After days of tallying votes across three counties, Democrat Candace Valenzuela has conceded the race for Texas' 24th Congressional District.
In a concession speech posted on YouTube, Valenzuela said she is ending her campaign "after a thorough count of the votes." She thanked supporters for helping to build momentum around her campaign, which came close to flipping this historically red district.
"Most importantly, we have forced the gatekeepers of the political process to reimagine who belongs at the table," Valenzuela said.
Valenzuela also congratulated Republican Beth Van Duyne, a former mayor of Irving, on her victory in this race. Van Duyne issued a statement following Valenzuela's concession, saying this was a "hard-fought election under the most challenging and bizarre of circumstances."
"My pledge to the people of the 24th District is that no matter whom you supported in this election, I will work tirelessly for you and your family to expand job opportunities, deliver sustainable growth for our region and empower all of our citizens with a stronger, brighter future," Van Duyne said.
Texas' 24th Congressional District has long been a Republican stronghold, spanning smaller cities and northern suburbs across Dallas, Denton and Tarrant Counties.
The 2020 race was wide open after Republican incumbent Kenny Marchant announced he would not seek reelection. Texas Democrats seized on the opportunity to try and flip the district, throwing their support behind Valenzuela. Though the effort was unsuccessful, political observers expect this district to remain competitive in coming election years.
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