Elizabeth Beck declares victory in Democratic House District 97 primary
Elizabeth Beck declared victory after taking a strong lead over Dan Willis in the Democratic primary for the Texas House District 97 seat.
Beck will face Republican Craig Goldman, who was unopposed in the primary, in the November general election.
Beck had 88.74% of the vote and Willis had 11.26%, according to unofficial results.
The district covers southwest Fort Worth to the Tarrant County line and includes the TCU area and Benbrook.
The Texas House seat has been a target for Tarrant Democrats hoping to take it — and the county — from Republican control this year.
Tarrant County, which has remained red through the years as nearly every other major urban county has gone blue, is believed to be key in elections. It is seen as a bellwether for any political shift that might happen in Texas.
Goldman was first elected in 2012 and won with 53% of the vote in 2018.
With the first obstacle behind her, Beck said she will focus on winning the Nov. 3 election by stepping back into the arena on Wednesday.
“That means fundraising, block walking, engaging with the community and building a volunteer base,” she said.
Beck grew up in the area she’s hoping to represent.
“District 97 is home for me, and I don’t think that Craig Goldman represents the people of 97 and their values down in Austin,” she said. “I spent several years working to help get other women elected in Tarrant County and really decided that I could no longer sit on the sidelines and watch what was happening in Austin. I needed to be the one to make that change.”
Dan Willis, a 74-year-old physician, didn’t return calls for comment, but he said via email that he chose to seek office to improve the lives of Texans.
Goldman did not return a call for comment.
This story was originally published March 3, 2020 at 7:50 PM.
