Democrat Candace Valenzuela Concedes To Beth Van Duyne In North Texas Congressional Race
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Democrat Candace Valenzuela has conceded to Republican Beth Van Duyne, who will now represent Texas' 24th Congressional District.
Valenzuela released the following statement thanking her supporters and reminding them about why she ran for office.
"First, I want to thank all the volunteers and supporters who knocked on doors, hosted virtual campaign events, and made hundreds of thousands of phone calls in support of our grassroots movement. I have new friends and role models, some of whom are not yet old enough to drive. Now that nearly all the votes have been counted and there is no longer a path, we are conceding. I want to congratulate Beth Van Duyne on her victory.
I know the struggles working families are facing, and I stepped up to run for Congress because the opportunities that my great grandfather, my grandparents, and my parents fought for, that helped me go from being homeless as a kid, sleeping in a kiddie pool outside
a gas station, to become the first in my family to go to college have been dwindling for a generation. North Texans responded to our campaign because we put the issues of working families first.The first time I stepped up to run for office, others told me that I couldn't do it because I lacked gravitas and, as a mother and a woman of color, I didn't fit the image of an elected official. Even though we didn't win this race, we've forced the gatekeepers
of the political process to reimagine who belongs at the table. There is still so much work to be done and I will continue to be a tireless advocate for our schools and all working families across North Texas.
Van Duyne, the former Irving mayor who Democrats tied to President Trump, declared victory one week ago on Election Day in the district that spans Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties.
Van Duyne won by 4,606 votes with a total of 167,543 ballots cast for her. Valenzuela had 162,937 votes.
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