Candace Valenzuela wins Texas runoff to replace retiring Rep. Marchant

Former local school board member Candace Valenzuela won the Democratic primary runoff in Texas’ 24th District on Tuesday as she looks to replace retiring Rep. Kenny Marchant (R) and turn the seat blue.

Valenzuela won with 60 percent of the vote, with 60 percent of precincts reporting, according to the Associated Press. She beat former Air Force officer Kim Olson in the runoff election after neither of the two surpassed the 50 percent threshold to avoid a runoff during their primary on March 3.

In November, Valenzuela will run against Republican Beth Van Duyne, a former Trump administration official and Irving mayor who won the GOP primary on March 3. Neither Olson nor Valenzuela cleared the 50 percent threshold to avoid a runoff several months ago.

Nonpartisan handicapper The Cook Political Report rates the race a “toss up.” 

The district, which stretches between Dallas and Fort Worth, has turned increasingly purple. In 2018, Marchant beat the Democratic candidate by just three points. Trump won the district by 6 points in 2016.