Republican Beth Van Duyne has declared victory in the race for Texas' 24th Congressional District. Official results for this race have not been called, and Democrat Candace Valenzuela is not conceding. Her team called Van Duyne's statement of victory "premature and irresponsible."
Texas' 24th Congressional District spans parts Dallas, Denton, and Tarrant Counties. With no incumbent on the ballot, the race for this suburban North Texas district has been extremely competitive.
NEW: @candacefor24’s campaign says @Bethvanduyne declaring victory in the highly competitive #TX24 race is “premature and irresponsible.”
— Syeda Hasan (@syedareports) November 4, 2020
Valenzuela has not conceded the race. #TXDecides pic.twitter.com/Ag12Hq3Ea9
This Congressional District has been a Republican stronghold for years. When incumbent Republican Kenny Marchant announced he would not seek reelection, Democrats saw an opportunity to flip the seat. Texas 24 has attracted a slew of national attention and funding this election season.
Democratic candidate Candace Valenzuela is a a former trustee on the Carrollton-Farmers Branch school board. She bills herself as the most progressive member of that board, saying she learned to work across ideological lines to get results. Valenzuela supports policies like a public health insurance option and raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. She's earned endorsements from high-profile Democrats, including former President Barack Obama. If elected, Valenzuela would be the first Black Latina to serve in Congress.
As the first female mayor of Irving, Republican candidate Beth Van Duyne is a well-known conservative voice in North Texas politics. Van Duyne eventually left city government to work as regional administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She was appointed by President Donald Trump, who has endorsed her in this Congressional race. Her policy priorities include looser regulations on healthcare, like the ability to buy plans across state lines, and tougher border security. Van Duyne, who is white, says she's not running a campaign based on "identity politics."
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