Republican school choice advocate upsets challenged in Democratic stronghold
(The Center Square) – Republican John Lujan defeated Democrat Frank Ramirez in a special runoff election Tuesday for House District 118 seat in the primarily Democratic region south and west of San Antonio. Lujan won 51% of the vote.
The win came after Lujan won a five-way special election in September and retook the seat he first held in 2016, and subsequently lost in 2018 and 2020 to Democrats.
Rep. Leo Pacheco, a Democrat, who defeated him in 2020, resigned in August to teach at San Antonio College, opening up the seat once again.
Lujan “is the only Republican who has ever won election in the 118th District,” the Houston Chronicle reports. “The win came on a strong night for Republicans across the country, with better-than-expected performances from gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey and Virginia.
“The 118th is a majority-Hispanic district, and Texas Republicans had targeted it as a pickup opportunity based on a surge in support among Hispanic voters throughout the Sun Belt in the 2020 elections.”
Lujan will now serve out the remainder of Pacheco’s term, through January 2023.
Prior to serving District 118 as a state representative, Lujan was a Bexar County sheriff’s deputy and a firefighter in San Antonio. He currently owns a local IT business.
Lujan was notably a school choice advocate in an election when parental choice made a big impact nationally after controversial school policies and lockdowns impacted students’ educational outcomes.
The Texas Federation for Children PAC supported him because “educational freedom was a key part of his campaign platform.”
“After years of the legislature bending to the will of the teachers’ unions, Texans are prioritizing school choice by sending representatives to Austin who will fight for parents’ rights and their ability to choose the best educational option for their children,” Mandy Drogin, Texas State Director for the American Federation for Children, said in a statement.
Republican National Committee spokeswoman Macarena Martinez said in a statement that Lujan’s victory in a Democratic region “forecasts a bright future ahead for Republicans in 2022” especially among Republican Hispanic voters in Texas.
House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, encouraged Lujan to run for his old seat and helped raise more than $500,000, outspending Ramirez by more than double.
Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa said in a statement that “Republicans used national big donor money to outspend our grassroots movement two to one,” and that Texas was being “held back” by “Texas GOP’s big money and corrupt dealings.”
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