Summer Special Election for Senate District 19 Heats Up

Voters in Senate District 19 will once again have to Get Out and VOTE this summer.

Republican candidates Pete Flores and Democratic party candidate Pete Gallego are headed to a runoff in the Texas’ Senate District 19 race.

With all District 19 precincts reporting, Flores received 34 percent of the vote, Pete Gallego received 29 percent of the vote, and Roland Gutierrez finished not far behind with 24 percent. The remaining four candidates made up the difference.

The Senate District 19 Seat is open after former State Senator Carlos Uresti resigned last month. Uresti was found guilty of fraud in a Ponzi scheme tied to an oil and gas company and has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.

District 19 runs along the Mexico border and includes parts of Bexar and Atascosa counties.
According to the Texas Secretary of State, the number of votes cast in this special election will be the third fewest for a state Senate special election not coinciding with an even-year general election since at least 1997.

Governor Abbott decided to hold the election during the summer month when most voter are not paying attention and not used to holding elections held during this period Despite the Republican victory, Jason Stanford, a former Democratic consultant for Gallego, is optimistic. He’s impressed by the total number of Democrats voting in a special election in the middle of the summer.

“The real story is that Democratic performance in that district increased by 8 percent over election day voting in 2016. That is shocking, and it is evidence that the Democratic wave is hitting Texas,” Stanford said.

Stanford said overall there were more Democratic votes cast but they were split between four candidates, diminishing their benefits.

Abbott’s office has not yet selected the day for the September runoff election. So if you don’t like voting during the heat, blame it on Governor.

Photo Credit: Rivard Report