Voters across Texas went to the polls yesterday to cast their votes on 17 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution, with voters in some areas also casting votes in local elections and special elections to fill vacancies in the Texas State Senate and U.S. Congress. Here are some of the notable results from Election Night:
Senate District 9
Democrat Taylor Rehmet will face off against Republican Leigh Wambsganss in a runoff to fill the vacancy in State Senate District 9 created when Senator Kelly Hancock stepped down to become Acting Texas Comptroller. The district contains a portion of Tarrant County.
Rehmet led the field with 47.56%, while Wambsganss – who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, Senator Ted Cruz, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, and every countywide elected official in Tarrant County – earned 35.95%. Former Southlake Mayor John Huffman, a Republican, received 16.49% of the vote.
Congressional District 18
Democrats Christian Menefee and Amanda Edwards will advance to a runoff to fill the vacancy created by the death of Congressman Sylvester Turner earlier this year. Menefee, the Harris County Attorney who campaigned on having used his office to sue the Trump administration, came in first with 28.89%. Edwards, a former Houston City Councilwoman who unsuccessfully challenged the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee in the 2024 Democrat Primary, was a close second with 25.55%.
Sixteen candidates appeared on the ballot in this race. Democrat State Representative Jolanda Jones came in third place with 19.09%, while all other candidates were in the single digits.
Constitutional Amendments
Voters approved all 17 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution that appeared on the ballot. The closest was Proposition 6, to establish a ban on taxing certain securities transactions, which received 54.87% of the vote. The most popular proposal was Proposition 10, which established a temporary property tax exemption for a residential homestead destroyed by a fire, and was approved by 89.28% of voters.
Proposition 3, which will make it easier for judges to deny bail to dangerous criminals, passed with 61.14% of voters in favor. The amendment was strongly supported by public safety advocates and received unanimous support among Republican lawmakers during the legislative session. However, some groups on the right – notably Grassroots America We the People – sided with left-wing organizations funded by George Soros in their opposition to Proposition 3.
Proposition 16, which enshrines in the Texas Constitution a requirement that one must be an American citizen to be eligible to vote, passed with 71.95%.
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick praised the passage of the Constitutional Amendments.
“All 17 Constitutional Amendments on the ballot today are sailing to victory!
Thanks to all Republicans who turned out to:
* Support lower school property taxes
* Keep dangerous criminals behind bars
* Secure our future water needs
* Develop our skilled work force
* Invest in Dementia and Alzheimer’s research and prevention
All 17 of these amendments were priorities for the Senate and me.
It’s a great night for the future of Texas. Texans support common sense conservative policies, which is why Texas is the most important state in the nation,” tweeted Patrick.
Local Elections
Voters in Austin overwhelmingly rejected Proposition Q, which would have raised property taxes in the city. The proposal failed, with over 63% of voters opposed.
“Tonight, Austin taxpayers revolted against an indefensible, morally bankrupt, ridiculous and unaffordable $110M property tax increase supported by our Mayor and 9/10 council members,” said Matt Mackowiak of Save Austin Now, which opposed Proposition Q.
Voters in Cy-Fair ISD in suburban Harris County ousted a conservative majority on the school board, voting in favor of three candidates who were backed by Democrat elected officials and liberal activist groups over a slate endorsed by the Harris County Republican Party. When the newly elected members are seated, the board’s current 6-1 conservative majority will flip to a 4-3 liberal majority.
