In a midterm election night when Texas Democrats made historic inroads, Republican David Cook held a strong lead for the open Texas Senate District 22 seat that represents Waco.
With 91% of precincts counted as of midnight, Cook had nearly 57% of the vote in the sprawling district. He declined to comment pending final results.
Cook vied with Democrat Amy Martinez-Salas of Arlington to represent a 12-county area from Falls County to Fort Worth, including Waco and McLennan County.
A veteran state representative and former Mansfield mayor, Cook outspent and outraised his opponent by a wide margin throughout the campaign cycle, picking up endorsements from President Donald Trump and other big names.
Martinez-Salas is a legal assistant who entered the race as a first-time candidate in a deep-red district.
If Cook wins the general election and a special election that was on the same ballot,, he will take office in November to serve the remainder of 16-year incumbent Sen. Brian Birdwell’s term. Birdwell, a Granbury Republican, stepped down in May to become a U.S. assistant secretary of defense.
On the campaign trail, Cook emphasized his engagement with Waco-area needs and issues, including funding a mental health facility, regulating data centers and giving local leaders a voice at the Capitol.
His support for aggressive property tax cuts favored by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott could be a source of tension with Waco city leaders and public school advocates going forward, as the Bridge and KWBU reported this month in joint election coverage.
