El Paso's Fierro takes Pickett's seat in special election for Texas House

Elections were held Tuesday to fill two vacancies in the Texas House.  

In El Paso, Democrat Art Fierro won the special election to replace former state Rep. Joe Pickett, who stepped down earlier this month due to health issues. Fierro, the chairman of the El Paso Community College board, prevailed in a three-way race for House District 79, getting 53 percent of the vote. Fellow Democrat Michiel Noe, a former member of the El Paso City Council, finished second with 27 percent, while Republican activist Hans Sassenfeld came in third with 20 percent. Fierro will finish Pickett's term, which goes until January 2021.

Democrats Christina Morales, with 35 percent of the vote and Melissa Noriega, with 31 percent of the vote, will meet in the runoff to replace Carol Alvarado in the Houston area House District 145. Morales is a city planning commissioner and first-time candidate. Noriega, a former member of the Houston City Council, held the HD-145 seat in 2005 while the incumbent and her husband at the time, Rick Noriega, served in the military overseas. Republican Martha Fierro finished third among the eight candidates. Gov. Greg Abbott must set a date for the runoff.

For more information, please contact Legislative and Regulatory Director Charlotte Spencer at 512-853-8511, 800-442-5762, ext., 8511 or cspencer@cornerstoneleague.coop.