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Runoff Election Between State Rep. Drew Springer, Dallas Salon Owner Shelley Luther Set For Dec. 19

(CBSDFW.COM) - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has set the date for a special runoff election between state Rep. Drew Springer and Dallas salon owner Shelley Luther as they compete for Senate District 30.

In a proclamation issued on Saturday, Abbott set the runoff for Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020 in order to fill the seat being vacated by Sen. Pat Fallon, who is running for Congress. Early voting will begin Wednesday, Dec. 9.

Senate District 30 stretches across 14 different counties in North Texas. A special election was held on Sept. 29, with Republicans Springer and Luther earning the most votes out of six candidates.

Drew Springer and Shelley Luther
State Rep. Drew Springer and Dallas salon owner Shelley Luther

Luther made headlines earlier this year after she defied stay-at-home orders during the pandemic and reopened her salon. She was eventually jailed after a judge found her in contempt of court after she refused to apologize for her actions, which included publicly tearing up a cease-and-desist letter from Dallas County.

On her Facebook page on Sept. 29, she emphasized her grassroots support. "We're going to a runoff and it's definitely because of you. I refuse to act like a politician," Luther said.

Springer told CBS 11 News about his Republican background. "I'm a proven conservative Republican, I've always voted in the Republican primaries, I'm in the top 10% of conservatives over the last four sessions in the Texas House," he said.

While campaigning, Luther has often criticized Gov. Greg Abbott for not reopening the state fast enough.

Springer said all five Republicans who ran in the race agreed. "We want to see it open right now. And so, you know, it's definitely a discussion item. I think we all agree that it needs to be open," he said.

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