U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, cruised to his seventh term in Congress in a rematch against 66-year-old Republican Patrick Gillespie.
With 69.8% of the vote, the 53-year-old Democrat secured the seat for Texas’ 33rd Congressional District, a claw-shaped district stretching across Tarrant and Dallas counties, including parts of Fort Worth, Arlington, Grand Prairie, Irving and Dallas.
Gillespie took 30.3% of the vote in the race, which political experts widely deemed as uncompetitive due to gerrymandering.
District 33’s boundaries were last amended in 2021, in a congressional map that has drawn criticism for giving political security to incumbent lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Veasey campaigned on issues such as expanding access to affordable health care, providing low-income communities with career opportunities, ensuring abortion access and funding infrastructure improvements.
He’s called his efforts to raise federal funds for Fort Worth infrastructure projects one of his biggest accomplishments, and he’s campaigned on expanding public transportation infrastructure, which his campaign says is “essential for the metroplex to stay competitive in today’s economy.”
At a voter engagement event on Oct. 29 at Black Coffee in east Fort Worth, Veasey told the Report his priorities for a seventh term will stay the same no matter who wins the presidential election. Those priorities revolve around funding city improvement projects and working with his fellow Tarrant County representatives on the other side of the aisle.
When he gets back to D.C., Veasey said he’ll first work to fund the Affordable Connectivity Program, previously dubbed the Emergency Broadband Benefit program, which provides low-income families a monthly discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service and a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop or tablet.
Veasey said many Tarrant County residents participated in the soon-to-expire program, and he hopes to renew its funding.
The congressman also will prioritize keeping the government open by passing longer continuing resolutions — temporary spending bills that fund federal jobs and keep the government from shutting down.
“This area has a lot of federal jobs,” Veasey said, listing post offices, Fort Worth’s Federal Aviation Administration regional office and the city’s Federal Bureau of Printing and Engraving office. “We want to make sure that we keep the government open.”
In a September interview, Gillespie told the Report he is campaigning to halt a century-long progression of Communist principles he has seen in Congress. The country’s current leadership has been too weak to deal with the “humanitarian crisis throughout Central America and Mexico,” Gillespie said.
Regarding Fort Worth improvement projects, Gillespie wants more private funding involved. He doesn’t see a need for expanding public transportation, but would rather put money into improving roads, he said.
Veasey ran a low-key campaign typical of incumbent politicians in uncompetitive districts. The strategy focuses on emphasizing their accomplishments in Congress, rather than attacking opponents.
The congressman barely tapped into the stockpile of funds raised for his reelection campaigns. On Oct. 16, he had $1,043,531 in cash on hand, according to his most recent campaign finance report.
Veasey has represented Fort Worth alongside U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, who has held her seat representing most of west Fort Worth since 1997. Granger, now 81, is not running for reelection, and her seat will be filled by newly elected Republican Craig Goldman.
That means Veasey will be Fort Worth’s most senior House member come January 2025. He previously told the Report he views the new status as an opportunity to build on his achievements and face Tarrant County’s current challenges with a fresh perspective.
The final and official vote totals will be posted here.
Drew Shaw is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org or @shawlings601.
