Molly Cook (D) declares victory over Rep. Jarvis Johnson (D) in special election to fill open Tx. Senate seat until Jan.

Emergency room nurse Molly Cook declared victory Saturday in a special election to decide who will serve out the remaining months of John Whitmire’s term in the Texas Senate, after early returns and a portion of Election Day results showed her comfortably leading state Rep. Jarvis Johnson.

With more than one-third of Election Day voting centers reporting, Cook led with 55% to Johnson’s 45%. She claimed victory in a statement shortly after 10 p.m.

If Cook’s lead holds, she will represent Senate District 15 through the end of the year, making her the first person other than Whitmire to hold the seat since 1983. The post has been vacant since January, when Whitmire resigned to be sworn in as Houston mayor.

The outcome marked a sharp reversal from the March 5 primary, in which Johnson, Cook and four other Democrats squared off for a full term that will start when the Legislature reconvenes for its next regular session in January 2025.




https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/04/texas-elections-2024-special-senate-district-15-harris-county-houston/