Fort Worth State House member Marc Veasey has defeated his Dallas challenger, former State Representative Domingo Garcia.
Veasey finished ahead of Garcia in the May primary and sealed the runoff win for the brand new Congressional District 33 seat with 53 percent of the vote. While he trailed Garcia in Dallas County, Veasey overwhelmed his opponent in Fort Worth, thanks to a large turnout. Now, he must unite the east and west parts of District 33.
“We made history right here in north Texas this evening. And despite what the pundits said, this election was never about Dallas vs. Fort Worth. It was never African American vs. Hispanic,” Veasey said. “This election was about making sure that North Texans were represented fairly and honestly.”
Veasey boasted several Dallas officials on his side, including State Representative Eric Johnson.
“I think he will be equally attentive to all parts of his district. He’s going to do a great job, he’ll be fine,” Johnson said.
Veasey said his first priority in Washington will be jobs, because he said, people are hurting in North Texas. If he wins in November, he’ll become Tarrant County’s first African American in Congress. In defeat, Garcia graciously praised his supporters and expressed pride in a campaign designed to give Hispanics a bigger voice.
“This campaign is more than Domingo Garcia. It’s about political empowerment and about the future of the Metroplex and of Texas,” Garcia said.
Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez, who backed Garcia, did not sound bitter about the outcome.
“We have to accept that whoever is going to lead this Congressional district is going to represent everybody,” Valdez said. “I would do the same. I’m sure Marc will represent this section in a way it should be represented.”
Because District 33 is mostly Democrat, observers expect Veasey will defeat Republican opponent Chuck Bradley in November.
