Just more than one hundred votes decided who will represent a rural district in the Texas House left open by a scandal in Austin. According to information from the Texas Secretary of State, former Van Zandt GOP chair and school board trustee Jill Dutton defeated former Greenville city councilman Brent Money.
6,830 voters chose Dutton in House District 2. 6,719 chose Money with all precincts reporting.
The district is a very Republican area east of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, covering Hunt, Hopkins, and Van Zandt counties. Money lives around Greenville, the county seat for Hunt County. Dutton lives around Canton, the county seat of Van Zandt County.
The seat for House District 2 opened up after the Texas House unanimously expelled former Representative Bryan Slaton, R - Royse City after an investigation found he gave a 19-year old intern alcohol and had sex with her last April.
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In November, Money and Dutton were the top two vote-getters in a special election and moved to this runoff Tuesday night. Both will again face each other in the March primary for the two-year term beginning in January 2025.
Dutton told NBC 5 she's proud of House District 2, which hasn't had a representative for eight months.
"Tonight was a resounding victory for conservatives across this district," said Dutton in a statement, "While I look forward to being sworn into office in the coming days, this race is far from over. I look forward to earning your vote again in March. Please don't forget to vote."
Lone Star Politics
Covering politics throughout the state of Texas.
"Jill Dutton told despicable lies about me and my family, outspent our campaign three-to-one, and turned out over 1000 Democrats to steal this seat. I trust that Republicans will turn out in droves in March to secure True Conservative leadership for this district," Money wrote in a statement.
The candidates agree on most issues, both being conservative Republicans. Lone Star Politics interviewed both the candidates before the race to talk about education reform, immigration, and the Paxton impeachment.
The close election previews an electoral war to come for control over the Texas House after it impeached embattled Attorney General Ken Paxton. Money and powerful politicians within the GOP moved into the race for their preferred candidate.
According to campaign finance reports, Dutton raised more than $850,000 in campaign donations. Money has raised $350,000.
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, Governor Greg Abbott, Attorney General Ken Paxton, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, and the chair of the Republican Party of Texas have backed Money along with a handful of insurgent House members. The controversial group Defend Texas Liberty - and its rebranded Texans United for a Conservative Majority - funded by west Texas oil businessmen also backs Money.
Defend Texas Liberty's president stepped down after meeting with Nick Fuentes, a well-known white supremacist, last year. Tim Dunn, one of the major funders of the group told Lt. Governor Dan Patrick that mistakes were made. Several Republicans returned political donations to the group afterward.
Defend Texas Liberty was also a prominent supporter of former Representative Slaton.
Advocacy groups Gun Owners of America and Texas Right to Life back Money.
Former Governor Rick Perry, Congressman Lance Gooden, R-Terrell, and around a dozen members of the Texas House support Dutton. Major groups that usually defend allies of Speaker of the House Dade Phelan, R - Beaumont, are supporters of her as well: Texans for Lawsuit Reform and the Associated Republicans of Texas.
Texans for Lawsuit Reform unsuccessfully backed a challenger to AG Paxton two years ago and has since been a major political opponent of Paxton and his allies. The group asked the Texas Senate to look at the evidence against Paxton when the House impeached him in the summer of 2023. That fall, the Texas Senate acquitted him in a high-profile and controversial trial.
The Texas Farm Bureau and the Texas Alliance for Life back Dutton.
In the first round, Hopkins County lawyer Heath Hyde campaigned against school choice vouchers, one of Governor Abbott's priorities. He came in third place, following Money in first and Dutton in second.
In November, Money received 32% of the vote, Dutton received 25%, and Hyde received 21%.
The primary election for the next term is March 5th, just more than a month away.
