Following unofficial primary election results from March 5, the Republican primary race for State House District 29 is likely headed to a runoff election on May 28, as no candidate secured a majority of votes.
Jeffrey Barry has 7,751 votes, or 48.37% of the vote, and Alex Kamkar has 7,061 votes, or 44.07% of the vote, according to unofficial results from the county. In third place is Edgar Pacheco with 754 votes, or 4.71% of the vote total.
Trent Perez was on the ballot but announced he was dropping out in December. Despite this, he received 457 votes, or 2.85% of the vote total.
Barry said March 6 he is ready to continue with the runoff election and appreciates the community for their support.
“We’ve had a tough race; we’ve had a lot of things against us, ... but I’m happy to say that our community stood together,” Barry said. “They understand that I have a passion, and I’m the right guy for the job. We’re going to continue to fight, and we’re going to go into this runoff even bigger than we did with the election that just happened.”
Kamkar said the upcoming runoff race is where he “expected to be” as he believes his voters are looking for a new change.
"[The results] are a gigantic statement,” Kamkar said. “I think when you talk to the voters you’ll find out that there’s a lot of people who want something different, something new, and we represent that.”
Updated 10:30 p.m. March 5
With all 34 voting centers reporting, unofficial election results from Brazoria County show Jeffrey Barry and Alex Kamkar headed to a runoff election in May, as both are the lead vote-getters in the race, but neither received the majority of votes.
Barry is the top vote-getter with 7,751 votes, or 48.37% of the vote. Kamkar has 7,061 votes, or 44.07% of the vote, unofficial election results show.
Edgar Pacheco Jr. has 754 votes, or 4.71% of the vote, unofficial results show.
If results hold, Kamkar and Barry will face each other in a runoff race on May 28. The winner will face Democratic candidate Adrienne Bell, who ran unopposed.
Results are unofficial until canvassed.
Updated 9:30 p.m. March 5
Unofficial election results from Brazoria County show Jeffrey Barry is continuing to lead with 5,272 votes, or 47.74% of the vote. Alex Kamkar has 5,057 votes, or 45.79% of the vote, and Edgar Pacheco Jr. has 443 votes, or 4.01% of the vote.
Posted 7:30 p.m. March 5
As of 7 p.m., unofficial results show Jeffrey Barry leading the Republican primary for the Texas House's 29th District, according to unofficial election results from Brazoria County.
What you need to know
The district, which is occupied by incumbent Ed Thompson, R-Pearland, covers much of the eastern part of Brazoria County from Pearland, Manvel and Alvin, and stretches down as far as Freeport.
As of 7 p.m., Barry has 47.67% with 5,133 votes, Alex Kamkar has 46.02% with 4,955 votes and Edgar Pacheco Jr. has 3.94% with 424 votes, according to unofficial election results.
While on the ballot, Trent Perez withdrew from the race in December.
To win the nomination, one of the candidates will need the majority of the votes, officials with the Secretary of State’s Office said March 4. If no candidate secures the majority, a runoff between the top two vote-getters will be triggered. If needed, that race will take place May 28.
Whoever wins will face Democratic candidate Adrienne Bell, who is running unopposed in the Democratic primary, in November.
The seat is an open one after Thompson announced his intentions to retire in 2023.
Diving in deeper
In a Q&A submitted to Community Impact, Kamkar said if he’s elected, he will support Gov. Greg Abbott’s request for more resources for enhanced border security and look to permanently cut property taxes.
Barry said if he’s elected, he will support first responders and secure water sources for future generations.
Pacheco said if he’s elected, he will prioritize rebuilding trust in Texas's education and advocate for a universal school choice program.
What else?
Community Impact will update this article as more election day vote totals are released. All results are unofficial until canvassed.
Visit communityimpact.com/voter-guide/election-results to see results from all local elections in your community.
