Changes

==Political life==

==Political life==

From 1984 to 1990, Casteel held the nonpartisan position of trustee of the Comal Independent School District. She was elected county judge in 1990 and remained in that post for two terms until 1998.<ref name=votesmart/>As county judge, she wrestled with the urban sprawl into Comal County from San Antonio and the need to find new water resources to compensate for inadequate wells and to conserve what is already available.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://texaslivingwaters.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/tlw-news-1-21-02.pdf|title=Comal County, Texas, Grapples with Rapid Development, Critical Water Situation|date=January 21, 2002|publisher=texaslivingwaters.org|accessdate=February 22, 2014}}</ref>

From 1984 to 1990, Casteel held the nonpartisan position of trustee of the Comal Independent School District. She was elected county judge in 1990 and remained in that post for two terms until 1998.<ref name=votesmart/>As county judge, she wrestled with the urban sprawl into Comal County from San Antonio and the need to find new water resources to compensate for inadequate wells and to conserve what is already available.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://texaslivingwaters.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/tlw-news-1-21-02.pdf|title=Comal County, Texas, Grapples with Rapid Development, Critical Water Situation|date=January 21, 2002|publisher=texaslivingwaters.org|accessdate=July 29, 2020}}</ref>

In her first legislative race on March 12, 2002, Casteel defeated Diane Sue Dasher (born c. 1954) of Bulverde, 9,290 votes (54 percent) to 7,916 (46 percent) in the Republican [[primary]]. The incumbent [[Democratic Party|Democrat]], Robert Ray "Bob" Turner, did not seek reelection.<ref>Texas Secretary of State, Election Returns (state House of Representatives), March 12, 2002.</ref> In the [[general election]], Casteel defeated the Democrat Virgil Yanta, 35,314 votes (79.1 percent) to 9,305 (20.9 percent)<ref>Texas Secretary of State, Election Returns (state House of Representatives), November 5, 2002.</ref> In May 2003, Castell and John Mabry, Jr., a Democrat from [[Waco, Texas|Waco]], were named "Freshmen Members of the Year" by their colleagues.<ref name=lrl/>

In her first legislative race on March 12, 2002, Casteel defeated Diane Sue Dasher (born c. 1954) of Bulverde, 9,290 votes (54 percent) to 7,916 (46 percent) in the Republican [[primary]]. The incumbent [[Democratic Party|Democrat]], Robert Ray "Bob" Turner, did not seek reelection.<ref>Texas Secretary of State, Election Returns (state House of Representatives), March 12, 2002.</ref> In the [[general election]], Casteel defeated the Democrat Virgil Yanta, 35,314 votes (79.1 percent) to 9,305 (20.9 percent)<ref>Texas Secretary of State, Election Returns (state House of Representatives), November 5, 2002.</ref> In May 2003, Castell and John Mabry, Jr., a Democrat from [[Waco, Texas|Waco]], were named "Freshmen Members of the Year" by their colleagues.<ref name=lrl/>