By PAUL J. WEBER
Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Republicans in Texas have won the first big special election of 2020. They overcame a national blitz from Democrats Tuesday to keep hold of a suburban Houston state House district seat that President Donald Trump easily won four years ago. The victory by Republican Gary Gates surely brings a sigh of relief for the GOP after Democrats poured millions of dollars into the race. Presidential candidates including Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren had endorsed Eliz Markowitz, the Democratic candidate. In final unofficial results, Gates polled 58% of the vote to 42% for Democrat Eliz Markowitz. More than 30,000 voters cast ballots in the election, a 20% turnout.

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