Ron Wright of Arlington defeated his opponent in Tuesday’s Republican primary runoff to become the GOP candidate for the 6th Congressional District seat being vacated by longtime Congressman Joe Barton.
He will face Democrat Jana Lynne Sanchez of Arlington, who defeated long-time Arlington civic leader Ruby Faye Woolridge in Democratic primary runoff. Sanchez, a political newcomer, won with 52.3 percent compared to Woolridge’s 47.6 percent.
Wright, the Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector, held onto a commanding lead in Tarrant County, where he captured 7,396 votes in the race in which a total of 24,433 votes were cast in the Congressional district that covers Ellis, Navarro and part of Tarrant County.
Wright defeated former Navy pilot J.K. “Jake” Ellzey of Midlothian with 52.1 percent of the vote compared to Elley’s 47.8 percent. Ellzey received more votes in Ellis and Navarro counties than Wright but far more votes were cast in Tarrant County, where Wright has a high profile as an elected county official, than in the two more rural counties.
As former chief of staff to Barton, Wright has said he would never have considered challenging his former boss but immediately jumped into the race when Barton opted out of a re-election bid for the Congressional seat he has held since 1985.
Barton decided to retire after photos and sexually-suggestive messages were shared online by an intimate partner in an extramarital affair. His departure from the race left a rare open Congressional seat without an incumbent. The race drew 16 candidates, 11 Republicans and five Democrats.
Wright announced his resignation as Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector, a move that set off a contest for the county position that drew six Republican candidates.
Former Mansfield City Council member Wendy Burgess defeated former NBC-TV new anchorman Mike Snyder in the Republican primary runoff for Tax Assessor-Collector. She faces Democrat Ollie Anderson in the November general election to fill Wright’s unexpired term. Burgess won 56.1 percent to Snyder’s 43.8 percent.
The Congressional district that has been represented by Barton, a Republican from Ennis, for more than 30 years is predicted to remain Republican because of stronger Republican voter turnout. Only 11,489 Democratic votes were cast in the Democratic primary runoff for the seat compared to 24,433 Republican votes.
In other Republican primary runoff races, Kimberly Fitzpatrick defeated Pat Gallagher for the unexpired term of 342nd District Judge; Chris Ponder beat Patricia Cole for judge of County Probate Court No. 1; Chris Gregory defeated Jacquelyn Wright for Justice of the Peace Precinct 4 and Jason Charbonnet defeated Chris Garcia for Justice of the Peace Precinct 6.
In the Democratic primary runoff, Kenneth Sanders defeated Frieda Porter in the race for Judge of Peace Precinct 7.
Some of the runoff contests were close. In the race for County Probate Court-At-Law No. 1, Patricia Cole had 48.88 percent of the vote, while Chris Ponder had 51.12 percent.
Here are the totals from the Tarrant County website:
Democratic primary runoff
UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 6
182 of 182 Precincts Reporting Detail Map
Choice Votes Percent
Jana Lynne Sanchez (DEM) 4,424 49.08%
Ruby Faye Woolridge (DEM) 4,589 50.92%
Total 9,013
UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 25
4 of 4 Precincts Reporting Detail Map
Choice Votes Percent
Chris Perri (DEM) 18 32.14%
Julie Oliver (DEM) 38 67.86%
Total 56
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE, PRECINCT NO. 7
102 of 102 Precincts Reporting Detail Map
Choice Votes Percent
Frieda Porter (DEM) 2,447 49.55%
Kenneth D. Sanders (DEM) 2,491 50.45%
Total 4,938
Republican primary runoff
UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 6
182 of 182 Precincts Reporting Detail Map
Choice Votes Percent
Ron Wright (REP) 7,396 68.14%
J.K. ‘Jake’ Ellzey (REP) 3,458 31.86%
Total 10,854
DISTRICT JUDGE, 342ND JUDICIAL DISTRICT (UNEXPIRED TERM)
704 of 704 Precincts Reporting Detail Map
Choice Votes Percent
Pat Gallagher (REP) 14,792 45.97%
Kimberly Fitzpatrick (REP) 17,384 54.03%
Total 32,176
JUDGE, COUNTY PROBATE COURT-AT-LAW NO. 1
704 of 704 Precincts Reporting Detail Map
Choice Votes Percent
Patricia Cole (REP) 15,467 48.88%
Chris Ponder (REP) 16,173 51.12%
Total 31,640
COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR-COLLECTOR (UNEXPIRED TERM)
704 of 704 Precincts Reporting Detail Map
Choice Votes Percent
Mike Snyder (REP) 14,434 43.81%
Wendy Burgess (REP) 18,516 56.19%
Total 32,950
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE, PRECINCT NO. 4
67 of 67 Precincts Reporting Detail Map
Choice Votes Percent
Christopher ‘Chris’ Gregory (REP) 2,580 61.87%
Jacquelyn Wright (REP) 1,590 38.13%
Total 4,170
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE, PRECINCT NO. 6
71 of 71 Precincts Reporting Detail Map
Choice Votes Percent
Jason Charbonnet (REP) 3,941 60.07%
Chris Garcia (REP) 2,620 39.93%
Total 6,561