By: Andrew Schneider Voters in Senate District 15 have elected ER nurse and political activist Molly Cook to  ll the unexpired term of Houston Mayor John Whitmire. Cook’s margin of victory indicates her strength heading into the Democratic primary runoff later this month. Molly Cook jumped out to a sizable lead over State Representative Jarvis Johnson when Harris County released the early voting numbers in the special election Saturday evening. By the time the uno cial  nal results came out early Sunday morning, Cook led by more than 2,000 votes out of about 16,000 cast — more than 14 percentage points. During the campaign, Cook emphasized her experience as a medical professional and focused on issues such as energy a ordability, abortion rights, gun safety, protecting public education, and LGBTQ+ rights. Her victory in the special election makes her the first openly LGBTQ+ state senator in Texas. Molly Cook previously challenged John Whitmire for the Democratic nomination for Senate District 15 in 2022. She lost that race by 58.4% to 41.6% but gained name recognition. Cook will face Jarvis Johnson one more time in the Democratic primary runoff May 28 to determine who will represent the party against Republican candidate Joseph L. Trahan in the general election. The winner of the November contest will represent SD 15 in next year’s legislative session. The last time a Republican won SD 15 was more than 50 years ago, making the winner of the Democratic primary runoff the heavy favorite in the general election. Cook’s victory in the special election will count towards her seniority in the Senate if she wins the primary runoff and general elections. In the meanwhile, it means SD 15 will have representation in the Senate if Governor Greg Abbott summons the legislature back for a special session this year.

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