Special election for Austin seat in Texas House

CHRIS TOMLINSON, Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Voters in north Austin will choose a new member of the Texas House.

Travis County is holding a special election on Tuesday to choose a replacement for Mark Strama, who resigned from Texas House District 50 to work for Google.

Voters will decide between Democrat Celia Israel and Republican Mike VanDeWalle.

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Israel is a long-time Democratic activist and worked for Gov. Anne Richards, the last Democrat to hold that office in the early 1990s.

First-time candidate VanDeWalle is a chiropractor who took 39 percent of the vote in a special election in November. The Democratic vote was split three ways, with Israel leading with 31.9 percent.

Turnout will likely decide the election, with sub-freezing, icy weather likely to keep many voters at home.