Fort Bend Co. Sheriff Troy Nehls wins GOP nomination for Texas' 22nd Congressional District
FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- In the Republican primary runoff for the 22nd Congressional District, Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls took the lead in early voting over Kathaleen Wall and never looked back.
When the polls closed Tuesday evening, Nehls led by 80 percent in Fort Bend County.
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He claimed victory around 8 p.m. District 22 is made up of mostly Fort Bend County. As of 9:30 p.m., Wall had not called Nehls to concede.
"[It's] a humbling experience for me to see I could garner almost 80 percent of the vote in Fort Bend County, even though the ads being pelted at me every day. But you know what? We overcame," said Nehls at a small outdoor watch party of family and friends.
Wall, a wealthy businesswoman and Republican donor, outspent Nehls by millions in a self-funded campaign.
It was her second try at a Republican nomination in a congressional race in just two years.
Nehls will face Democrat Sri Preston Kulkarni in November. Kulkarni lost to incumbent Pete Olson by only 5 percent in 2018.
"I'm going to stay focused," said Nehls. "I believe I'm the best candidate. I have the proven track record in this district, and so, we're really looking forward to dealing with our opponent in November and look forward to the outcome. We're going to stay positive, remain focused and talk about the issues."
Nehls has been the county sheriff for eight years. He would not commit to ardently backing President Trump telling reporters, "right now we're focused on me."
