Two Texas Republicans will advance to a congressional race following a special election over the weekend, while Texas Democrats acknowledged Sunday they had fallen short.
The development will ensure that a Republican will win the seat in the runoff. Nearly two-dozen candidates had been competing to represent the northern Texas district following Ron Wright's death earlier this year.
The district covers some southeastern parts of Fort Worth along with some rural areas. The race is seen as the first competitive federal election since President Joe Biden took office.
Democrats had hoped to flip the seat after former President Donald Trump drew a smaller number of votes in the district than he did in 2016. Trump won the district by three points in 2020, down from 12 points in 2016.
“Although a Democrat is not advancing to the runoff, yesterday’s incredibly close margins showed that voters are invested in electing Democrats, and are fighting for the representation their communities deserve,” Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa said in a statement Sunday.
“The new Democratic South is rising, and we will continue to rally our movement to take back our state—including as we look toward the 2022 governor’s race,” Hinojosa added. “We’re ready to build Democratic power, ready to defeat Texas Republicans, and ready to elect leaders who defend our rights and put Texans first.”
On Saturday, Wright issued a statement after her victory: "Let’s go win this!" She also used a hashtag for “Make America Great Again,” Trump's campaign slogan.
On Feb. 7, then-Rep. Ron Wright died of COVID-19 complications, although he had battled cancer for years.
Trump had endorsed Wright, telling supporters she “will be strong on the Border, Crime, Pro-Life, our brave Military and Vets, and will ALWAYS protect your Second Amendment.”