Senator Kel Seliger has taken one step closer to returning to the Texas Senate in 2019.
On Tuesday night, Republican voters in Texas' 31st District gave Seliger the nod for their party's nomination to the Texas Senate. Seliger, who has served in the Senate since 2005, was facing what some in the media had called "the race of his life" against former Midland mayor Mike Canon and Amarillo restaurateur and former Muleshoe mayor Victor Leal.
In unofficial results reported Wednesday morning, Seliger narrowly escaped a runoff, pulling in 40,653 votes, or 50 percent. Canon won 25,314 or 31 percent, and Victor Leal rounded out the field with 14,669 or about 18 percent. The numbers came a surprise to many who had expected a runoff to be likely with such a large field.
Seliger celebrated victory on Tuesday night with his supporters at the Tacos Garcia restaurant in Amarillo. Following his victory, Seliger also released a statement to his supporters through Facebook on Wednesday morning.
"I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to vote, and those who have personally reached out after our win last night, for continuing to believe in me to represent the best interests of SD-31," Seliger wrote on Facebook. "Nancy and I cannot thank you enough!"
Seliger will now go on to face Libertarian Jack Westbrook in November. It is unclear whether the Green Party, another third-party that is expected to gain ballot access for November, will nominate a candidate to face Seliger.
Seliger and Westbrook will face off on November 6th.
