BEAUMONT, Texas — Dade Phelan will continue to represent Southeast Texas after winning the Texas House District 21 Republican Primary runoff election on Tuesday.
Phelan successfully defended his seat against newcomer David Covey by winning 12,813 votes, or 50.7% of the votes in the runoff. Covey received 12,447 votes or 49.3% of the vote.
"I've got 10 years of experience in the Texas House right, Phelan told 12News during the runoff race. “I'm the first speaker in the history of Texas from Southeast Texas. We've never had a governor, we've never had a lieutenant governor and we've never had a speaker in 176 years from Southeast Texas.”
How all of District 21 voted...
The entire state was watching the race that could have unseated the first House Speaker from Southeast Texas.
A sitting Texas House speaker hasn't been ousted from office in a half century.
Voters in a portion of Jefferson County as well as all of Orange and Jasper Counties make up District 21.
How each county voted...
Anyone who voted in the Democratic primary was not eligible.
The runoff was triggered after neither Phelan or Covey received more than 50% of the vote in the three-way race that included Alicia Davis.
Covey received 15,576 votes, or about 46% of the vote, while Phelan received 14,542 votes, or about 43% of the vote. Davis received 3,517 votes, or about 10% of the vote.
Statement from Dade Phelan:
Tonight, I am immensely grateful to the voters of Southeast Texas, who have spoken loud and clear: in Southeast Texas, we set our own course—our community is not for sale, and our values are not up for auction. I owe a profound debt of gratitude to every voter and volunteer whose relentless dedication turned that vision into tonight’s resounding victory. This outcome would also not have been possible without the unwavering support of my family, whose strength and encouragement have been a daily source of inspiration, and the robust coalition of our local leaders, whose endorsements reiterate that the strength of local politics still prevails, and no amount of external pressure can erode a foundation built on community trust and proven results. With the conclusion of the runoff, my sights are now set firmly on the November election. I look forward to hitting the ground running to ensure the Texas House is best positioned for what promises to be another landmark conservative session, bolstered by as strong a Republican majority as possible. Thank you, House District 21, for your confidence in me—I am honored to be your advocate and look forward to earning your vote once again in November. Together, we move forward, focused, determined and stronger than ever.
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This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.