With 33-vote lead, Michelle Vallejo declares victory in South Texas congressional runoff

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Michelle Vallejo declared victory Wednesday within the Democratic main runoff for the nationwide battleground fifteenth Congressional District in South Texas.

Her declaration got here eight days after election night time, when she emerged with a 23-vote margin over opponent Ruben Ramirez. Her margin grew to 33 votes as the biggest counties within the district started to report their remaining unofficial outcomes Wednesday.

However Ramirez was not able to concede. His marketing campaign stated in a press release that “it’s important that each voter has their say earlier than a remaining name is made.” The assertion recommended the marketing campaign nonetheless noticed a path to victory.

“South Texas politics has an extended custom of upset victories,” the assertion stated.

Counties have till the top of day on Thursday to report their remaining numbers to the state, and even then, candidates can nonetheless request recounts. Since election night time, counties have been counting mail-in ballots that had been postmarked within the Eleventh-hour, navy and abroad ballots that had been due Tuesday and provisional ballots.

It was one in every of two key Democratic runoffs in South Texas that had been unsettled popping out of election night time. The opposite is the runoff for the twenty eighth Congressional District, the place the average nine-term U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, confronted progressive challenger Jessica Cisneros. He led by 177 votes after election night time, however as most counties reported their remaining unofficial outcomes Wednesday, his margin widened to no less than 192 votes.

Cuellar, who was going through a more durable reelection after his residence was raided in January by the FBI, already declared victory on election night time, whereas Cisneros had stated the 177-vote margin made the race too near name. Popping out of election night time within the fifteenth District, each Vallejo and Ramirez had agreed the race was too near name.

However by Wednesday, three counties that make up all however a sliver of the voters within the district — Hidalgo, Guadalupe and Jim Wells — had disclosed remaining unofficial outcomes that expanded Vallejo’s result in 33 votes.

Candidates can request recounts if their margin is lower than 10% of the variety of votes their opponent acquired. Ramirez and Cisneros are at present effectively inside that vary.

If Vallejo’s successful margin holds, it’s a victory for progressives. She had campaigned on points together with the single-payer well being care system generally known as “Medicare for All.”

“Now greater than ever, we’d like a voice from South Texas who will act boldly from South Texas,” Vallejo stated in her declaration of victory, referencing the Uvalde taking pictures that occurred the identical day because the runoff final week. “I come from a giant household of farm employees, immigrants, and entrepreneurs and I do know what it takes to roll up my sleeves and battle for what’s proper.”

The Republican nominee for the open seat within the fifteenth District is Monica De La Cruz, who ran a surprisingly shut race in 2020 when the incumbent was Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez of McAllen. She received her main in March. Nationwide Republicans see the fifteenth District as their finest pickup alternative this fall in Texas they push to make contemporary inroads in South Texas.

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