With all polling locations reporting, former Republican Women of Van Zandt president Jill Dutton appeared to have pulled ahead Greenville attorney Brent Money to win the special runoff election for Texas House District 2.
That's according to unofficial results posted on the Texas Secretary of State’s website.
Polls closed at 7 p.m. Tuesday night. Results from just after 9:30 p.m. showed Dutton took 50.4% of votes while Money earned 49.6%, with Dutton leading slightly more than 100 votes.
Dutton claimed the race in a statement posted on X Tuesday night.
"Tonight was a resounding victory for conservatives across this district," the statement reads. "Thank you, Van Zandt, Hopkins, and Hunt Counties!"
— Jill Dutton (@JillDutton) January 31, 2024
Gov. Greg Abbott's campaign account also congratulated Dutton on social media.
"Congratulations to House District 2’s newly elected State Representative @JillDutton!" reads the post on X.
Dutton will replace ousted former State Rep. Bryan Slaton, R-Royse City, in the northeast Texas seat. Slaton resigned and was expelled from his office in May 2023 after the House’s General Investigating Committee found he gave a 19-year-old office aide alcohol and had sex with her.
The district encompasses Hopkins, Hunt and Van Zandt counties in northeast Texas. In November’s special election for the House seat, Money won 31.77% of the vote while Dutton won 25.23%. Because neither won the majority, both were on the ballot once again for Tuesday’s runoff election.
Dutton will serve the rest of Slaton’s term until January 2025. Still, Dutton and Money will both be on the ballot for the March 5 Republican primary election to determine who will serve a full term in the seat afterward.
Dutton is a former Van ISD school board trustee who runs a construction consulting company with her husband. Money owns a private law firm and real estate title company and was a Greenville City Council member until 2021.
Money and Dutton campaigned on similar conservative values like stricter border security and stances against abortion.
The difference lies in the Republican groups and individuals who have backed them. Dutton reported nearly $287,000 raised in campaign contributions in the first three weeks of January leading up to the runoff. She won support from former Gov. Rick Perry and funding from groups like the Texas Alliance for Life and the Associated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund.
Current Republican leaders like Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton have voiced their support for Money. He reported more than $110,000 in campaign contributions in January with contributions from groups like Texans United for a Conservative Majority.
Got a tip? Email Toluwani Osibamowo at tosibamowo@kera.org. You can follow Toluwani on Twitter @tosibamowo.
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