When all the ballots were counted and the races were finally called, only two Republican State Representatives, Reps. Angie Chen Button (R-Richardson) and Morgan Meyer (R-Dallas), remained standing in Dallas County.
At the end of the night, Button, the Taipei-born state representative who has represented House District 112 since 2009, prevailed over Brandy Chambers, her Democratic opponent. Button received 51 percent of the vote and won with just over a one thousand vote margin.
However, the district did not yield favorable results for other Republicans on the ballot.
Senator Ted Cruz lost Button’s district by 9.6 points, while Governor Greg Abbott, who by and large outperformed many of his statewide Republican counterparts, lost by 3 points.
Similarly, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick lost HD 112 by 5.1 points and Attorney General Ken Paxton by 7.6 points.
The only statewide Republican to win the Dallas County district was Land Commissioner George P. Bush, who managed to skim by with a mere 1.4 point win over his Democratic challenger.
In contrast to the close margins marked by the 2018 results, Button won the 2016 general election handily with 57.2 percent and nearly eight thousand votes more than her opponent.
Button ran unopposed in the 2018 primary election, as did Chambers.
Chambers, a Dallas-based lawyer, has publicly stated that she will run for the seat once again, and her website reads, “I’m back to run again in 2020 after nearly defeating a five-term incumbent in 2018. This time, we’ll finish the job.”
Emphasizing the narrow margin she lost by, Chambers continues. “We’re only nine seats away from resetting the priorities for Texas and there are 18 districts within 10 points – HD 112 is within just two.”
No other candidates have filed to run for the seat at the time of publishing.
According to her campaign website, Button’s parents were reportedly forced to flee communist forces in China because of their Christian faith. Like millions of others, Button’s parents resettled in capitalist, pro-West Taiwan as a safe haven from the Maoist regime that violently took over the Chinese mainland.
Button eventually moved to America to attend the University of Texas at Dallas and later earned her CPA certification.
According to Mark Jones’ Rice University rankings, Button ranked as the 68th most conservative state representative of the 150 member statehouse. She served on the Higher Education Committee and as Chair of the Urban Affairs Committee during the 86th Legislative Session.
Data from the Texas Legislative Council (TLC) shows 24 percent of households in the district have incomes over $100,000, nearly matching the state’s overall 24.5 percent average.
Button’s district is also marked by heavy employment in educational services, health care, and social assistance. These areas comprise 18.7 percent of the employed population.
HD 112 is situated in the northeastern corner of Dallas County and encompasses portions of Dallas, Garland, Richardson, and Rowlett.
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McKenzie DiLullo
McKenzie DiLullo serves as Senior Editor and resident plate-spinner for The Texan. Previously, she worked as State Representative Kyle Biedermann’s Capitol Director during the 85th legislative session before moving to Fort Worth to manage Senator Konni Burton’s campaign. In her free time, you might find her enjoying dog memes, staring at mountains, or proctoring personality tests.
