Vote counting continues in Texas as counties process thousands of absentee ballots that arrived the day after Election Day (as permitted by law), provisional ballots that were cured by the voter and overseas military ballots, which will continue to be accepted through the weekend. This is routine practice. It happens after every election, and it could conceivably change results of very close elections.

In Tarrant Co., the recently counted votes lifted Joe Biden ahead of President Trump by 427 votes. If that result were to hold, Biden would become the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry the county since 1964.

House Speaker: Rep. Geanie Morrison (R-Victoria) has withdrawn from the Speaker’s race, clearing the field for Rep. Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont), who earlier in the day announced he was up to 106 supporters among the members and members-elect.

Phelan announced that former Sen. Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands) would lead his transition team.

Fort Bend Co.: Retired police officer Eric Fagan (D) defeated Fort Bend. Co. Constable Trevor Nehls, 53%-47%, as part of a Democratic sweep of countywide offices on the ballot. Fagan becomes the first Black sheriff elected in the county since Reconstruction. Nehls is the twin brother of Fort Bend Co. Sheriff Troy Nehls (R), who won his race for open CD22.

Harris Co.: Attorney Christian Menefee (D) was elected the first Black county attorney in the county’s history. He defeated John Nation (R), 55%-45%, as part of a Democratic sweep of countywide offices on the ballot. Teneshia Hudspeth (D) turned away the comeback attempt of former County Clerk Stan Stanart (R), 54%-46%.

Cedar Park: Mayor Corbin Van Arsdale, a former state representative (R-Cedar Park), won re-election, 58%-42%.

Corpus Christi: Mayor Joe McComb was forced into a December 15 runoff by at-large council member Paulette Guajardo. McComb finished first in the nine-person field with 33%, about a thousand votes ahead of Guajardo (32%).

Denton: Council members Keely Briggs (49%) and Gerard Hudspeth (42%) are headed for a December 8 mayoral runoff

El Paso: Mayor Dee Margo has been forced into a runoff by former Mayor Oscar Leeser, who finished first in the six-way general election with 42% of the vote. Margo finished second with 25% of the vote. Two council incumbents, Alexsandra Annello and Sam Morgan, were also forced into runoffs. Council members Cassandra Hernandez and Henry Rivera won their races outright.

Lubbock: Mayor Dan Pope and all incumbent council members on the ballot were victorious.

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