U.S. Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) won his November race against Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones by a mere 926 votes, the Texas Secretary of State’s office said Tuesday.
After a final canvass of all the counties in the sprawling 23rd Congressional District, the incumbent captured 103,285 votes, while his challenger got 102,359. Libertarian candidate Ruben Corvalan had 4,425 votes.
Hurd won Bexar County with 55,191 votes, surpassing Jones by nearly 4,674 votes. The county had the largest share of the total vote with nearly 108,000 people voting. The county with the next-highest participants was El Paso County, with 17,895 votes.
Though the final margin was well within the recount percentage, Jones officially conceded the race last week.
“Our campaign was based on the belief that everyone is equal – equally deserving to be heard at the ballot box and served in our communities,” she said in a statement on Nov. 19. “We worked hard to make this a reality, understanding this is the only path toward the more perfect union that our founders envisioned.”
Hurd originally claimed victory on election night, but Jones took a narrow lead in the early hours of Nov. 7, with all precincts reporting. Vote totals were updated soon after to show Hurd leading by 689 votes. The Secretary of State’s office had learned early that morning that Medina County officials had entered Election Day results incorrectly, spokesman Sam Taylor said.
Last week, Hurd released another statement acknowledging Jones and her campaign.
“I want to thank my opponent and her supporters for engaging in the democratic process,” Hurd stated. “To thrive, our democracy needs a vigorous competition of ideas, and whether you voted for me or not, I will need your help.”
