Texas congressional candidate backed by Donald Trump remains in too-close-to-call runoff with Ted Cruz's pick

From left, Tony Gonzales and Raul Reyes are running for the Texas Congressional District 23 seat that is being vacated by U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas. Texas Tribune

President Donald Trump's choice to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Helotes, was in a too-close-to-call runoff Tuesday night against a candidate endorsed by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

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The Trump-backed Tony Gonzales was trailing Cruz's pick, Raul Reyes, by just 11 votes out of 24,533 with all polling locations reporting, according to unofficial results. Gonzales' campaign said the race was not over.

"We will fight all the way to the end to ensure the integrity of this election and that every legal vote is counted," Gonzales campaign spokesperson Matt Mackowiak said in a statement.

Hurd's district is one of Democrats' best pick-up opportunities this fall nationwide. The party's nominee is Gina Ortiz Jones, who lost to Hurd by a razor-thin margin in 2018.

Gonzales, a former Navy cryptologist backed by Hurd and House leaders, nabbed Trump's endorsement earlier this month, just three days after Cruz endorsed Reyes. Cruz had lobbied Trump to stay out of the runoff.

Trump also starred in a robocall for Gonzales that went out Monday and held a tele-town hall with him on the eve of the runoff.

Trump had endorsed another candidate in the Texas runoffs, Ronny Jackson, the former White House doctor running to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Clarendon. Jackson easily defeated his rival, Josh Winegarner, on Tuesday night.


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