Beth Van Duyne leads Candace Valenzuela in tight race for U.S. House District 24
In the race for U.S. House District 24, former Irving mayor Beth Van Duyne leads former Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD school board member Candace Valenzuela in a tight race.
The race is too close to call a winner, with still some ballots to be counted.
Van Duyne has reportedly declared victory, but Valenzuela's campaign called that "premature and irresponsible."
“Beth Van Duyne’s declaration of victory is premature and irresponsible. We have seen unprecedented turnout and thousands of votes are still being counted. Our campaign is committed to a full and complete count of all ballots so that every vote is counted and every voice is heard,“ said Geoffrey Simspon, campaign manager for Valenzuela.
Van Duyne is trying to keep the seat, which includes parts of Tarrant, Denton, and Dallas counties, for Republicans after the incumbent Kenny Merchant decided not to run.
Both candidates spent Election Day making stops at polling locations across all three counties that make up District 24 in hopes to get some last minute votes.
It is critical that you're not just weighing in on the presidential election, you're weighing in on all those down ballot races that have a greater effect on your life as you get closer and closer to the bottom,” Valenzuela said.
“I feel great we’ve seen tons of voters come out during early voting hitting as many polling places as we possibly can,” Van Duyne said. “I think we’ve got a strong message and we’ve been working a lot over the past several months.”
The seat has been held by Merchant since 2005. After winning re-election in 2018 by a surprisingly small margin, he opted to retire at the end of his current term.
Van Duyne was endorsed by President Donald Trump, who appointed her as the regional director of the Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2018.
She was the first female mayor of Irving is a firebrand conservative. She is vocal on issues, including illegal immigration and reducing government spending.
Her opponent, Valenzuela, is hoping to capitalize on the district's changing demographics. Valenzuela's political experience is limited to her time on the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School Board.
The daughter of a Mexican American mother and a Black father, Valenzuela casts herself as more in touch with low- and middle-income voters than her well-funded Republican opposition.
If Valenzuela wins, she would become the first Black Latina in Congress
Both candidates said they spent time block walking, calling, and e-mailing supporters.
Van Duyne is holding an in-person news conference to address her supporters.
Valenzuela will speak to her supporters virtually.
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