JEFFERSON COUNTY, Texas — After a hard fought race for State House Representative District 21, Dade Phelan emerged victorious by a narrow margin. However, with his future as House Speaker up in the air, the battle is not yet over for Phelan.
"I think he has a much better chance of, of holding on to the speakership. It's going to be a fight, and no matter what there's going to be much more hard, hard core conservative republicans in the Texas House than before," said former State House reporter for the Dallas Morning News, Bob Garrett.
Tuesday night, Dade Phelan walked away a winner. Defeating his opponent, David Covey in the race for State House Representative District 21.
"No one is more excited than me and my wife and children. The voters of Southeast Texas, they choose me," said Phelan.
Lamar University political science professor, Dr. James Nelson was slightly surprised by the outcome of the race.
"I thought that Covey was more likely to win, but that Phelan winning by a narrow margin or Covey barely winning was both likely scenarios," said Dr. Nelson.
Dr. Nelson does not believe that the storm on election day made a big impact on the way people voted.
"The more conservative of the two did better in the rural areas, and Phelan, who is seen as less conservative, did better in the urban and suburban areas," Dr. Nelson said.
However, Bob Garrett says that Phelan could be walking into the proverbial lions den when he returns to the legislature.
"The acrimony of this year's Texas civil war is going to linger. There's no love lost between Dade Phelan and the Lt. Governor, who runs the senate, Dan Patrick. Nor is Dade Phelan indebted to Governor Greg Abbott, who didn't really come to his defense in this battle with David Covey," said Garrett.
On the other side of the runoff, the sting of losing is still being felt by David Covey and his supporters.
12News was there when Covey conceded and later released a statement saying, "We did not get the outcome so many of us hoped for, but we did accomplish something."
Attorney Ken Paxton released his own statement accusing Phelan of stealing the election, saying "The covey campaign has identified at least 1,422 democrats who voted early in Jefferson County."
Election officials confirm democrats were allowed to vote in this race as long as they did not vote in the March Primary.
"If you're a real stalwart democrat you voted on March 5, and you can't go vote in a republican runoff, So I think that was making excuses," said Garrett.
Phelan won the race by just under 400 votes. To unite District 21, Dr. Nelson believes he will have to use media outreach, and remain transparent during the upcoming legislature.