The Democratic Party’s nomination for State Senator District 27 and House District 37 will be decided in a runoff election May 24, after no candidate in either race drew a clear majority of votes in Tuesday’s primary elections.
Former state Senator Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, announced in November that he would retire from the Senate, leaving a crowded field to battle for the nomination. Lucio had represented District 27 since 1990. After redistricting, the district stretches from Corpus Christi to the Rio Grande Valley and is regarded as competitive with the Republican Party.
In the Democratic primary Morgan La Mantia garnered 13,445 votes, or 33.75% compared to 13,037, or32.73 percent for Sara Stapleton-Barrera. District 33 State Rep. Alex Dominguez had 25.27% and was seeking to move up to the Senate, while Salomon Torres had 8.25%, according to unofficial final totals from the Texas Secretary of State’s Office.
On the GOP side Adam Hinojosa got 13,314 votes, 50.97% of the total, and was nominated..
In State House District 27, State Board of Education member Ruben Cortez of Brownsville received 3,605 votes, 41.23 percent of the total, while Harlingen businessman Luis Villarreal Jr. received 3,369 votes, or 38.53 percent. Frank Puente Jr. received 20.23%.
On the GOP side, San Benito school board member Janie Lopez received 4,733 votes, 69.37% of the total, and was nominated. Rancho Viejo Mayor George Lopez got 30.63 percent.
The district includes all of Willacy County including the cities of Raymondville, Lyford, and San Perlita and much of Cameron County including the cities of Bayview, Combes, Harlingen, Indian Lake, Laguna Vista, Los Fresnos, Palm Valley, Port Isabel, Primera, Rancho Viejo, Rangerville, Rio Hondo, South Padre Island and parts of Brownsville, La Feria, and San Benito.
It also corresponds to part of Cortez’s Board of Education district, which he served for 10 years.
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley political science professor Andrew Smith said Tuesday’s election saw higher participation by both parties, likely caused by a combination of factors including redistricting, Lucio’s retirement and outreach by the Republican Party.
He said there were more open seats and “voters are going to show up when they have a real choice.”
Smith also said La Mantia and Stapleton-Barrera have taken more progressive policy positions compared to Lucio, who he characterized as the most conservative Democrat in the Texas Legislature.
“In Senate District 27 you have two nominally progressive candidates trying to fill the seat of somebody who was very conservative,” he said, adding that whether the district itself has turned more progressive “won’t be known until November.”
Runoff elections are also expected for State Board of Education District 2 and for Cameron County Justice of the Peace Pct. 2. Place 2, between Cyndi Hinojosa and Elizabeth Garza. Hinojosa polled 4,464 votes according to the unofficial returns, 48.9%, compared to 2,556 or 28% for Garza.
The Board of Education runoff will be between Victor Perez, who received 7,027 votes, 38.6%, and Pete Garcia, who got 3,631 votes, 19.95%.
In other races, State Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Brownsville, polled 23,408 votes, 64.75% in his race for U.S. Rep. District 34 and was nominated. His opponent will be Mayra Flores, who polled 9,479 votes, 60.39% of the total.
Local attorney Erin Gamez won the State House District 38 seat, garnering 5,415 votes, 58.26% to 3,879, 41.74% for Jonathan Garcia.
Local Democratic Chairman Jared Hockema was re-elected, receiving 10,108 votes, or 54.84% to 8,321 or 45.15% for John Shergold.
