Marc Veasey, Roger Williams set to join North Texas congressional delegation

By Anna M. Tinsley

atinsley@star-telegram.com

Democrat Marc Veasey won the race for the 33rd Congressional District -- one of four new districts statewide -- Tuesday night as Republican Roger Williams claimed the revamped 25th Congressional District, stretching from the edges of Tarrant County to Austin.

They will be the newest members of the North Texas delegation, as all current local congressional leaders appeared on their way to re-election.

Veasey, a state representative from Fort Worth, won the battle for the 33rd, which stretches from Fort Worth's Stockyards to Dallas' Oak Cliff neighborhood.

And Williams, a former Texas secretary of state and well-known Weatherford auto dealer with deep local roots, claimed his first elected post -- as the new representative for the redrawn U.S. House District 25.

"We have a lot of work to do. The district has a lot of needs," Veasey said after The Associated Press called the race in his favor early in the evening. "I'm pretty excited about it."

Williams said he is ready to get to work.

"I'm ready to roll my sleeves up and take our pro-business message to Washington, D.C.," Williams said after the AP called his race.

Veasey and Williams will be sworn in when the new Congress convenes in January.

Here's a look at the results, as of late Tuesday, in local congressional races, according to incomplete, unofficial election returns from the Texas secretary of state's office.

District 6

U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Ennis, handily led in his re-election bid, with 58.53 percent of the vote, with 134 of 251 precincts reporting.

Democrat Kenneth Sanders had 38.96 percent, Libertarian Hugh Chauvin claimed 1.76 percent and Green Party candidate Brandon Parmer garnered 0.73 percent.

The district includes most of Arlington and Mansfield and all of Ellis and Navarro counties. This will be the 15th term for Barton, who also owns a home in Arlington.

District 12

U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, was ahead in her re-election bid with 71.29 percent of the vote, with 194 of 259 precincts reporting.

Democrat Dave Robinson earned 26.41 percent and Libertarian Matthew Solodow had 2.29 percent.

The district includes downtown Fort Worth, all of Parker County and more than 23,000 people in Wise County. Granger, a former Fort Worth mayor, has represented the district since 1996.

District 24

U.S. Rep. Kenny Marchant, R-Coppell, was leading in his re-election bid, claiming 63.73 percent of the vote, with 66 of 267 precincts reporting.

Democrat Tim Rusk earned 33.76 percent and Libertarian John Stathas claimed 2.49 percent.

The district stretches from far east Fort Worth to Southlake and The Colony and includes parts of Tarrant, Dallas and Denton counties.

Marchant, a real estate developer, investor and former state representative, has represented the district since 2004.

District 25

Williams led in his election bid, claiming 62.03 percent of the vote, with 116 of 237 precincts reporting.

Democrat Elaine M. Henderson garnered 34.55 percent of the vote and Libertarian Betsy Dewey had 3.4 percent.

Last year's redistricting flipped this district from Democratic-leaning to Republican-leaning, so much that the incumbent, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, switched to nearby District 35 for his re-election bid.

The revamped district -- now home to the Comanche Peak nuclear power plant near Glen Rose, Fort Hood near Killeen, the University of Texas at Austin and the Texas Capitol -- draws its biggest population base, about 240,000 voters, from the Austin area. But it includes thousands of residents in Johnson and Tarrant counties.

Williams, who has homes in Weatherford and Fort Worth, was appointed to serve as Texas secretary of state from 2005 to 2007.

He first planned to run for Kay Bailey Hutchison's U.S. Senate seat, then the newly drawn 33rd Congressional District. But after courts intervened, changing boundaries on some districts, Williams decided to run in the 25th Congressional District and moved to Austin.

"It has been a long time," he said Tuesday night from a gathering at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin.

"I'm really excited, not only for our staff but for all the people who have supported us.

"This has been a long road for us, with the redistricting process."

District 26

U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Lewisville, led in his re-election bid, picking up 69.92 percent of the vote, with 66 of 158 precincts reporting.

Democrat David Sanchez gained 27.47 percent and Libertarian Mark Boler claimed 2.59 percent.

The district covers all of Denton County, part of Wise County and a patch of northern Tarrant County, including Westlake, north Keller and far north Fort Worth.

Burgess, an obstetrician, was first elected in 2002 after defeating Scott Armey, son of House Majority Leader Dick Armey of Denton County.

District 33

Veasey was ahead with 73.32 percent of the vote, with 100 of 273 precincts reporting.

Republican Chuck Bradley earned 25.36 percent and Green Party candidate Ed Lindsay picked up 1.3 percent.

This district, one of four that Texas gained because of population growth, was designed to give North Texas minority voters a chance to elect a U.S. representative of their choice.

Veasey, who began his political career as a longtime aide to former U.S. Rep. Martin Frost, D-Arlington, won a multimillion-dollar, fiercely contested Democratic primary battle this year against former state Rep. Domingo Garcia of Dallas.

"I'm pretty excited about this," said Veasey, who attended election night watch parties in Dallas and at the downtown Hilton in Fort Worth. "There's a lot of work that lies ahead.

"I'm going to enjoy [Tuesday night] and [today], the real work begins."

Anna M. Tinsley, 817-390-7610

Twitter: @annatinsley

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