Jolanda Jones (D) defeated Danielle Bess Keys (D) by 202 votes. 52%-48%, in the HD147 (Safe D) special election to win the remainder of former Rep. Garnet Coleman’s (D-Houston) term. Jones received 64% of the absentee vote, which represented 30% of all ballots cast in the race. Keys won the early in-person vote, 51.5%-48.5%, and the Election Day vote, 54%-46%.

Absentee voters were crucial to Jones’s victory, as they were in the March 1 primary. Facing six opponents, Jones received 56% of the absentee vote, her best showing among any type of voters. Danielle Keys Bess received 17% of the absentee vote, her worst showing among any type of voters.

The two face each other in the May 24 runoff election to become the Democratic nominee for a full term.

Voters overwhelmingly approved two constitutional amendments – the first ones ever presented to them in an even-year May election – in Saturday’s general election. The May election is traditionally reserved for local governments, and this was the first statewide May election since 2007 and only the fifth one in state history.

Proposition 1 (elderly and disabled homestead valuation) passed with nearly 87% of the vote, and Proposition 2 (increasing homestead exemption) passed with nearly 85% of the vote. The votes bucked history. Just three of the previous 11 constitutional amendments sent to voters in a May election have passed, including the one establishing Prohibition in 1919.

Turnout statewide for the constitutional amendment election was 7.6% of registered voters.

Allen: Council member Chris Schulmeister was re-elected (75%) and Ben Trahan won (54%) an open council seat.

Arlington: Bowie Hogg (55%) won an open council seat. Another open seat race resulted in a runoff between Long Pham (46%) and Albert Parra (36%).

Big Spring: Mayor Shannon Thomason lost his re-election bid to District Judge Robert Moore (R), 81%-19%.

Carrollton: Council member Steve Babick won the open mayoral race over council member Pat Cochran, 63%-37%. Christopher Axberg (60%) and Daisy Palomo (43%) won open council seats.

Denton: Mayor Gerald Hudspeth was re-elected, defeating at-large council member Brad Meltzer, 52%-48%. Brandon McGee (54%) and Chris Watts (51%) won open at-large council seats.

Duncanville: Council members Mark Cooks and Barry Gordon each received 1,050 votes in their mayoral race, according to unofficial results from Dallas Co. Council member Don McBurnett was re-elected by 7 votes, and Karen Cherry (74%) won an open council seat.

Fort Worth: Alan Blaylock (no relation) won a four-way special election for an open council seat outright with 52% of the vote.

Galveston: Council member Craig Brown won the open mayoral election outright with 55% of the vote. Council members David Collins (56%), John Paul Listowski (67%) and Mary Robb (64%) won re-election.

Harlingen: Mayor Chris Boswell lost his re-election bid to Norma Sepulveda, 61%-39%. Council member Richard Uribe (34%) will face Ford Kinsley (36%) in a runoff. Council member Frank Puente (11%) finished fourth, missing a runoff between Daniel Lopez (39%) and Ernesto Cisneros (25.3%), who finished 7 votes ahead of third-place finisher Nick Consiglio (24.5%).

Killeen: Mayor Debbie Nash-King won re-election with 73% of the vote. Former Mayor Jose Segarra won an open council seat.

Lubbock: Tray Payne easily won the open mayoral race with 68% of the vote. Council member Randy Christian (13%) lost his re-election bid to Jennifer Wilson (53%). Christy Martinez-Garcia (66%) won an open council seat.

Mission: Five-term Mayor Armando O’Caña (33%) was forced into a runoff by council member Norie Gonzalez Garza (37%). Former Mayor Beto Salinas came in third with 28% of the vote. Council member Jessica Ortega (43%) will face Moy Iglesias (38%) in a runoff.

Palmhurst: Deceased Mayor Ramiro Rodriguez Jr. defeated council member Israel Silva, who resigned to run for mayor, 58%-42%. Rodriguez died April 6. A special election will be required to elect a new mayor.

Port Arthur: Mayor Bill Bartie (47%) was forced into a runoff by Floyd Batiste (26%).

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