Texans voted in runoff elections for several offices on Tuesday, with mainstream candidates winning two Republican primaries for the House of Representatives and the state Assembly speaker narrowly surviving a fierce challenge from a Republican who supports President Trump.
Here’s what happened:
U.S. House of Representatives District 23
Republican Rep. Tony Gonzalez, who recently called far-right members of his party “scum,” barely survived a challenge from the right after being forced into a runoff election, where he beat gun rights activist Brandon Herrera by about 400 votes in the primary.
Herrera received less than 25% of the vote in the five-person primary, but his support soared to 49% in Tuesday’s runoff election.
Gonzales was first elected in 2020 to represent a battleground district along the border that has leaned Republican due to redistricting. He has rebelled against party lines on several issues, voting for bipartisan gun control and same-sex marriage legislation after the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting. He also once opposed hardline immigration policies that drew criticism from the Texas Republican Party before shifting to support the party.
Mr. Herrera, a YouTuber who goes by the nickname “AK Guy” after the AK-47 rifle, aggregated many of the votes that went to several right-wing candidates running against Mr. Gonzalez in the first round. Mr. Herrera was also backed by Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida and other members of the House Freedom Caucus.
But House Republican leaders backed Gonzalez, and their support may have given him some relief in a race that was close until early Wednesday morning.
U.S. House of Representatives, 28th District
Jay Furman, a retired Navy officer, won the Republican primary in the 28th Congressional District, which stretches from the San Antonio suburbs to the southern border. He is challenging Rep. Henry Cuellar, a centrist Democrat who has been indicted on bribery charges.
In the four-person primary, Furman won about 45% of the vote and Garza received 27% to advance to the runoff election.
Both candidates made immigration a central part of their campaigns, echoing former President Donald J. Trump’s calls for an “invasion” and drastic crackdown. Garza also emphasized that he was born and raised in the district.
In another election on Tuesday, Mr. Cuellar’s sister, former county tax assessor Rosie Cuellar, lost the Democratic primary for state House of Representatives, a loss that may be a sign of how much Mr. Cuellar’s reputation has been tarnished by the indictment.
Texas House of Representatives District 21
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan won his seat in the Republican primary, defeating a Trump-backed challenger by less than 400 votes.
Former county party chairman David Covey nearly defeated the top Republican in the Texas House of Representatives, despite never having run for a state seat before. He has the backing of several wealthy donors and is backed by Trump, who holds considerable sway in Republican primaries. Covey had a slim lead over Phelan, 46% to 43%, in the first round of voting. In Tuesday’s runoff, Phelan won 50.7% of the vote.
The opposition to Phelan came primarily from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who sought revenge for the Texas Legislature’s impeachment of him on charges of corruption and abuse of power. Paxton was acquitted by the Texas Senate and campaigned for Covey.
