Republican Brett Ligon, former Montgomery County DA, wins special election for Texas Senate seat

Brett Ligon, the Republican former district attorney of Montgomery County, won a special election Saturday for the state Senate district vacated by Brandon Creighton, who was tapped last year to be chancellor of the Texas Tech University System.

Ligon defeated Democrat Ron Angeletti, an educator and small-business owner who was the only other candidate on the ballot. The two are set for a rematch in November for a full four-year term. In the meantime, Ligon will serve the remainder of Creighton's term, which runs until the start of the next legislative session in January.

"The voters of SD4 have delivered a clear message tonight. Conservative values and Republican dominance in Texas are alive and well," he said in a statement declaring victory 25 minutes after polls closed. "Democrats from Texas and all over the country threw everything they had at us. Democrat politicians were here today in full force, campaigning hard for my opponent. As if we had been flying the 'Come and Take It' flag - they tried - and they failed."

Senate District 4 - which spans across Chambers, Harris, Jefferson, and Montgomery counties - voted for President Donald Trump by a 34-point margin in 2024, making it one of the reddest seats in the upper chamber. It is considered a virtual lock for Republicans in November, even with midterm political headwinds that have left Democrats optimistic about flipping GOP legislative seats.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican who leads the state Senate, said that after Ligon's win, the Senate GOP caucus is "stronger than ever."

"Ligon's decisive victory is an important and timely reminder that when Texas Republicans are energized and united, we cannot be defeated," Patrick said on social media.

Saturday's GOP win comes after Democrats captured a North Texas Senate seat in a special election upset earlier this year. Patrick, whose preferred candidate suffered a surprise defeat in that race, predicted Republicans would "defeat their opponents easily" in November, including in North Texas.

Although Senate District 4 has not had representation since Creighton's departure in October, the Legislature has not been in session during that period and is not scheduled to reconvene until January for the next regular session.

Disclosure: Texas Tech University System has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations, and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

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