Following the resignation of former State Rep. Carlos Uresti, Governor Greg Abbott has determined the special election date for Senate District 19.

Uresti resigned after being found guilty of eleven felony charges involving fraud. Uresti has also been accused of committing sexual assault against reporters and staffers.

In his statement announcing the July 31st special election date, Abbott noted that he made the decision based on the fact that Uresti’s former district had been “without effective representation” for over a year, given his ongoing legal battles. “With the 86th Legislative Session approaching, and ongoing interim legislative committee hearings, it is imperative to fill this vacancy to ensure that Senate District No. 19 is fully represented as soon as possible.”

The senate district is one of the largest in the state of Texas, and is even larger than the state of Connecticut. Currently, two Democrats have announced a run for the seat; former United States Representative Pete Gallego and current state representative Roland Guttierrez (D-San Antonio). On the Republican side, Pete Roles, who lost to Uresti in 2016, also announced his candidacy.

Sentencing for Uresti’s federal case is scheduled for June 25th. Several of his charges could carry up to twenty years in prison.

Austin Goss

Austin Goss is the Capitol Correspondent for Empower Texans and Texas Scorecard. Hailing from Louisville, Kentucky, Austin is a Christian, soldier in the United States Army Reserves, and a student at the University of Texas at Austin. Follow Austin on Twitter @AG_Legacy

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