This story has been updated.
Former City Councilwoman Elisa Chan will face Mark Dorazio, a former GOP County chair in the Republican runoff for House District 122, the seat held for years by Rep. Lyle Larson, while Josey Garcia sailed past her opponents to win the Democratic nomination for Texas House District 124.
HD 124 is considered a safe Democratic seat, making the primary race all but decisive. HD 122 leans Republican, so the May 24 runoff likely will pave the way for either a Chan or Dorazio victory in November.
Chan emerged from the four-candidate GOP field to claim 37% of the vote, while Dorazio had close to 27.5%, according to unofficial results early Wednesday from the Bexar County Elections Department.
The seat for the Northside house district is being vacated by moderate Republican Larson, who announced in October he would not seek reelection this year after increasingly bucking his party on a number of major issues. Larson held the seat for 12 years, a self-imposed term limit.
Larson endorsed Adam Blanchard, another moderate Republican, who got just over 23.4% of the vote.
Chan told the San Antonio Report Tuesday night that she’s ready for a runoff and would work hard to “re-emphasize what I’m for, and why I’m running.”
She said her priorities in office would constitute of securing the border, cutting property taxes, and keeping the Texas economy strong, she said.
“I’m certainly pleased,” Chan said of Tuesday’s results. “I wanted to thank the voters for their confidence and trust in me. I’m very grateful to them, but also want to thank my team, my campaign team, my consultant, all my volunteers — everybody worked together very hard. And I think all the other candidates worked very hard as well.”
Chan, who owns an engineering business, served on the San Antonio City Council for District 9 from 2009 to 2013, when she stepped down to make an unsuccessful run for the Texas Senate.
Born in Taiwan, Chan came to the U.S. for graduate school, according to her website. Her subsequent life experiences — founding and running a successful engineering business and having a family — “fortified her into a strong and fearless advocate of conservative values.”
She said what distinguishes her from the other candidates is that she has served on City Council and has a policy track record, which she’s described as fighting to balance the city’s budget without raising taxes and helping to create jobs.
Chan attracted attention from national media in 2013 after recordings of her expressing anti-LGBTQ views were leaked, an episode she now describes as an effort by “vicious liberals” to “cancel” her for her views.
Dorazio, a construction business owner with ties to conservative party activists, has continually positioned himself as the “strongest conservative” in the race, and did so again Tuesday night, noting his “long record of involvement advancing conservative values.”
If voted into office, he said he’d want to first and foremost work to make “illegal voting a felony once again,” to secure the border, and to get property taxes “under control.”
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. He was endorsed by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.
The winner of the HD 122 runoff will face the uncontested Democratic candidate Angi Aramburu in November for the historically Republican seat.
In the Democratic primary for Texas House District 124, Garcia wiped the floor with her opponents, garnering 69.9% of the vote. That seat is being vacated by current state Rep. Ina Minjarez (D-San Antonio), who will face Judge Peter Sakai in a runoff for Bexar County judge.
Garcia attributed her win to her community outreach work and “the nonstop work of myself and my campaign team.”
She said she and her team block walked, phone banked, talked with community members and voters “until the last minute.” The community, she said, “is looking for hope, they trust I am the voice that can represent them at a time of such uncertainty.”
An Air Force veteran, business owner and community advocate, Garcia will face uncontested Republican candidate Johnny Arredondo in November.
Other contested races
In Texas House District 121, two-term incumbent Republican Rep. Steve Allison coasted to victory over primary challenger Michael E. Champion with nearly 84% of the vote. Allison will face Democrat Becca Moyer Defelice, who garnered 79% of the vote against Gabrien Gregory, in November.
Incumbent Rep. Ray Lopez fended off challenger Eric Michael Garza in the Democratic primary for House District 125 as he received 58.1% of the vote.
In the Texas Senate District 26 GOP primary, Sen. Donna Campbell won big over Channon Cain in the Hill County district that takes in part of north Bexar County, getting 84.7% of the vote. Campbell is seeking a fourth term.
