Tarrant Republicans on their way to holding 5 Texas House seats
Texas House locked in tight race
The races for House seats targeted by Democrats in an effort to take control of the lower chamber have only grown closer as of Wednesday morning.
In House District 92 between Republican Jeff Cason and Democrat Jeff Whitfield, Cason lead 51.06% to 46.99%, according to unofficial results as of 12:33 a.m.
Republican Incumbent Matt Krause, held a 54.71% to 45.29% lead over Democrat Lydia Bean in District 93. In House District 94, Republican incumbent Tony Tinderholt still led the race over Democrat Alisa Simmons 51.05% to 45.78%.
Tuesday Night Results
Tarrant County Republicans were on their way Tuesday night to maintaining control of five Texas House seats that Democrats had targeted in an effort to take control of the lower chamber.
The tightest race was taking place in House District 92 between Republican Jeff Cason and Democrat Jeff Whitfield, where Cason 51.20% to 46.86%, according to unofficial results. The incumbent, Republican Jonathan Stickland of Bedford, did not run for re-election.
Incumbent Tony Tinderholt led the District 94 race over Democrat Alisa Simmons 51.34% to 45.53%. He told the Star-Telegram late Tuesday that it’s an honor to continue serving people in Austin. He wants to make sure everyone in his district feels represented regardless of party affiliation.
Going into Election Day there was talk that Democrats could flip these seats because of strong showings in 2018 and an unprecedented influx of cash, but Tinderholt said Tarrant County Republicans were always confident.
“We had the hard work,” Tinderholt said.
Incumbent Matt Krause, who held a 54.72% to 45.28% lead over Lydia Bean in District 93, told the Star-Telegram that the Republicans’ victories showed that the Democrats’ money does not work in Tarrant County, which has long been a Republican stronghold.
Looking ahead to the 87th Texas Legislature, Krause said the two big-ticket items are the state’s budget and the redistricting. Locally, he will be looking to push through transportation bills and criminal justice reform, he said.
House District 92
Republican Jeff Cason led Democrat Jeff Whitfield 51.06% to 46.99%.
House District 92 covers most of Hurst, Bedford and Euless. Whitfield, 46, is an Arlington lawyer who spent time as a legislative aide to state Sen. John Whitmire. Cason, 67, a former Bedford city councilman, has the support of Stickland and the political advocacy group Empower Texans.
If elected, Cason told the Star-Telegram he will focus on property taxes and making sure his constituents are not overtaxed.
House District 93
Republican Incumbent Matt Krause, held a 54.71% to 45.29% lead over Democrat Lydia Bean.
Krause, 40, was first elected in 2013. He is a constitutional attorney, college professor of American history and government and works in business development for Vista Bank.
District 93 Covers a slice of north Fort Worth, central Arlington, parts of Haslet and a portion of Haltom City. Krause, 40, He was first elected in 2013.
Bean, 40, is the daughter of past legislative candidate Nancy Bean and has a Ph.D. from Harvard University and taught sociology at Baylor University.
In the 86th Texas Legislature, Krause authored or jointly authored bills that prohibited municipalities from requiring an employer to provide paid sick leave and one that would allow people to renew or obtain a license in their profession regardless of their student loan status.
House District 94
Republican incumbent Tony Tinderholt led the race over Democrat Alisa Simmons 51.05% to 45.78%.
Republican incumbent Tinderholt, 50, was on his way to a fourth term. He told the Star-Telegram won’t support raising taxes. To raise taxes during a year when more than a million Texans lost their jobs would hurt many families, he said.
District 94 covers Dalworthington Gardens, Pantego and southwest Arlington. He spent 21 years in the armed forces, serving tours all around the world.
Simmons, 57, spent 35 years in Tarrant County’s 9-1-1 District, owns a small business and worked for nonprofits.
House District 96
Former Mansfield mayor and Republican David Cook defeated Democratic challenger Joe Drago, according to the Associated Press. Cook led 51.24% to 46.05%.
District 96 covers most of Mansfield, Kennedale and Crowley. Cook, 49, has been the mayor of Mansfield since 2008 and was a former legislative aide to the late State Sen. Chris Harris.
Drago, 52, is a Fort Worth native and a practicing attorney at at Brackett & Ellis, P.C. in downtown Fort Worth.
Cook told the Star-Telegram he wants to continue fighting COVID-19, improving health care for women, improving/defending law enforcement, keeping taxes low and getting the economy back on track.
House District 97
Republican incumbent Craig Goldman, 52, was leading Democrat Elizabeth Beck 52.83% to 44.88% in his bid for a fifth term. Goldman, a Fort Worth native and businessman, told the Star-Telegram that he wants to balance the state’s budget without having to raise taxes. He also wants to keep everyone not only safe from the coronavirus but also from the domestic violence and the harm to children that have come from lockdowns.
In the 86th Texas Legislature Goldman co-authored a bill that would revise the statute of limitations on untested sexual assault kits.
Dems’ gains in 2018
In 2018, Beto O’Rourke topped Sen. Ted Cruz by 3,869 votes in Tarrant County, which until then had been the last major urban county to remain reliably red. In the same election, Stickland won with less than 50% of the vote, and the other seats were won by Republicans, but much closer margins than they were used to.
After Democrats announced they would target these seats in 2019, the money poured in.
In the latest finance report, Democrats raised $3 million during the period from Sept. 25 to Oct. 24, a 6,805% increase over the $43,445 they raised in 2016. That also tops the $2.6 million they raised from Nov. 1, 2018 until Oct. 7, 2020.
Republicans have raised $3.8 million during the same period. They raised about $3 million during the two-year period between November 2018 and Oct. 7, 2020.
The unprecedented amount of money put into these races even had Gov. Greg Abbott chip in $300,000 to Rep. Matt Krause in House District 93, David Cook in District 96 and Goldman in 97. Political observers said Abbott fears losing Republican control in the House as the 87th Legislature nears.
This story was originally published November 3, 2020 at 7:27 PM.
