Due to the ongoing pandemic, the primary runoff election was pushed back nearly two months from May 26 to July 14. After 10 days of early voting and Election Day, we saw many new measures instituted at the polls to maintain a safe environment for voters as well as a record number of vote-by-mail ballots cast. There were a number of high profile races on the ballot in these runoffs including the battle for the Democratic Nominee for Texas’ 22nd Congressional District, which has become one of the most talked about races in the nation.
In the race for Senate, MJ Hegar defeated State Senator Royce West 52.13% to 47.87%. Hegar, a former U.S. Air Force helicopter pilot, will face three-term Senator John Cornyn in November. In the Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House of Representatives District 10, progressive candidate Mike Siegel came out on top over physician Pritesh Gandhi by winning 54.24% of the vote. Siegel, who was endorsed by former Democratic Presidential Candidate’s Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, will face incumbent and HAR Recommended Candidate Michael McCaul in November. Attorney Wendell Champion easily defeated Robert Cadena in the Republican primary runoff for U.S. House District 18 and will face longtime incumbent and HAR Recommended Candidate Sheila Jackson Lee in the November general election. In the race for U.S. House District 22, former Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls was victorious over self-funding candidate Kathaleen Wall after receiving more than 70% of the vote. This race garnered national attention in recent weeks after Wall’s self-funding reached $8.3 million.
The Texas House of Representatives District 26 race had runoffs on both the Republican and Democratic sides. L. “Sarah” DeMerchant, who lost the 2018 general election by less than 5 percent, defeated fellow Democrat Suleman Lalani 52.35% to 47.65%. On the Republican side, former Fort Bend County GOP Chairman Jacey Jetton defeated Insurance Adjuster Matthew Morgan by about 5%. Morgan received 49.7% of the vote in the March primary election meaning he was just .3% away from securing the nomination back in March. Jetton and DeMerchant will go head to head in November to determine who will represent the 26th District in the Texas House. Attorney Akilah Bacy easily defeated Jenifer Pool by garnering nearly 80% of the vote in the Democratic primary runoff for Texas House District 138 and will move on to face Lacey Hull in an open seat election in November. HAR Recommended Candidate and 36-year incumbent Harold Dutton was victorious after receiving 52.32% of the vote. Dutton faced his toughest challenge since being elected in 1984 in Houston City Council Member Jerry Davis but was able to advance to the general election.
In the Harris County Precinct 3 Democratic primary runoff election, Michael Moore defeated Diana Martinez Alexander after receiving 56.95% of the vote. Moore, who served as chief of staff to former Mayor Bill White, will face former Spring Valley Village Mayor Tom Ramsey in the general election. In Fort Bend County, Jennifer Cantu won the democratic primary runoff for County Commissioner Precinct 1 and will face Incumbent and HAR Recommended Candidate Vincent Morales Jr. in November. Now that the primary runoffs are over, it is full steam ahead to the general election. The last day to register to vote in the general is Monday, October 5, 2020 and Election Day will be November 3, 2020.
