The Brief: Trump victorious in presidential race

The Big Story

Republican Donald Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton on Tuesday after a long, bitterly fought presidential contest, part of an Election Day that saw Republicans victorious up and down the ballot in Texas. You can view full results on our elections page, but here's the rundown of big races in the state:

• Trump won in Texas with 52 percent of the vote to Clinton's 44 percent, the smallest margin of victory for a GOP presidential candidate in the Lone Star State in two decades.

• In the only contested congressional race in the state, Republican U.S. Rep. Will Hurd claimed a narrow victory in his rematch against Pete Gallego for the Congressional District 23 seat.

• Though there will be a few new faces, the makeup of the Texas Senate stayed largely the same after the polls closed, with 20 Republicans and 11 Democrats set to take the floor when the Legislature convenes in January. Of nine contested Senate races on the 2016 general election ballot, only Senate District 24 — in which Republican Dawn Buckingham of Austin easily defeated Democrat Jennie Lou Leeder with more than 70 percent of the vote — fielded candidates from both major parties.

• Democrats were poised to pick up four seats in the state House, defeating incumbent Reps. John Lujan, Rick Galindo, Gilbert Peña and Kenneth Sheets. The party is still in the vast minority in the Legislature, where they're outnumbered by Republicans by an almost two-to-one margin.

• Republican Wayne Christian won the race for Texas railroad commissioner, clinching an easy victory over Democrat Grady Yarbrough, Libertarian Mark Miller and Martina Salinas of the Green Party.

• Results late Tuesday had three incumbent Republicans holding their seats on the State Board of Education's 15-member panel.

• All three Republican incumbents on the Texas Supreme Court — Debra Lehrmann, Paul Green and Eva Guzman — won their their races.

• In the Court of Criminal Appeals, another three Republicans came out victorious: Mary Lou Keel defeated incumbent Democrat Larry Meyers — the only Democrat in statewide office — and Scott Walker and incumbent Michael E. Keasler beat their Democratic opponents.

Tribune Today

Texans who could serve in Trump's Washington
Throughout his campaign, Trump cultivated a number of loyal allies in Texas, making for no shortage of options as his transition team looks to staff the incoming administration.

In county where Sandra Bland died, sheriff is re-elected
Democrat Cedric Watson had hoped to become Waller County's first black sheriff, but he lost by a wide margin to incumbent Glenn Smith, a Republican.

Houston schools measure lags, Austin transit bond leads
Early returns show Harris County may get a Democratic district attorney, Houston ISD voters may thumb their noses at the Texas school finance system and Austin voters support a "smart corridor" initiative.

George W. Bush didn't cast a ballot for president
George W. Bush and Laura Bush did not vote for either major-party presidential nominee this year. Instead, they did not make a selection at the top of the ticket and voted for Republicans down ballot.

Arlington voters overwhelmingly back subsidizing new Rangers ballpark
A bond measure asked voters to approve $500 million in tax revenue for a new Rangers ballpark.

Problems at the polls: Some Texas voters see long waits, machine glitches
A busy Election Day saw scattered reports of hiccups including ongoing voter ID confusion and the sudden death of an election judge.

Today in TribTalk

"I can understand the rationale of voting for 'the lesser of two evils,' for at least a chance' to have a president who might nominate a jurist to the U.S. Supreme Court who respects the Constitution, and for a candidate who 'wants to make America great again.' But is there no prerequisite or minimum standard that must be reached before one would trade the currency of one's consent?"

— State Rep. David Simpson, R-Longview

Trib Events for the Calendar

•   Live Post-Election TribCast on Nov. 9 at The Austin Club 

•   A Conversation with state Reps. Andrew Murr and Jason Isaac on Nov. 14 at Schreiner University in Kerrville

•   A Symposium Previewing the 85th Legislature on Nov. 29 at The University of Texas - Texas Union Ballroom

•   A Conversation with Michael K. Young, President of Texas A&M University on Dec. 1 at The Austin Club

•   San Antonio & the Legislature: A Preview of the 85th on Dec. 2 at University of Texas at San Antonio – Downtown Campus