SAN ANTONIO – Gina Ortiz Jones declared a victory in the Democratic race for Texas’ 23rd Congressional District. At one point, she led with 70% of the vote.
Efrain V. Valdez was in a distant second with 11% of the vote, and Rosalinda “Rosey” Ramos Abuabara had 10% of the vote.
With this victory, Jones will represent the Democratic party in the November general election. She said after dedicating her life to public service, she is ready to take the seat for Texas’ 23rd Congressional District.
“I’m honored to be the Democratic nominee in Texas’ 23rd Congressional District. I’ve dedicated my life to public service, and I’m running for Congress to expand the opportunities that allowed me to grow up healthy, get a quality education, and serve our country. Folks in South and West Texas are ready to send a leader to Washington who will fight for quality, lower cost health care, responsible and compassionate immigration reform, and an economy that works for everyone.”
This is one of the most competitive congressional districts in the country.
On the Republican ticket, which is jam-packed with nine candidates, there is a two-man race between Tony Gonzales and Raul Reyes. Gonzales leads with 27% of the vote, while Reyes has 23%. The two are likely headed to a May 26th runoff.
Only 35% of precincts are reporting.
Votes
%
Tony Gonzales(R)
Raul Reyes(R)
Alma Arredondo-Lynch(R)
Ben Van Winkle(R)
Jeff McFarlin(R)
Sharon Breckenridge Thomas(R)
Cecil B. "Burt" Jones(R)
Alia Ureste(R)
Darwin Boedeker(R)
(686 / 686)
Votes
%
Gina Ortiz Jones(D)
Efrain V. Valdez(D)
Rosalinda "Rosey" Ramos Abuabara(D)
Ricardo R. Madrid(D)
Jaime Escuder(D)
(692 / 692)
Find live results for all races here.
After a narrow win in the 2018 general election, Republican Congressman Will Hurd announced in 2019 that he wouldn’t seek reelection in the border district, which spans nearly all of Texas’ southwestern border and up to San Antonio.
The race is significant to both parties. Democrats are hoping to flip it and add to their margins in Congress, while Republicans hope to keep the seat red.
Hurd endorsed Gonzales, a San Antonio native and military veteran whose politics appear to align largely with Hurd’s.
Ortiz Jones, an Air Force veteran, has already run in the district. In fact, she nearly won the seat outright in the midterm against Hurd.
Jones is going up against four contenders and Reyes is running in a crowded field of nine. Both will look to avoid a runoff election on Tuesday night.