Texas Rep. Dawnna Dukes and three other Democrats lose their state House seats

Texas Elections 2018

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Four Democratic incumbents of the Texas House lost their seats in Tuesday's primary elections. 

State Reps. Dawnna Dukes of Austin, Roberto Alonzo of Dallas, Tomas Uresti of San Antonio and Diana Arévalo of San Antonio all lost their races. Arévalo was defeated by Trey Martinez Fischer, who held her seat before her. 

Dukes took the biggest walloping. The embattled Austin Democrat took home just short of 11 percent of votes cast in Travis County. She trailed her well-financed challengers, former Austin City Council member Sheryl Cole and immigration attorney Jose "Chito" Vela. Vela won 40 percent of the vote and Cole won 38 percent. Since neither candidate surpassed 50 percent, the race will go to a May 22 runoff.

Meanwhile, in Dallas County, state Rep. Roberto Alonzo lost to challenger Jessica Gonzalez.

“I am just really excited about the opportunity to serve the people,” Gonzalez told the Dallas Morning News. “The district deserves better."

And state Rep. Tomas Uresti, D-San Antonio — whose brother, Democratic state Sen. Carlos Uresti of San Antonio, was just convicted of 11 felonies — lost by a wide margin. 

Meanwhile, former state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer defeated current Rep. Diana Arévalo by a narrow margin. Martinez Fischer left the house seat in 2016 when he unsuccessfully ran for the state Senate. Arévalo was elected to his place.

One embattled Democrat in the Texas House survived: Rep. Ron Reynolds of Houston. He defeated his primary opponent with 61 percent of the vote.

Reynolds, who has served in the Legislature since 2011, is currently appealing a 2015 misdemeanor conviction and one-year jail sentence for illegally soliciting clients for his personal injury law practice. If he loses his appeal, Reynolds could finish his term from jail.