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2021 Texas's 6th congressional district special election

For broader coverage of this topic, see Texas's 6th congressional district.

The 2021 Texas's 6th congressional district special election was held on May 1, 2021. The seat became vacant after incumbent Republican Ron Wright died on February 7 of COVID-19.

Texas's 6th congressional district special election
← 2020 May 1, 2021 (first round)[1]
July 27, 2021 (runoff)		 2022 →
Texas's 6th congressional district
Turnout16.05% (first round)
7.93% (runoff)[2]
 
Candidate Jake Ellzey Susan Wright Jana Sanchez
Party Republican Republican Democratic
First round 10,865
13.85% 		15,077
19.21% 		10,518
13.40%
Runoff 20,837
53.27% 		18,279
46.73% 		Eliminated
 
Candidate Brian Harrison Shawn Lassiter John Anthony Castro
Party Republican Democratic Republican
First round 8,485
10.81% 		6,973
8.89% 		4,321
5.51%
Runoff Eliminated Eliminated Eliminated
 
Candidate Tammy Allison Holloway
Party Democratic
First round 4,240
5.40%
Runoff Eliminated
Ellzey:      20–30%      50–60%
Wright:      10–20%      20–30%      50–60%
U.S. Representative before election

Ron Wright
Republican

Elected U.S. Representative

Jake Ellzey
Republican

Ron Wright's widow, Susan Wright from Arlington, who was endorsed by former president Donald Trump,[3] and Jake Ellzey (who lost the Republican primary for this seat to Ron Wright in 2018) of Waxahachie, who served as a member of the Texas House of Representatives starting on January 12, advanced to the runoff.[4] Ellzey finished ahead of Democrat Jana Lynne Sanchez of Fort Worth for the second place by just 354 votes.[5][6] Sanchez conceded defeat to Ellzey the day after the election.[7] The district was a Republican hold due to two Republicans advancing to the runoff.

The special election was expected to be competitive, due to the district trending Democratic in recent years and its suburban nature.[8] A nonpartisan blanket primary took place, in which all candidates were listed on the same ballot. Since no candidate had received over 50 percent of the vote, the race proceeded to a runoff between the top two candidates in the first round,[9] resulting in two Republicans advancing to the runoff.[7] The runoff took place on July 27.[10] Ellzey won the runoff election, earning 53.3% to Wright's 46.7%.[11]

Candidates

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Republican Party

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Declared

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Filed paperwork

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Declined

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Democratic Party

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Declared

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Declined

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Libertarian Party

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Declared

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  • Phil Gray, property manager[15]

Independent

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Declared

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  • Adrian Mizher, banker[15]

Endorsements

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Lydia Bean (D)

Organizations

Jake Ellzey (R)

Federal Officials

Sery Kim (R)

Federal Officials

Individuals

Shawn Lassiter (D)

Organizations

Dan Rodimer (R)

Federal Officials

Jana Sanchez (D)

Organizations

Michael Wood (R)

Federal Officials

Newspapers

Organizations

Susan Wright (R)

Executive Branch Officials

Federal Officials

State Legislators

Other Individuals

Organizations

Primary

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Polling

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Graphical summary

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Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size[a] 		Margin
of error
(D) Tammy Allison
(R) Michael Ballantine
(D) Lydia Bean
(R) John Castro
(D) Daryl Eddings
(R) Mike Egan
(R) Jake Ellzey
(L) Phil Gray
(R) Brian Harrison
(D) Matt Hinterlong
(R) Sery Kim
(D) Shawn Lassiter
(I) Adrian Mizher
(D) Patrick Moses
(R) Travis Rodermund
(R) Dan Rodimer
(D) Manuel Salazar
(D) Jana Sanchez
(R) Jennifer Sharon
(D) Brian Stephenson
(D) Chris Suprun
(R) Michael Wood
(R) Susan Wright
 Other Undecided
Data for Progress (D)[56][A] April 5–12, 2021 344 (LV) ± 5.0% – – 9% – – – 13% – 10% – – 10% 2% – – – – 16% – – – – 22% 2% 14%
Global Strategy Group (D)[57][B] March 11–16, 2021 500 (LV) ± 4.4% – – 6% – – – 8% – 6% – – 4% – 2% – 1% – 9% – – – – 18% – 45%
Victoria Research (D)[58][C] March 9–12, 2021 450 (LV) ± 4.6% – – 5% – – – 8% – – – 1% 3% 3% 2% – – – 17% – – – – 21% 3% 39%

Predictions

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Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[59] Lean R March 19, 2021
Inside Elections[60] Lean R April 23, 2021
Sabato's Crystal Ball[61] Likely R April 15, 2021

Results

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Susan Wright came in first in the primary with 15,077 (19.2%) votes to Ellzey's 10,865 (13.8%) and Sanchez's 10,518 (13.4%). On Sunday, May 2, 2021, Sanchez conceded the race to Ellzey. Since no candidate received a majority, the top two candidates, Wright and Ellzey, proceeded to a runoff.

2021 Texas's 6th congressional district special election[62]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Susan Wright 15,077 19.21
Republican Jake Ellzey 10,865 13.85
Democratic Jana Sanchez 10,518 13.40
Republican Brian Harrison 8,485 10.81
Democratic Shawn Lassiter 6,973 8.89
Republican John Anthony Castro 4,321 5.51
Democratic Tammy Allison Holloway 4,240 5.40
Democratic Lydia Bean 2,923 3.72
Republican Michael Wood 2,509 3.20
Republican Michael Ballantine 2,225 2.84
Republican Dan Rodimer 2,088 2.66
Democratic Daryl J. Eddings Sr. 1,654 2.11
Republican Mike Egan 1,544 1.97
Democratic Patrick Moses 1,189 1.52
Democratic Manuel R. Salazar III 1,120 1.43
Republican Sery Kim 889 1.13
Republican Travis Rodermund 460 0.59
Independent Adrian Mizher 351 0.45
Democratic Brian K. Stephenson 271 0.35
Libertarian Phil Gray 265 0.34
Democratic Matthew Hinterlong 252 0.32
Republican Jennifer Garcia Sharon 150 0.19
Democratic Chris Suprun 102 0.13
Total votes 78,471 100.00

Runoff

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A runoff was held on July 27 between Susan Wright and Jake Ellzey. In the campaign prior to the runoff, Wright relied heavily on Trump's endorsement in order to further her candidacy, but was considered to have run a poor campaign.[63] The Club for Growth spent heavily in the runoff, buying US$1.2 million in advertisements that supported Wright and attacked Ellzey.[63] The heavily negative tone taken by the Club for Growth ads towards Ellzey frustrated many Republican officials, some of whom backed Ellzey in protest.[63] Ellzey's campaign also engaged in strategies that were suspected as being designed to appeal to Democrats, with him declaring himself a "champion of public education" in text messages to Democratic-leaning potential voters, as well as noting that Wright was endorsed by former president Donald Trump.[63] Defending Main Street, a Super PAC that was supporting Ellzey, targeted Democrats with advertisements, but Ellzey himself denied that he was specifically targeting Democrats, instead claiming that his statements were designed to be bipartisan.[63]

Predictions

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Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[64] Solid R July 9, 2021
Inside Elections[65] Solid R June 18, 2021
Sabato's Crystal Ball[66] Safe R July 21, 2021

Endorsements

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Jake Ellzey (R)

Executive Branch Officials

U.S. Representatives

Newspapers

Susan Wright (R)

Executive Branch Officials

U.S. Senators

U.S. Representatives

State Legislators

Other Individuals

Organizations

Polling

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Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size[a] 		Margin
of error 		Susan
Wright (R) 		Jake
Ellzey (R) 		Undecided
American Viewpoint (R)[77][D] July 19–21, 2021 400 (LV) ± 4.9% 44% 34% 12%
American Viewpoint (R)[78][D] June 1–3, 2021 400 (LV) ± 4.9% 49% 34% 11%

{{hidden begin|titlestyle=background:#cff|title=Hypothetical polling|contentstyle=border:solid 1px silver; padding:8px; background:white; Susan Wright vs. Jana Sanchez

Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size[a] 		Margin
of error 		Susan
Wright (R) 		Jana
Sanchez (D) 		Undecided
Data for Progress (D)[56][A] April 5–12, 2021 344 (LV) ± 5.0% 53% 43% 5%

Results

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2021 Texas' 6th congressional district special election runoff[79]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jake Ellzey 20,837 53.27
Republican Susan Wright 18,279 46.73
Total votes 39,116 100.00
Republican hold

By county

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County[2] Jake Ellzey
Republican 		Susan Wright
Republican 		Margin Total votes
# % # % # %
Ellis 6,784 56.68% 5,185 43.32% 1,599 13.36% 11,969
Navarro 1,398 43.87% 1,789 56.13% -391 -12.27% 3,187
Tarrant (part) 12,655 52.82% 11,305 47.18% 1,350 5.63% 23,960
Totals 20,837 53.27% 18,279 46.73% 2,558 6.54% 39,116

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear

Partisan clients

  1. ^ a b This poll was sponsored by Way to Lead, Way To Win, and Boot Texas Republicans
  2. ^ This poll was sponsored by Lydia Bean's campaign
  3. ^ This poll was sponsored by Jana Sanchez's campaign
  4. ^ a b This poll was sponsored by Wright's campaign

References

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  1. ^ "Governor Abbott Sets Special Election Date For 6th Congressional District". Governor of Texas. February 23, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Texas Election Night Results". results.texas-election.com. July 27, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Din, Benjamin (April 26, 2021). "Trump backs Susan Wright to replace her late husband in Texas' 6th District". Politico.
  4. ^ "Texas Special Election Results: Sixth Congressional District". The New York Times. The New York Times. May 1, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  5. ^ "Recount laws in Texas". Ballotpedia. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  6. ^ Ethan Cohen, Adam Levy and Clare Foran (May 2, 2021). "Susan Wright advances to runoff in Texas' 6th District special election with tight race for second spot". CNN. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Mutnick, Ally (May 2, 2021). "Dems get locked out of Texas special election". POLITICO. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  8. ^ Zanona, Melanie (February 8, 2021). "GOP Rep. Ron Wright dies after Covid diagnosis". Politico. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  9. ^ a b c d Dearman, Eleanor (February 8, 2021). "A special election will be held to fill Arlington Rep. Ron Wright's congressional seat". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  10. ^ Dearman, Eleanor (May 12, 2021). "July date is set for Texas congressional runoff for Ron Wright's U.S. House seat". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  11. ^ "Texas Special Runoff Election Results: Sixth Congressional District". The New York Times. July 27, 2021. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  12. ^ "Crowded Field of Candidates Finalized for Texas' 6th Congressional District Special Election". The Texan. March 3, 2021.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h Dearman, Eleanor (February 11, 2021). "'Refrain from speculating' on Ron Wright's congressional seat, Tarrant sheriff says". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  14. ^ a b c d Dearman, Eleanor (February 16, 2021). "She gained ground in Texas' 6th district in 2018. She's running for Congress again". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Svitek, Patrick (March 4, 2021). "23 candidates join the race to replace late U.S. Rep. Ron Wright". The Texas Tribune.
  16. ^ "FEC Form 2 for Report FEC-1502073". Federal Election Commission. Archived from the original on February 26, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  17. ^ Svitek, Patrick (April 20, 2021). "State Rep. Jake Ellzey faces mounting opposition from his right in special election to replace Ron Wright in Congress". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  18. ^ Cancryn, Adam (February 12, 2021). "Top Trump health aide mulls run for Congress". Politico. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  19. ^ "FEC Form 2 for Report FEC-1502220". docquery.fec.gov. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  20. ^ Lippman, Daniel (February 25, 2021). "Former Trump SBA official Sery Kim to launch Texas special election run". POLITICO. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  21. ^ "23's a Crowd: Candidates File to Replace U.S. Rep. Ron Wright". Texas Scorecard. March 4, 2021.
  22. ^ a b c "Candidates beginning to emerge in race to replace U.S. Rep. Ron Wright of Arlington". Dallas News. February 24, 2021. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  23. ^ Zilbermints, Regina (March 1, 2021). "Anti-Trump Republican will seek Texas seat". The Hill.
  24. ^ Svitek, Patrick (February 22, 2021). "Susan Wright, GOP activist and wife of late U.S. Rep. Ron Wright, moving toward campaign to replace him". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  25. ^ "Susan Wright, Widow of Congressman Ron Wright, Announces Run for Late Husband's Seat". The Texan. February 24, 2021.
  26. ^ State Republican Executive Committee, The Republican Party of Texas, TexasGOP.org, Austin, Texas.
  27. ^ Peterson, Kristina (July 27, 2021). "Texas Special Election Tests Trump's Influence in GOP". The Wall Street Journal. New York, New York. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  28. ^ Fearnow, Benjamin (February 22, 2021). "Katrina Pierson mulls House run, urges GOP to remove state lawmakers who certified Biden win". Newsweek. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  29. ^ Zilbermints, Regina (February 28, 2021). "Ex-Trump aide Pierson planning run for Congress". The Hill.
  30. ^ Axelrod, Tal (March 2, 2021). "Ex-Trump aide Pierson won't run for Dallas-area House seat". The Hill. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  31. ^ Patrick Svitek [@PatrickSvitek] (February 26, 2021). ".@MannyRamirez_TX , president of @FWPOA , says he won't run for #TX06" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  32. ^ a b c d e Svitek, Patrick (February 25, 2021). "Race to replace late U.S. Rep. Ron Wright already crowded — with more candidates likely". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  33. ^ "Form 1 for Shawn Lassiter for Congress". Federal Election Commission. Archived from the original on February 19, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  34. ^ Suprun, Christopher (December 5, 2016). "Opinion - Why I Will Not Cast My Electoral Vote for Donald Trump". The New York Times.
  35. ^ "Democrats view Texas congressional special election with a mix of optimism and caution after disappointing 2020". The Texas Tribune. March 23, 2021. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  36. ^ a b McFadden, Alyce (April 28, 2021). "Texas special election will test Trump's GOP legacy". OpenSecrets. Archived from the original on April 29, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  37. ^ a b "GOP candidate in Texas House race endorsed by fellow Korean American reps". The Hill. March 10, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  38. ^ a b Kelly, Caroline; Cole, Devan (April 2, 2021). "Republican congresswomen revoke endorsements of Texas GOP candidate after 'hurtful and untrue' comments about Chinese immigrants". CNN.
  39. ^ "SERY KIM RECEIVES ENDORSEMENTS FROM TWO DISTINGUISHED LEADERS" (PDF). SeryforTexas. March 14, 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 7, 2021. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  40. ^ "Sery Kim Backed by Trump Appointed Former ICE Director". Texas Politics. March 16, 2021. Archived from the original on March 17, 2021. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  41. ^ @PatrickSvitek (April 6, 2021). "New: @314action endorses Dem @ShawnLassiterTX, a former science teacher, in the #TX06 special election" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  42. ^ Paul Gosar [@RepGosar] (March 26, 2021). "Let's put an end to all the BULL coming out of DC and get BIG DAN to Washington! @DanRodimer" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  43. ^ "Hispanic Caucus joins race to flip GOP district in Texas special election". The Texas Signal. April 7, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  44. ^ Adam Kinzinger [@AdamKinzinger] (March 12, 2021). "If you're looking for someone who is running on a platform of #restoreourgop and a focus on optimism, service, and professional debates worthy of our American calling, take a gander at @michaelwoodtx" (Tweet). Retrieved March 12, 2021 – via Twitter.
  45. ^ Alexandra Hutzler (April 5, 2021). "Anti-Trump Republican Michael Wood Endorsed for House Seat by Texas' Biggest Newspaper". Newsweek.
  46. ^ The Republican Accountability Project [@accountablegop] (April 15, 2021). "RAP endorses @michaelwoodtx for Texas' 6th Congressional District. https://t.co/z7tHoMrMYw" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  47. ^ a b c d e f g h Daniel Friend (March 3, 2021). "Crowded Field of Candidates Finalized for Texas' 6th Congressional District Special Election". The Texan.
  48. ^ a b Susan Wright [@SusanWrightTX6] (March 18, 2021). "I am absolutely honored to be endorsed by a courageous conservative leader like Congressman Andy Biggs" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  49. ^ a b Patrick Svitek (February 22, 2021). "Susan Wright, GOP activist and wife of late U.S. Rep. Ron Wright, moving toward campaign to replace him". The Texas Tribune.
  50. ^ a b c d "Granger, Price Endorse Wright and Other News for March 8". TXElects. March 8, 2021.
  51. ^ a b Troy Nehls [@SheriffTNehls] (March 16, 2021). "Proud to support Susan Wright for Congress" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  52. ^ a b Brooks, Emily (March 7, 2021). "COVID made them widows. Now, two women seek husbands' House seats". Washington Examiner. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  53. ^ a b Elise Stefanik [@EliseStefanik] (March 26, 2021). "This will be a critical race, which is why @SusanWrightTX6, a proven warrior for our conservative values, has my full endorsement in #TX06. E-PAC has pledged to raise over $30,000 for Susan's campaign. Help us hit our goal by donating below!" (Tweet). Retrieved March 27, 2021 – via Twitter.
  54. ^ a b "Opinion: Texas Republicans must reject Sery Kim for her anti-Chinese rant". The Washington Post. April 6, 2021.
  55. ^ a b "Endorsement: Susan Wright For Congress (TX-6)". NYYRC.com. March 10, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  56. ^ a b Data for Progress (D)
  57. ^ Global Strategy Group (D)
  58. ^ Victoria Research (D)
  59. ^ Dave Wasserman (March 19, 2021). "Race to Replace Wright in TX-06 Heats Up". Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  60. ^ "2022 House Ratings". House Ratings. The Rothenberg Political Report. April 23, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
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  63. ^ a b c d e f Svitek, Patrick (July 29, 2021). "How Republican Jake Ellzey's bipartisan appeal, positive campaign helped him upset Trump's pick for Congress". Texas Tribune. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  64. ^ Dave Wasserman (July 9, 2021). "TX-06 Runoff: Can a Fighter Pilot Overcome a Trump Endorsement?". Archived from the original on December 8, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
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  66. ^ Kondik, Kyle (July 21, 2021). "Notes on the State of Politics: July 21, 2021". Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  67. ^ "Joe Barton backs Jake Ellzey over Susan Wright in Congressional District 6 runoff for his old seat". Dallas Morning News. July 19, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  68. ^ "Our recommendation for US House District 6 runoff". Dallas Morning News. July 18, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  69. ^ "It's Republican vs. Republican in this runoff for Congress. Here's our recommendation". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  70. ^ Dearman, Eleanor (June 14, 2021). "Senator Ted Cruz endorses Susan Wright for North Texas congressional seat". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  71. ^ "CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC ENDORSES SUSAN WRIGHT (TX-06)". clubforgrowth.org. April 28, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  72. ^ "Susan Wright (TX – 06)". Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  73. ^ "TXGOP Condemns Slanderous Voicemail About Congressional Candidate Susan Wright". Republican Party of Texas. April 30, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  74. ^ "PRO-LIFE WOMEN UPDATE: Susan Wright Advances in TX-06 Special Election". sba-list.org. May 1, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  75. ^ Texas Federation of College Republicans [@txfcr] (March 2, 2021). "The TXFCR Board is excited to announce that TXFCR wholeheartedly endorses @SusanWrightTX6 in her bid for Congress. We believe Susan will be a great congresswoman and will continue the great work of her husband. https://t.co/jOJiVemYuL" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  76. ^ "Susan Wright TX-06". Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  77. ^ American Viewpoint (R)
  78. ^ American Viewpoint (R)
  79. ^ "Texas Election Results". Retrieved July 27, 2021.
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Official websites of candidates

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