May 24 was election day for the runoff races from the March 1 primary. Texans went to the voting booth to finalize the candidates that will appear on the November ballot for the general election.
In the Republican runoff for attorney general, incumbent Ken Paxton handily defeated former Land Commissioner George P. Bush. Paxton survived the attacks Bush lobbed against him regarding the allegations he faces of abusing the power of his office.
Paxton will look to secure a third term in November. His opponent in the general election will be former ACLU lawyer Rochelle Garza who defeated former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski in the Democratic primary runoff.
Democrats voted on their candidate to face Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in the November general election, but the race is too close to call. Houston-area accountant Mike Collier has just over 55% of the vote against State Rep. Michelle Beckley of Carrollton, with 73% of the votes counted.
The race for land commissioner saw voters from both parties choose their candidates. The land commissioner heads the General Land Office, which oversees 13 million acres of public lands and mineral rights, natural disaster recovery efforts, investments for public education and benefits for Texas veterans, and oversight of the Alamo in San Antonio.
State Sen. Dawn Buckingham of Lakeway will be the Republican candidate for land commissioner. She won the runoff over U.S. Army veteran Tim Westley, a former historian for the Republican Party of Texas, pastor, and adult educator. Buckingham boasted a substantial fundraising advantage and several influential endorsements, including former president Donald Trump, Lt. Gov. Patrick, and Texas Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn.
Buckingham’s opponent in the November general election is undecided as the Democratic primary runoff for land commissioner is still too close to call. Jay Kleberg, a conservationist and legacy of the famous King Ranch family, has just over 52% of the vote against the former legislative aide and clinical therapist from San Antonio, Sandragrace Martinez, with 83% of the vote reported.
Republicans chose their candidate for chairman of the Railroad Commission, which regulates Texas’s oil and gas industry. Incumbent Wayne Christian, first elected in 2016, held off a challenge from Monahans-based oil and gas attorney Sarah Stonger. In the November general election, Christian will face Democrat Luke Warford, who won the March 1 primary outright.
Democrats voted for their nominee for state comptroller, choosing accountant Janet T. Dudding over businessman and author Angel Luis Vega. Dudding will face Republican incumbent Glenn Hegar in November. Hegar won the March 1 primary outright and has been the state’s comptroller since 2015.
In the Democratic runoff for U.S. House District 30, State Rep. Jasmine Crockett from Dallas defeated Jane Hope Hamilton, a political veteran and former chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey (TX-33rd District). Crockett was less than two percentage points away from winning the March 1 primary outright and will now be on the November ballot. The seat was vacated when 15-term congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson announced her retirement and endorsed Crockett.
Crockett’s opponent in November is not yet known, as the Republican runoff for U.S. HD 30 is too close to call. James Rodgers, a recruiter for a network of private schools, has over 60% of the vote against James Frank Harris, a retiree and DeSoto resident, with just over 44% of votes counted.
Republicans had to choose their candidate to face Democratic incumbent Colin Allred in the November election for U.S. HD 32. The race is still too close to call, with Wingstop founder Antonio Swad leading with around 57% against Justin Webb, a Navy and Marine Corps veteran, with just under 70% of the vote reported.
The Republican runoff for Tarrant County district attorney was seen as a test of the influence of former President Trump. Tarrant County Judge Phil Sorrells, who earned the former president’s endorsement, defeated State Rep. Matt Krause. Sorrells will face Democrat Tiffany Burks, who won her March 1 primary in November.
In one of the more intriguing State House races, five-term incumbent Stephanie Klick of HD 91 has around 55% of the votes in a race too close to be called against Army veteran David Lowe. Just over 90% of the vote has been reported in the district containing most of Richland Hills and North Richland Hills.
In the Republican runoff for State HD 63, firearms manufacturer Ben Bumgarner defeated small-business owner Jeff Younger. Bumgarner, a member of the Flower Mound City Council, will face H. Denise Wooten in November for the seat representing the district that runs along the southern border of Denton County.
To view the rest of the results from the May 24 runoff, visit the Texas Secretary of State website.