Julie Johnson, who stepped down from her seat in the Texas Legislature to run for Colin Allred’s former seat in the U.S. House, appears to have cruised to a history-making victory, becoming the first openly LGBTQ person not just from Texas but from all southern states elected to Congress.
With about 60 percent of the votes counted, Johnson, a Democrat, leads Republican Darrell Day 61 percent to 37 percent, with Libertarian Kevin Hale pulling in 2 percent. She will join Jasmine Crockett in the U.S. House.
Crockett, another North Texas Democrat, has easily defeated Libertarian Jamar Jefferson, winning some 86 percent of the vote to keep the seat formerly held by legendary lawmaker the late Eddie Bernice Johnson, who endorsed Crockett to replace her in Congress when she retired.
But on the Senate side, with just over half the votes counted, Allred trails incumbent Republican Ted Cruz, 46 percent to 52 percent.