Susan Wright Makes U.S. House Runoff In Texas

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Republican Susan Wright of Texas, the widow of the first member of Congress to die after contracting COVID-19, advanced to a U.S. House runoff for her late husband’s seat Saturday night. But who she will face remained too early to call. With nearly all votes counted, Republican Jake Ellzey led Democrat Jana Lynne Sanchez by 354 votes in the race for the second runoff spot in Texas’ 6th Congressional District, which has long been GOP territory. Ellzey is a state lawmaker who narrowly lost the GOP nomination for the seat in 2018 and carried the backing of former Texas Gov. Rick Perry. It is the second time Sanchez has run for the seat after losing to Ron Wright in 2018. The date of the runoff has not yet been announced. Just weeks into his second term, Rep. Ron Wright died in February after being diagnosed with COVID-19. He was 67 and had also been battling lung cancer. Susan Wright, a GOP activist, was quickly seen as a favorite after entering the race and was endorsed by former President Donald Trump days before the election. She led with more than 19% of the vote.