Tuesday night’s elections went largely as expected in the Texas Panhandle, with incumbents John Smithee, Kel Seliger, and Mac Thornberry all easily winning re-election. In Canyon, voters approved a 200 million dollar bond for school improvements.
Meanwhile, on the statewide level, Governor Greg Abbott easily defeated Democratic rival Lupe Valdez. And Ted Cruz defeated Democratic upstart challenger Beto O’Rourke.
Every county in the Texas Panhandle went for both Cruz and Abbott.
However, despite his loss, by the end of the night many pundits across the country had already begun to talk about Beto O’Rourke as a potential presidential contender in 2020. The young Democrat from El Paso garnered more national media coverage than any other candidate, while shattering fundraising records.
