Voters tapped Republican Craig Goldman as U.S. Rep. Kay Granger’s successor.
Goldman, a six-term Texas House member, easily defeated Democrat Trey Hunt in the race for Texas’ 12th Congressional District, which covers western Tarrant County and most of Parker County.
The Associated Press called the race for Goldman at 7:49 p.m. Nov. 5. Goldman garnered 64.1% of the vote to Hunt’s 35.9%, according to the AP’s count of unofficial vote returns.
This marks the second time Hunt, a My Health My Resources of Tarrant County homeless housing coordinator, has lost a race for the 12th Congressional District. He previously ran against Granger in 2022.
The 2024 election marks the first open race for the seat since Granger’s election in 1996. She has served nearly three decades in Congress.
The seat is solidly red. No Democrat has won it since 1994. In 2020, President Donald Trump won the 12th Congressional District by 18 percentage points.
Goldman leaned into his record in the Texas Legislature, where he has been a top lieutenant to Speaker Dade Phelan.
“I encourage you to go to my website, look at my record and look at what I’ve done. My entire adult life, I’ve identified a problem, I’ve come up with a solution. I’ve been able to do it at the Texas Legislature. I’m certainly going to do it as a member of the U.S. Congress, and I’d be honored to have your vote,” Goldman said during a primary election victory party May 28.
Goldman has focused on securing the U.S.-Mexico border. The federal government under President Joe Biden has not paid attention to the border, leading the Legislature to approve $5 billion for border security in 2023, Goldman said. The Fort Worth Republican has said the issue will be his top priority in Washington, D.C.
Goldman significantly outraised Hunt. Throughout the campaign, Goldman raised nearly $2.8 million, while Hunt collected $27,836, according to finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Jacob Sanchez is a senior education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at jacob.sanchez@fortworthreport.org or @_jacob_sanchez.
