AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's note: The above video was published earlier in the day on Nov. 3 before this race was called.
Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. John Carter defeated Democratic opponent Donna Imam in Tuesday’s election in Texas’s 31st Congressional District.
Carter won with 53% of the vote to Imam's 45%. Libertarian Clark Patterson received 2% of the vote.
Carter has served as the representative for the district since its creation in 2002, making it one of two districts in Texas that has never had a representative from the Democratic Party.
In 2018, Carter survived a race against Democrat MJ Hegar, winning by just three points. Hegar ran for Senate this time around against Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn but conceded.
Imam was hoping to repeat Hegar’s strong performance and then some but faced an uphill battle. The district, which includes Williamson County and the fast-growing suburbs of North Austin, as well as a portion of the area around Fort Hood, leans around 10 points Republican on average, according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index.
Imam, a computer engineer, made climate change a top campaign issue, calling for a restoration of regulations that were rolled back by the Trump administration. She has also focused on the economic anxiety of middle- and working-class families, students, recent graduates and retirees on a fixed income.
Imam tweeted the following statement after the race was called:
"We didn't make it tonight but I am so grateful to everyone who voted for us, every single volunteer, and every person who worked relentlessly on our campaign. I want to thank the tens of thousands of grassroots donors who made all of this possible. I am humbled by the support of so many elected officials and former candidates. Thank you for everything!"
MORE ELECTION COVERAGE:
- Proposition B: Austin's approval projected for $460M in transportation infrastructure bonds
- 2020 Election: Pete Sessions wins Texas Congressional District 17 seat
- 2020 Election: August Pfluger wins Texas Congressional District 11 seat
- Democrat MJ Hegar concedes Senate race to Republican incumbent Sen. John Cornyn
- Rep. Michael Cloud wins District 27 again in race against Ricardo De La Fuente
- U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett wins reelection in District 35