Texas House runoffs to watch in Dallas, Collin, Tarrant counties

May 16 is the first day of early voting for the May 24 runoffs, which will determine the rest of the Republican and Democratic statewide, congressional and local nominees who didn’t win their March 1 primaries outright.

Below is a look at Texas House races to watch that will be on ballots in North Texas, and here’s where to find coverage of other runoffs for area voters.

Dallas County

In North Dallas’ District 114, John Bryant, a former congressman and state House member, is trying to make a comeback. He’s in a runoff against Dallas lawyer Alexandra Guio, who finished first in the March primary.

Guio is making her first run for elected office and says she better reflects the diverse district, which includes a younger, emerging population. Bryant has said that the era of Trump, in which the nation’s democracy is at stake, needs an experienced hand who can effectively fight against the extreme GOP agenda.

In southern Dallas’ House District 100, the Democratic establishment has rallied around first-time candidate Venton Jones against former Dallas council member Sandra Crenshaw.

In March, Crenshaw finished first, stunning the party faithful who didn’t want the perennial candidate in the Legislature.

Is the backing of Kirk, Price, West and others enough to help pull Jones to victory against Crenshaw, who has better name recognition?

Collin County

In Collin County, there are three runoffs — two for the GOP and one for Democrats.

District 70 in the northern part of the county, which was redrawn to slightly favor Democrats, has a Democratic primary that features Cassandra Garcia Hernandez against Mihaela Plesa.

On the Republican side, Jamee Jolly, executive director of the Plano ISD Education Foundation, is facing Eric Bowlin, an Army veteran and real estate professional. Jolly is the former president and CEO of the Plano Chamber of Commerce and former executive director of the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association.

Though President Joe Biden scored a comfortable win in this southwest Collin County district over former President Donald Trump, the national head winds for Democrats in 2022 makes the area closer to purple than true blue.

In House District 61 in the northwest, former McKinney council member Frederick Frazier is in a GOP runoff against former Navy commander and real estate professional Paul Chabot. The winner in the heavily Republican district faces Democrat Sheena King in November.

Tarrant County

Incumbent state Rep. Stephanie Klick is fighting for her political life against insurgent Republican David Lowe, an Army veteran, in a district containing most of Richland Hills and North Richland Hills.

A loss by Klick would be a blow to House Speaker Dade Phelan and Republicans trying to discourage such primary challengers.