Van Duyne, who received the support of heavyweights like Secretary Ben Carson and President Donald Trump, managed to avoid a runoff despite facing four other candidates; David Fegan, Desi Maes, Sunny Chaparala, and Jeron Liverman.
Fegan came the closest to Van Duyne with 21 percent of the vote compared to the former Trump official’s 64 percent.
Van Duyne only needed just over 50 percent in order to secure her spot on November’s ballot.
In 2018, Marchant won reelection with 50.6 percent, and both national and state Democrats have eyed Texas’ 24th congressional district since.
Olson, a retired Air Force colonel who ran against Republican Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller in 2018, received endorsements from The Dallas Morning News, VoteVets.org, and the Stonewall Democrats of Dallas County. She’s touted her military experience and no-nonsense approach as strengths throughout the campaign.
Meanwhile, Valenzuela has emerged as the more progressive choice between the two Democrats. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), and the Congressional Progressive PAC have all publicly thrown their support behind her campaign.
Valenzuela was temporarily homeless as a child and has spoken about her experience on the campaign trail.
The two defeated a slate of other Democrat candidates, including Jan McDowell, Crystal Fletcher, Richard Fleming, Sam Vega, and John Biggan.
Texas’ 24th Congressional District includes chunks of Dallas, Denton, and Tarrant counties.
While Van Duyne is set to appear on the ballot in November, the two Democrat candidates will face off once again on May 26.
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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.
