Republican Craig Goldman wins race to succeed US Rep. Kay Granger of Fort Worth
Republican Craig Goldman has won the race to succeed Kay Granger to represent Texas’ 12th Congressional District.
Granger made history in 1997 when she became the first Republican woman to represent Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Goldman thanked Granger at his election night party, saying her service to the greater Fort Worth community is unparalleled.
“Ross Perot Jr. said it best: Kay Granger is a living legend,” he said.
The district contain parts of Tarrant and Parker counties, stretching from west Fort Worth to just east of Mineral Wells. The district also contains parts of far north Fort Worth, Saginaw and Benbrook.
While the district no longer includes Panther Island, it does include downtown Fort Worth and the West 7th District, which will benefit from flood protection provided by the 1.5-mile bypass channel connecting two sections of the Trinity River.
The island and the federal flood control project were key parts of Granger’s tenure, and Goldman along with Rep. Marc Veasey will be responsible for ensuring the project’s completion. A recent update from the Tarrant Regional Water District estimated the project still needs $26.8 million in federal and state matching funding.
Veasey, a Fort Worth Democrat, easily won re-election.
Goldman will have considerably less influence in Washington than the outgoing Granger, who until March 2024 served as the chair of the House Appropriations Committee.
However, his decade of experience as a state representative in Austin, along with relationships among Texas’ congressional delegation, will help to make sure the district doesn’t get left behind, he said.
Goldman noted his relationship with Granger’s staff, which will help him transition from Austin to Washington.
As a state representative since 2012, Goldman has represented parts of the congressional district, including Benbrook, White Settlement and Crowley.
Goldman’s top three federal policy priorities are increasing border security, strengthening the American economy, and supporting the continued development of the F-35 fighter jet — made by Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth — as a way to promote strong national defense.
One of Goldman’s proudest achievements in the Legislature was the passage of “Molly Jane’s Law,” which helps law enforcement identify patterns of sexual assaults and identify potential offenders.
The law was named for Molly Jane Matheson, who was raped and strangled in her TCU area home in April 2017. Goldman acknowledged Molly Jane’s mother, Tracy, in the election night audience and credited her advocacy in Austin for getting the law passed.
Goldman promised to put forward a federal law after being sworn in to Congress.
Democratic challenger Trey Hunt acknowledged his loss in a statement posted to social media around 9:20 p.m. on election night. He called the loss a missed opportunity and blamed Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa for not investing in Tarrant County.
“The consistent absence of support from the broader party apparatus has limited our progress in Texas politics and contributed to underperformance when real change was within reach,” he said, while at the same time praising Democratic Party organizations in Tarrant and Parker County.
All other North Texas congressional incumbents kept their seats, with Republicans Beth Van Duyne of Irving and Jake Ellzey of Waxahachie easily winning reelection.
In the other open seat, Trump-backed Republican Brandon Gill of Flower Mound easily won Texas’ 26th congressional district, taking over for outgoing incumbent Republican Michael Burgess of Lewisville.
This story was originally published November 5, 2024 at 7:12 PM.
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