Tom Sell can look ahead to November.
The longtime agriculture policy expert and former Congressional aide secured victory over Abraham Enriquez in Tuesday evening’s Republican party primary runoff for West Texas’ U.S. House District 19.
Sell received about 64.3% of the more than 50,000 GOP votes across the sprawling 33-county district that includes Lubbock, Abilene and Big Spring.
That included about 59% of the vote in Lubbock County and 62% in Taylor County – the two largest counties in district – with generally larger margins in many of the district’s rural counties where he worked to gain support from the agriculture community.
Enriquez, an Abilene Christian University graduate, is the founder and president of Bienvenido US — a conservative-leaning Hispanic organization focused on promoting American/traditional values, free markets, while also increasing Hispanic civic and political participation.
Sell, a Texas Tech graduate, is a business owner and co-founder of the Combest, Sell & Associates agriculture lobbying firm. He served as a chief aide for then U.S. House Rep. Larry Combest in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Sell will face Democratic nominee Kyle Rable of Lubbock in November to succeed current TX-19 U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington of Lubbock. Arrington announced last year he would not seek re-election after serving in the seat since he was first elected in 2016.
Arrington shared a statement on social media Tuesday evening congratulating Sell on his primary win.
“I’ve known Tom and Kyla for more than thirty years, and I couldn’t think of a better team to put on the field than the Sell family,” Arrington wrote. “Tom loves West Texas, has tremendous experience, and will work hard every day to promote and defend our freedom, values, and way of life. He will have my full support as he transitions into this seat.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to represent West Texas in Washington for the last ten years, and I’m forever grateful for the trust and support I’ve received along the way,” Arrington said.
Arrington shared a separate statement congratulating Enriquez for his campaign and “having the courage to step into the arena and run for Congress.”
“I believe Abraham’s work to win hearts and minds to our shared conservative cause is only beginning,” Arrington added. “He has a bright future ahead, and I’m excited to see where God leads him next.”
Rable, who secured the Democratic nomination in the March 2 primary, released a statement late Tuesday in response to Sell’s win.
“The result of today’s election begins the months-long debate about the future of this district. D.C. insiders and the establishment have viewed the 19th District as an entitlement for far too long, rather than a place that deserves genuine advocacy and tangible outcomes.” Rable said. “Our movement is not centered on one party or one person; it is centered on the authentic representation that West Texans are owed.”
Tom Sell of Lubbock
Sell is a business owner and co-founder of the Combest, Sell & Associates agriculture lobbying firm.
Sell has previous experience in Congress, having served as the right-hand man to then-U.S. Rep. Larry Combest. He was praised for playing a key role in advancing major legislation, including the 2002 Farm Bill and the landmark Crop Insurance Reform Act of 2000.
The issues he is running include:
What were results after the March 2 primary?
Seven candidates entered the Republican primary for U.S. House District 19. In a crowded race, none of the candidates received the necessary 50% plus one vote to avoid a runoff, with Sell and Enriquez emerging as the top two to face off in the May 26 runoff. Here are results from the March 2 primary election.
Where is the TX-19 Congressional District located?
According to the U.S. Census, there are 787,000 people in the large swath of Texas that the district covers, with the median household income being $64,889.
A little over 25% of the district has a bachelor’s degree or higher, with much of the district’s economy being dedicated to farming and ranching. Major cities are Lubbock and Abilene, with other cities including Plainview, Big Spring and Andrews.
The district is a Republican stronghold in the state, as the Republican candidates have won the general election for the seat by over 70% of the vote in the past eight elections, according to historical voting data.
(Reporter Mateo Rosiles contributed to this report.)
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Sell secures victory in Texas’ U.S. 19 Republican primary runoff
Reporting by Adam D. Young, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
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