Incumbent Workman to maintain District 47 House seat

"This is the first time I've ever run for office, so I made a lot of mistakes and I started late," he said. "The only way we were going to win was to break that straight-party ticket, and we weren't able to do that."

Posted: 8:40 p.m. CST

According to unofficial early voting results, incumbent Republican candidate Rep. Paul Workman is leading the race for the District 47 state House of Representatives seat, followed by opponents Democrat Chris Frandsen and Libertarian Nick Tanner.

Workman has 32,932 votes, compared with Frandsen's 19,529 and Tanner's 2,033 votes. All results are unofficial until canvassed.The elected candidate will serve a two-year term.

Workman's campaign focused on his goals of building SH 45 SW and improving the Y at Oak Hill. He said he hoped to continue his work in the House to support career technology education and increase the state's water supply. Workman is the founder of Workman Commercial Construction Services and beat attorney Ryan Downton in the May 29 primary. He was first elected in 2010.

Frandsen ran unopposed in the primary. A Vietnam veteran, Frandsen said he entered the race because he wants to revamp the state's education budget process to bring more funds into schools and increase transparency. His other priorities include closing unnecessary tax loopholes and eliminating wasteful spending, he said.

Tanner said his two main goals if elected would be to strengthen opportunities for small businesses and to ify "Obamacare" because he said it will negatively affect business owners. He works three jobs and was elected to the steering committee of the Texans for Accountable Government political action committee earlier this year.

District 47 covers the south and southwest part of Travis County, including Bee Cave, Briarcliff, Lakeway, Oak Hill, Onion Creek, San Leanna, Shady Hollow, Sunset Valley, The Hills and part of Austin.