All Nine Texas First Pledge Signers Seeking House Re-election Lead the Count

All nine Texas First Pledge signers who ran for re-election to the Texas House on Tuesday lead in the unofficial count, and all nine lead with every precinct counted. Across the 28 races on the November 3 ballot that included a pledge signer, the signer is ahead or unopposed in 18.

The figures come from the Texas Secretary of State’s election-night returns and the counties’ own counts, as compiled by the Texian Partisan’s Election Desk at 2:55 a.m. Wednesday. Every number below is unofficial until the canvass.

The pledge is a public commitment by candidates and officeholders of any party. Signers pledge “to place the interests of Texas and Texans before any other nation, state, political entity, organization, or individual” and to uphold the right of Texans under Article 1, Section 2 of the Texas Constitution “to alter, reform or abolish their government.” The Texas Nationalist Movement (TNM), which keeps the list of signers, says the pledge is not an endorsement.

Texas House

Fifteen other House incumbents trailed in the Election Desk’s count early Wednesday. None of the nine pledge signers did.

District 2: Brent Money, 75.6 percent (54,261 to 17,528), all 81 precincts counted.

District 18: Janis Holt, 72.2 percent (48,367 to 18,635), all 62 precincts counted.

District 30: AJ Louderback, 71.7 percent (43,962 to 17,380), all 99 precincts counted.

District 53: Wes Virdell, 72.9 percent (60,766 to 22,539), all 136 precincts counted.

District 61: Keresa Richardson leads Brittany Black by 134 votes, 44,760 to 44,626, with all 56 precincts counted. A Green Party candidate drew 1,692.

District 62: Shelley Luther, 73.5 percent (52,697 to 18,963), all 77 precincts counted.

District 64: Andy Hopper, 54.5 percent (45,572 to 37,970), all 65 precincts counted.

District 65: Mitch Little, 53.0 percent (47,256 to 41,926), all 55 precincts counted.

District 91: David Lowe, 52.7 percent (33,009 to 29,669), with all 56 precincts counted as of 6:23 a.m.

Four other signers were on the ballot for the House and trail. Libertarians Jeff Miller (District 14) and Darren Hamilton (District 57) drew 2.5 and 2.4 percent. Republicans Tim McDonough (District 114) and Ben Mostyn (District 117) have 29.8 and 30.7 percent.

Congress, the State Board of Education and the Senate

Steve Toth leads for U.S. House District 2 by 7,349 votes, 137,997 to 130,648, or 51.4 percent. Julie Pickren leads for State Board of Education District 7 with 51.4 percent (362,377 to 342,833), and Kason Huddleston leads in District 9 with 58.0 percent (389,579 to 282,562). The state’s feed does not yet give a precinct count for those three races.

Julie Dahlberg trails Judith Zaffirini in Senate District 21, 30.6 percent to 69.4 percent, with 270 of 324 precincts counted.

Statewide

Don Huffines, the pledge’s most prominent signer on the ballot, has 46.1 percent for comptroller to Sarah Eckhardt’s 51.3 percent, with 253 of 254 counties reporting. Huffines conceded the race, Texas Monthly reported. Jenn Mack, a write-in candidate for governor, has 1,587 votes.

County and District Offices

Waller County Commissioner, Precinct 2: Shannon Birkelbach, 74.2 percent (3,928 to 1,365), all 32 precincts counted.

Denton County Commissioner, Precinct 4: David Wylie, 55.3 percent (58,161 to 46,919), 66 of 67 precincts.

Tarrant County Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4: Chris Gregory, 54.8 percent (50,341 to 41,457).

McLennan County District Clerk: Rebecca Eubank, unopposed, 55,806 votes.

Hunt County Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4: Clay Rankin, unopposed, 6,726 votes, count complete.

Angelina County Commissioner, Precinct 1 (unexpired term): Tim Sprinkle, unopposed. The county had posted no votes.

Harris County Clerk: Mike Wolfe trails with 36.7 percent, all 1,224 precincts counted.

Fort Bend County Clerk: Tamara McFarlane trails with 40.0 percent, 197 of 201 precincts.

231st District Court: Judge Leslie Barrows trails with 44.4 percent in Tarrant County’s count.

More Than 4.3 Million Voters

Huffines alone had 4,354,823 votes at 2:55 a.m. Every one of those voters cast a ballot for a pledge signer, so at least that many Texans did, before counting anyone who voted for a signer down the ballot but not for Huffines.

Every House member who signed the pledge put in writing that Texans may alter, reform or abolish their government. On a night when 15 other House incumbents fell behind, all nine of them are still ahead.