More than 2.5 million Texans voted in the March 6 primary election, the most ever for a gubernatorial election, but fewer than 17% of registered voters cast their ballots. A record 1.5 million people voted in the Republican primary for a gubernatorial election year, and it’s the second-highest number of Republican primary voters in state history. More than 1 million people voted in the Democratic primary in a gubernatorial election year for the first time since 2002 and just the second time since 1994.
For the second straight gubernatorial primary election, more votes were cast early than on Election Day. We encourage our members to take advantage of early voting because it allows more days and locations to cast your vote.
TREPAC-Supported Candidates Fare Well on Election Day
In the Congressional District 29 race to replace Congressman Gene Green, who is not seeking re-election, HAR-recommended candidate, Senator Sylvia Garcia, prevailed with 63% of the vote over six Democratic challengers, thus avoiding a Democratic runoff.
With 77% of the vote, Senator Joan Huffman sailed to victory over her challenger, Kristin Tassin, in the Senate District 17 primary.
John Whitmire, Dean of the Texas Senate, with 75% of the vote, handily defeated his two Democratic challengers in the Senate District 15 election.
With three candidates in the race to replace Representative Kevin Roberts, who is running for Congress, HAR recommended candidate Sam Harless received 51% of the vote, winning the Republican primary in the House District 126 race.
In the hotly contested House District 134 Republican primary election, HAR recommended candidate Representative Sarah Davis beat Governor Abbott’s candidate, Susanna Kokupil, with 56% of the vote. Representative Davis faces Allison Lami Sawyer in the November 6 general election.
Democratic Representatives Jarvis Johnson, House District 139, and Harold Dutton, House District 142, defeated their challengers and face no opposition in the fall election.
Freshman State Representative Shawn Thierry fended off her two challengers to win her re-election with 65% of the vote.
Return to the Polls May 22 to Cast Your Vote in the Runoff Elections
With the first round of this year’s midterm elections behind us, we turn our attention now to Round Two, the Tuesday, May 22, runoff elections between the top two vote-getters in the first primary election. A runoff election is triggered when no candidate in a race receives more than 50% of the vote. Those two candidates face off and voters decide which candidate will represent their party in the November general election.
Former Navy Seal Dan Crenshaw, Republican candidate for Congressional District 2, being vacated by retiring Congressman Ted Poe, beat third place finisher Kathaleen Wall by 145 votes. Wall contributed over $6 million to her own campaign, ultimately spending roughly $500 for each of the 12,499 votes she received. Second place finisher Crenshaw now faces front-runner, State Representative Kevin Roberts, in the Republican runoff election. Every so often a race shows us how important it is to turn out and vote.
In the heated Congressional District 7 election, HAR recommended candidate, Republican Congressman John Culberson, handily won his Primary election and will face either Lizzie Pannill Fletcher or Laura Moser on November 6.
Another notable race was for Montgomery County Judge. State Representative Mark Keough defeated incumbent County Judge Craig Doyal. Incumbent Commissioner Charlie Riley (Pct 2) and Commissioner Jim Clark (Pct 4) will be facing challengers in the runoff.
Early voting is Monday, May 14, through Friday, May 18. Runoff Election Day is Tuesday, May 22.
Your HAR Governmental Affairs team appreciates having the opportunity to work with HAR members to recommend and help to elect candidates who are supportive of private property rights and the real estate community.
