bills.'
Earlier in the campaign, Gleason introduced a three-horizon planning framework designed to give Kendall County a clearer path through the rapid growth pressing in from the Texas Triangle and the Interstate 10 corridor. The framework organizes county priorities into three actionable phases: operational fixes in the short term, capital alignment in the medium term, and long-term stewardship to protect water resources, property rights, and the rural character that define Kendall County.
The plan reflects Gleason's view that water is the single greatest long-term challenge facing the county. He has called for proactive collaboration with neighboring Hill Country counties through the Priority Groundwater Management Area, arguing that water systems, flood risk, and transportation networks do not stop at county lines.
He has also made support for first responders a centerpiece of the campaign, pledging to bolster volunteer fire departments and EMS teams that he describes as 'the backbone of public safety in Kendall County.'
Raised in Kendall County, Gleason grew up riding his horse to town, working at the county fairgrounds, tossing pizzas at Naples Pizza Kitchen, and playing football for Boerne High School. He started his career as a bank teller and worked his way up to banker and financial advisor before returning to his hometown to raise his family.
Beyond his professional work, Gleason has served on the boards of the Boys and Girls Club of Kendall County, the 100 Club of Kendall County, and The Centurions of Kendall County, and as president of the board of Hope for Heroes. He and his family are active members of First Baptist Church in Boerne.
'Kendall County is where I grew up, and it is where my wife and I are raising our kids,' Gleason said. 'I am running to make sure this is still a place they are proud to call home.'
The Republican primary runoff for Kendall County Judge will be held on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. Early voting runs Monday, May 18 through Friday, May 22. A candidate forum between Gleason and Stolarczyk is scheduled for May 8 at 6 p.m. at Comfort Lobby Coffee Shop. Voters can find polling locations, sample ballots, and additional information through the Kendall County Elections Office. To learn more about the campaign, visit www.rickygleason.com.
