Sarah Eckhardt wins special election for Texas Senate seat after Rep. Eddie Rodriguez forgoes a runo
ormer Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt will succeed former state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, in the Texas Senate after state Rep. Eddie Rodriguez said Monday he is dropping out of the race. Eckhardt and Rodriguez, both Democrats, were poised to face off in a special election runoff for the seat after the two finished first and second, respectively, in the six-way race on July 14.
After Rodriguez's announcement, Eckhardt said she looked "forward to joining forces with him in the next session to advance our shared progressive values" for the community. Rodriguez congratulated Eckhardt on the race in an email he sent to supporters and said he is looking "forward to working with her to carve a progressive path forward for our shared community."
Pressure had been building over the past several days for Rodriguez to end his bid for the Senate and instead focus his efforts in the House, where he has served since 2003. Eckhardt finished first in the six-way race for Senate District 14 on July 14 with 49.7% of the vote — just shy of winning outright. Rodriguez, meanwhile, received nearly 34% of the vote for the historically Democratic seat that covers Bastrop County and parts of Travis County.
In his email, Rodriguez emphasized the Democrats' improving chances at flipping the lower chamber in November ahead of a "critical and historic [legislative] session" and said he looked forward to helping as a House member.
https://www.texastribune.org/2020/07/27/sarah-eckhardt-texas-senate/
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