Ex-Trump official Beth Van Duyne leads GOP vote in House District 24
A former Irving mayor and Trump administration official was leading the Republican nomination for Congressional District 24, which includes much of Northeast Tarrant County and northern Dallas suburbs.
Beth Van Duyne, who served as a Housing and Urban Development administrator until last year, led four opponents with 64.27% of the vote in the Republican primary with 95% of precincts reporting as of 6:30 a.m.
Meanwhile, on the Democratic side for District 24, Kim Olson held a slim lead over Candace Valenzuela, who she may face in a runoff. Olson, a retired Air Force colonel, had 39.13% of votes, ahead of Valenzuela’s 32.15%.
During her campaign, Van Duyne pushed for common-sense approaches to issues such as spending and immigration. Years ago, she drew national headlines for alleging that a North Texas Islamic dispute resolution center was pushing for Sharia law.
Other GOP candidates were political newcomers Desi Maes (7%), a retired Army Green Beret; Realtor Jeron Liverman (2.3%), Realtor Sunny Chaparala (6.9%), and property manager David Fegan (15.5%).
On the Democratic side, Olson, who nearly won a statewide election for agriculture commissioner in 2018, is a former Weatherford school board member. Valenzuela is a former Carrollton-Farmers Branch school trustee.
Other candidates included John Biggan, a neuroscientist (2.7%); businessman Richard Fleming (5%); Jan McDowell, who won the Democratic nomination in 2016 and 2018 but lost in the general election (12.6%); and project manager Sam Vega (3.5%). Crystal Fletcher, whose name was on the ballot even though she dropped out, got 5%.
The district 24 seat became open when Republican U.S. Rep. Kenny Marchant opted not to seek re-election.
In other area congressional races, incumbent Roger Williams was on the way to re-election with 88.2 of votes for District 25 — which stretches from near Fort Worth to Austin — over challenger Keith Neuendorff’s 11.8%. Democrats Julie Oliver had 70.3% and Heidi Sloan had 29.7%.
In District 26, which includes Denton County and northern Tarrant County, incumbent Michael Burgess had 73.2% in the Republican primary compared to challengers Michael Armstrong (8%), Jason Mrochek (7%) and Jack Wyman (11.8%).
In the Democratic primary in district 26, Carol Iannuzzi’s had 53.5% compared to Mat Pruneda’s 29.4% and Neil Durrance’s 17.1%.
District 33
In District 33, which stretches from downtown Fort Worth to Dallas mostly south of the Trinity River, Democratic incumbent Marc Veasey had 72.4% in Tarrant County compared to 27.6% for opponent Sean Paul Segura. Republican Fabian Cordova Vasquez was unopposed.
This story was originally published March 3, 2020 at 8:18 PM.
