After US Congressman Joe Barton announced he would not seek re-election just days before the filing deadline in December following the release of nude photos he had sent to various women and multiple allegations of inappropriate behavior, conservatives quickly rallied to Tarrant County Tax Assessor Ron Wright as he announced a campaign for Barton’s seat.
Their hard work paid off.
On Tuesday, Wright secured the Republican nomination by securing 52.2 percent of the vote.
“I’m excited by tonight’s result. We united Republicans across CD6, and our grassroots army marches on to November,” said Wright in a statement. “I want to thank Jake Ellzey for his service to our country, and the energetic campaign he ran. It’s time to come together and keep CD6 Republican in the fall!”
First elected to the seat of Tarrant County Tax Assessor in 2012 after previous stints working for Barton in Congress and serving on the Arlington City Council, Wright was a known conservative commodity for championing property tax reforms and refusing to enforce holds on cameras placed by red light camera companies.
Wright was endorsed in his campaign by Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, Texas Right to Life, State Sen. Konni Burton (R–Colleyville), and all of Tarrant County’s Republican state representatives, save Charlie Geren (Fort Worth).
However, a crowded field of 11 candidates prevented any candidate from winning outright on March 6th and forced a runoff between Wright, who won 45 percent of the vote, and Jake Ellzey, who won nearly 22 percent.
A former US Navy officer and aviator, Ellzey’s first attempt at winning public office came in 2014 when he ran for State Representative with the endorsement of Texas Gov. Rick Perry, but fell short. Perry, now Energy Secretary for President Donald Trump, also supported Ellzey in his congressional campaign.
Wright now faces Democrat Jana Lynne Sanchez, who won a runoff election of her own tonight, in the general election. Texas’ 6th Congressional District is considered a safe Republican seat.
