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Republicans were poised to expand their majority in the Texas House on Tuesday evening, and appeared on track to flip two seats in historically Democratic districts as South Texas continued its dramatic shift to the right.
If those results hold, the GOP will control 88 of 150 seats in the lower chamber when the Legislature reconvenes in January. That margin will give Gov. Greg Abbott “more than enough votes” to finally pass a school voucher bill, he said late Tuesday.
Republican Don McLaughlin, the former mayor of Uvalde, was beating Democrat Cecilia Castellano in House District 80, according to incomplete results late Tuesday. The seat was open following the retirement of Democrat Tracy King.
In Corpus Christi’s District 34, Republican Denise Villalobos was on path to defeat Democrat Solomon Ortiz Jr. in a race to succeed retiring Democrat Abel Herrero.
Republicans had their eyes on a third seat, with Democratic state Rep. Eddie Morales Jr. of Eagle Pass trailing Republican Robert Garza for much of the night. But Morales pulled ahead late when the votes were tallied in his hometown Maverick County, giving him another term representing his sprawling border district.
In the Senate, Republican Adam Hinojosa claimed victory against Sen. Morgan LaMantia, D-Palm Valley, in the only battleground of the upper chamber.
Abbott lauded his party’s likely gains in the Legislature on Tuesday.
“Texans sent a clear message: they want safer streets, a secure border, a strong economy, and the economy to choose the best school for their children,” Abbott said in a statement. “And that’s exactly what these Republican candidates will deliver.”
Abbott is particularly keen to pass education savings accounts, which are taxpayer-supported bank accounts parents can use to subsidize their childrens’ private school tuition. Creating those accounts was one of Abbott’s top legislative priorities that was thwarted by a coalition of rural Republicans and Democrats last year. But Abbott was able to oust many of those Republicans in this year’s primaries by supporting their challengers.
Abbott scheduled a Wednesday news conference at the Kingdom Life Academy, a Christian private school in Tyler, where he is expected to discuss his voucher plans for the upcoming legislative session.
Once members know the makeup of the House, their focus will shift to the 2025 legislative session — and the speaker’s race. Texas House Republican Caucus bylaws call on the Republican caucus to meet in December to endorse a candidate for speaker.
Republican state Rep. David Cook is running against sitting House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, to lead the lower chamber. Cook claims to have support from a majority of the incoming Republican caucus, although a speaker candidate must achieve three-fifths support within the caucus to earn its official backing.
Cook, a former mayor of Mansfield, defeated Democrat Ebony M. Turner in District 96 on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press.
Also on Tuesday, Republicans were holding on to two seats Democrats had hoped to flip. Two were in Bexar County. Marc LaHood, who ousted incumbent Republican Steve Allison in the spring Republican primary, was leading Democrat Laurel Jordan Swift in District 121. John Lujan was narrowly beating Democratic challenger Kristian Carranza in District 118.
Democrats were falling short where they hoped to defeat incumbent Republicans in suburban seats elsewhere. In Dallas County, it appeared Republican Angie Chen Button would survive her faceoff with Averie Bishop in District 112. Also in Dallas County, incumbent Morgan Meyer was winning over Democrat Elizabeth Ginsberg in District 108.
In Harris County, Republican incumbent Lacey Hull was easily beating back a challenge from Democrat Stephanie Morales in District 138. Caroline Harris Davila, R-Round Rock, cruised to a second term in District 52 over Democrat Jennie Berkholz, according to The AP.
Tuesday did not appear to be a complete disappointment for Democrats. The party was holding on to the District 115 seat, vacated by Julie Johnson who was elected to the U.S. House. Democrat Cassandra Hernandez was leading over Republican John Jun in the open contest.
Democrat Mihaela Plesa, who eked out a win in her District 70 race in 2022, was again narrowly leading in the race for the Dallas County seat against Republican Steve Kinard, who was one of 48 Republican nominees Cook says are supporting him in the race for speaker.
In McLennan County, Republican Pat Curry won both the general election and the special election to succeed retired Republican state Rep. Doc Anderson and will be sworn in later this month, according to The AP. That will make him the senior member within a freshman class that is shaping up to be at least 26 Republicans strong, the largest class of Republican freshmen since 2013.
Voting FAQ: 2024 Elections
When is the next election? What dates do I need to know?
Election Day for the general election is November 5, and early voting will run from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. The deadline to register to vote and/or change your voter registration address is Oct. 7. Applications to vote by mail must be received by your county of residence – not postmarked – by Oct. 25.
What’s on the ballot for the general election?
In addition to the president, eligible Texans have the opportunity to cast their ballots for many Texas officials running for office at the federal, state and local levels.
This includes representatives in the U.S. and Texas houses and the following elected offices:
-1 U.S Senator (Ted Cruz)
– 1 of 3 Railroad Commissioners
– 15 State Senators
– 7 State Board of Education members
– 3 members of the Texas Supreme Court
– 3 members of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
– 5 Chief Justices and various justices for Texas Courts of Appeals
Lower-level judges and local county offices will also appear on the ballot:
– Various district judges, including on criminal and family courts
– County Courts at Law
– Justices of the Peace
– District Attorneys
– County Attorneys
– Sheriffs
– Constables
– Tax Assessor-Collectors
How do I make sure I’m registered to vote?
You can check to see if you’re registered and verify your information through the Texas Secretary of State’s website. You’ll need one of the following three combinations to log in: Your Texas driver’s license number and date of birth. Your first and last names, date of birth and county you reside in. Your date of birth and Voter Unique Identifier, which appears on your voter registration certificate.
What if I missed the voter registration deadline?
You must be registered to vote in a Texas county by Oct. 7 to vote in the Nov. 5 presidential election. You can still register for other elections.
If you’re registered but didn’t update your address by the deadline, you may still be able to vote at your previous voting location or on a limited ballot. (Voters are typically assigned precincts based on where they live. In most major counties, voters can vote anywhere on Election Day, but some counties require you vote within your precinct. If that is the case, you may have to return to your previous precinct. See which counties allow countywide Election Day voting here. You can usually find your precinct listed on your voter registration certificate or on when checking your registration online.)
If you moved from one county to another, you may be able to vote on a ballot limited to the elections you would qualify to vote in at both locations, such as statewide races. However, limited ballots are only available during early voting. Find your county election official here and contact them to ask about or request a limited ballot.
What can I do if I have questions about voting?
You can contact your county elections official or call the Texas Secretary of State’s helpline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683). A coalition of voting rights groups is also helping voters navigate election concerns through the 866-OUR-VOTE (687-8683) voter-protection helpline. The coalition also has hotlines available for voters who speaker other languages or have accessibility needs.
For help in Spanish, call 888-VE-Y-VOTA or 888-839-8682.
For help in Asian languages, call 888-API-VOTE or 888-274-8683.
For help in Arabic, call 888-YALLA-US or 888-925-5287.
For help in American Sign Language through a video, call 301-818-VOTE or 301-818-8683.
For help from Disability Rights Texas, call 888-796-VOTE or 888-796-8683.
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