ROUNDUP: Incumbents win in races for Texas Senate in Houston-area districts

Update 7:30 p.m. Nov. 6

Incumbents won the night across all Texas Senate districts in the Greater Houston area, unofficial election results show.

According to unofficial results, with 99% of polling locations across the state reporting, the results for the four Houston-area districts are as follows:

• District 6: Democrat incumbent Carol Alvarado has 117,950 votes to Republican challenger Martha Fierro’s 69,619 votes.
• District 7: Republican incumbent Paul Bettencourt has 250,010 votes to Democratic challenger Michelle Gwinn’s 143,724 votes.
• District 15: Democratic incumbent Molly Cook has 198,090 votes to Joseph L. Trahan’s 122,596 votes.
• District 17: Republican incumbent Joan Huffman has 237,332 votes to Democratic challenger Kathy Cheng’s 131,964 votes.

The results in terms of margins look much the same as initial results on Nov. 5. While results are nearly final, they will remain unofficial until canvassed by the state in the weeks after the election.

Update at 10:30 p.m. Nov. 5

As of 10:30 p.m., Republican incumbent Joan Huffman has grown her lead over Democratic challenger Kathy Cheng, according to unofficial election results from the Texas Secretary of State’s website.

Huffman had 206,636 votes to Cheng’s 110,067 votes, unofficial results show.

While not from the candidate herself, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in a social media post congratulated Huffman on winning the race.

Three of the four Texas Senate races with districts in the Greater Houston area remained at the same vote totals as they were at 8:20 p.m., according to unofficial election results.

Community Impact will update the story in the morning of Nov. 6 with final numbers. However, results will be unofficial until canvassed in the weeks after the election.

Posted 8:20 p.m. Nov. 5

With polls starting to close across Texas at 7 p.m., initial election results for several Texas Senate races in the Greater Houston area are coming in. Incumbents in all four races are leading early, unofficial results show.

What’s happening

As of 8:20 p.m., unofficial and early results from the Texas Secretary of State’s Office show the following for the Houston-based Texas Senate races:

• District 6: Democrat incumbent Carol Alvarado—first elected in 2018—has 86,523 votes compared to Republican challenger Martha Fierro, who has 49,194 votes.
• District 7: Republican incumbent Republican Paul Bettencourt—first elected in 2015—is up with 207,120 votes compared to Democrat challenger Michelle Gwinn, who has 114,446 votes.
• District 15: Democrat incumbent Molly Cook—first elected in a special election in 2024—has 161,578 votes compared to Republican challenger Joseph L. Trahan, who has 96,519 votes.
• District 17: Republican incumbent Joan Huffman,—first elected in 2008—has 162,268 votes compared to Democrat challenger Kathy Cheng, who has 97,828 votes.

What else?

To be a Texas Senator, one must be at least 26 years old, have lived in Texas for five years and been a resident within their district for a year, according to the Texas Secretary of State’s website. State senators serve a four-year term.

Meet the candidates

For District 7, Bettencourt told Community Impact some of his priorities included lowering school property taxes, approving special education funding and increasing electrical grid resiliency.

Gwinn said in her Q&A she wants to focus on education and school vouchers, economic development, health care and affordable housing.

For District 15, Cook in her Q&A with Community Impact said she wants to prioritize public health and abortion access, as well as transportation and public schools.

Trahan said in his Q&A he wanted to focus on border safety and jobs programs to help build the workforce and improve economic development.

In District 17, Huffman said in her Q&A with Community Impact she will make public school and school safety her top priority, as well as securing the border.

Cheng in her Q&A said she wants to focus on education, health care and sustainable energy sources, as well as infrastructure improvements.

Stay tuned

Community Impact will update this article as more election day vote totals released. All results are unofficial until canvassed.

Visit communityimpact.com/voter-guide/election-results to see results from all local elections in your community.

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