Former Bexar County Republican Chair Mark Dorazio scored a primary runoff victory over former San Antonio Councilwoman Elisa Chan Tuesday night to claim the GOP nomination for state House District 122, the seat held for years by Rep. Lyle Larson.
Unofficial results from the Bexar County Elections Department had Dorazio beating Chan by more than 1,400 votes, 55% to 45%.
Speaking to a packed room Tuesday evening at Russo’s Italian Kitchen, Dorazio said he looks forward to the election in November and thanked his family, friends, followers and campaign team for their work.
“I feel the weight of the responsibility, and we have a lot of work to do,” he said. “We can do this. We can change Texas for the better.”
Dorazio told the San Antonio Report he has four focus points if elected: tightening border security, making illegal voting a felony, property tax reform and fighting for states rights.
“Washington, D.C., has lost all respect for the sovereignty of our states, but I haven’t,” he said.
A construction business owner with ties to conservative party activists, Dorazio positioned himself as the “strongest conservative” in the race. He previously served as the Bexar County GOP chair, helping plan the 2018 Republican state convention in San Antonio.
He was endorsed by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, and also received contributions from members of the Texas House’s most conservative wing, Reps. Briscoe Cain and Mayes Middleton. Dorazio has served as a Republican precinct chairman for over 30 years.
In March, Dorazio emerged as the second-place finisher in a four-way Republican primary. Dorazio took 27% of the primary vote, advancing to the runoff with Chan, who got 37%. The seat in far North Bexar County is considered safely Republican, meaning Dorazio is likely to see a victory in November against Democrat Angi Aramburu.
Since the start of his campaign, Dorazio has touted his “long record of involvement advancing conservative values.”
“If Mark wins, this district is going to go from being represented by the most liberal Republican in the Texas House [Larson] to somebody who many expect to be ranked as one of the most conservative lawmakers in the state,” said Luke Macias, a Republican strategist working for a group that supports Dorazio.
Moderate Republican Larson, who announced in October he would not seek reelection, has increasingly bucked his party on a number of major issues over the past two years. Larson held the seat for 12 years, a self-imposed term limit. Larson endorsed Adam Blanchard, another moderate Republican, who came in third in the primary with 23% in March.
Dorazio has said he opposes the teaching of “critical race theory” in schools, has advocated for the sovereignty of Texas against the federal government, and has said he wants to stop abortion and end vaccine mandates.
Dorazio benefited from the anti-establishment Defend Texas Liberty PAC, which spent big attacking Chan over a 2006 donation she made to then-U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton.
A longtime party precinct chair, Dorazio raised $96,000 since the primary and loaned himself $200,000, according to finance reports filed last week. He spent close to $300,000 on the race against Chan and reported $57,000 in the bank for the final stretch.
