Tuesday night’s election brought in close tallies for top executive positions, while some legislators from the Republican Party were ousted down ballot.
On Tuesday, voters re-elected all seven Republican incumbents who were seeking re-election to state executive roles. The races were close, with Democrats leading several times during the evening. However, Republicans were finally able to put distance between themselves and their challengers later in the evening, clinching victory.
The closest race for a statewide Republican was in the race for Attorney General, with Republican Ken Paxton narrowly winning a second term. Paxton topped Democrat Justin Nelson, 51 percent to 47 percent. Michael Ray Harris, a Libertarian, won 2 percent.
Meanwhile, in the Texas Senate, Democrats were able to oust two Republican incumbents. In District 10, Beverly Powell defeated Republican incumbent Konni Burton, 52 percent to 48 percent. In District 16, Democrats also won a Republican-held seat, with Nathan Johnson ousting Republican incumbent Don Huffines, 54 percent to 46 percent.
In the Texas House, Democrats were also able to win a few Republican-held seats. Notably, seats held by Representatives Matt Rinaldi, Paul Workman, Tony Dale, Gary Elkins, Linda Koop, Rodney Anderson, and Ron Simmons flipped to Democratic-control.
The upcoming legislative session will begin in January.
