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The Republican former Montgomery County district attorney Brett Ligon won a special election on Saturday to fill the state Senate seat left vacant by Brandon Creighton, who was appointed chancellor of the Texas Tech University System last year.
Ligon defeated the sole other contender on the ballot, Democrat Ron Angeletti, a small-business entrepreneur and educator. They have scheduled a rematch for a full four-year term in November. Ligon will fill in for Creighton until his tenure ends at the start of the upcoming legislative session in January.
“The voters of SD4 have delivered a clear message tonight. Conservative values and Republican dominance in Texas are alive and well,” he said in a statement declaring victory 25 minutes after polls closed. “Democrats from Texas and all over the country threw everything they had at us. Democrat politicians were here today in full force, campaigning hard for my opponent. As if we had been flying the ‘Come and Take It’ flag – they tried – and they failed.”
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In 2024, Senate District 4, which includes Chambers, Harris, Jefferson, and Montgomery counties, voted for President Donald Trump by a 34-point majority. This made it one of the reddest districts in the upper chamber. Even with midterm electoral headwinds that have made Democrats hopeful about taking GOP legislative seats, it is thought that Republicans will prevail in November.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican who leads the state Senate, said that after Ligon’s win, the Senate GOP caucus is “stronger than ever.”
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“Ligon’s decisive victory is an important and timely reminder that when Texas Republicans are energized and united, we cannot be defeated,” Patrick said on social media.
The GOP victory on Saturday comes after Democrats won a North Texas Senate seat in a special election upset earlier this year. Patrick, whose favorite candidate lost unexpectedly in that race, said that Republicans will “easily defeat their opponents” in November, even in North Texas.
Since Creighton left in October, Senate District 4 has not had a representative. However, the Legislature has not been in session at that time and will not meet again until January for the next regular session.
This comes as Republican Hilary Holley defeated Democrat Edwin Pérez in a Special Election for Florida House District 51, denying Democrats a pickup they had hoped to secure in a Midterm election year.
With nearly all precincts reporting, Holley won with about 55% of the vote, holding the seat for Republicans.
Holley will replace term-limited Republican Rep. Josie Tomkow in the Polk County-based district. The race had drawn attention as Democrats looked to capitalize on broader economic concerns and Midterm dynamics.
“Representative-Elect Hilary Holley in House District 51 will be a tremendous addition to the Florida House of Representatives, given her unmatched experience in the agricultural community,” House Speaker-Designate Sam Garrison said. “Voters have made the right decision in electing the far superior candidate,” he said.
District 51 includes much of Polk County, including Polk City, Davenport, Haines City, Lake Alfred and Auburndale. Despite a slightly narrower margin than Tomkow’s nearly 57% win in 2024, Republicans maintained a clear advantage in the district.
Voter registration numbers also favored the GOP, with roughly 34% of voters registered as Republicans compared to about 31% as Democrats. Nearly one-third of voters in the district are not affiliated with a political party.
Holley secured endorsements from several prominent Florida Republicans, including former state Sen. Denise Grimsley, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and former Rep. Neil Combee. She also received backing from Tomkow, whom she will replace.
Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is criticizing a Republican-led election bill, accusing GOP lawmakers of pushing what he described as “voter suppression” measures.
Jeffries has been attacking Republicans for moving ahead with efforts to pass the Save Act.
