By Kristy Volmert | Staff Writer, Gracie Savage | LTVN Broadcast Reporter
Despite Democratic candidate Erin Shank’s attempt to defeat longstanding Republican dominance in the race for Texas House District 56, Republican Pat Curry won with roughly double Shank’s votes.
LTVN’s Gracie Savage got a behind-the-scenes look into Pat Curry’s watch party celebration.
Republican voters and their companions gathered together at the Backyard Bar Stage & Grill Tuesday night to cheer on Curry, U.S. House of Representative candidate Pete Sessions and incumbent Judge Thomas West for the 19th District Judge as they watched results roll in.
Although the votes turned in favor of Curry, it wasn’t an easily-won victory against Shank.
With three degrees in both law and politics as well as years of experience as a lawyer, Shank made a very well-qualified competitor to Curry.
“I think it’s very important to have your representative completely knowledgeable of law. I’ve represented over 6,500 clients, so I’m very familiar with talking to someone who may be very different than me,” Shank said.
Shank had a wide array of goals and ideals that made her campaign platform, as she hoped to tackle major issues concerning women’s reproductive health, private school vouchers and funding for public schools.
“I’ve experienced all of these issues firsthand,” Shank said. “In Texas, we are 45th in the nation for public school funding. Our public school teachers are paid on the $15,000 less than the national average. We aren’t getting the quality teachers that we need.”
Shank said that she wanted to fight against private school vouchers that would take taxpayer dollars and put them towards funding private schools while public schools are already falling drastically behind.
“The Texas Constitution requires the Texas Legislature to fully fund public schools. And when you’re 45th in the nation, you’re obviously not following your constitution,” Shank said.
However, Curry — after a hard-won fight — secured the victory over Shank, ensuring continued Republican control in the district.
Curry said he hopes to use his term to strengthen community involvement, push further education reforms, lower property taxes and reinforce the Christian moral values that he said the government was originally founded upon.
Curry said he is going to passionately push for education reforms in hopes of producing a better-educated youth and wants to help tackle unemployment issues by ensuring that kids can be more prepared for real careers upon graduating high school.
“They either need to be ready to go to work or ready to go to college,” Curry said.
According to Curry, property taxes are “out of control.” He hopes to reform these as well, which will help make living much more affordable all around Texas.
For Curry, a key part of his political platform is his faith.
“We need to carry our Christian values into so many aspects of the law and running of our government. A lot has been lost on that,” Curry said. “This campaign really became a calling from God.”
Curry began his victory speech with a pledge of allegiance, then welcomed Pastor Les Cody of Mercy Culture Church to the stage to lead a prayer.
“If God put us in this, then God will keep us in it as long as He wants,” Curry said.
Curry said that he was honored to be endorsed by his predecessor, Charles (“Doc”) Anderson, who requested a “special election” from Gov. Greg Abbott that would allow him to step down and let another finish out his term.
Despite the loss, Shank said she has enjoyed campaigning again and feels like she’s “back in her happy place.”
“I don’t believe that Texas is really a red state. I think we are a gerrymandered state. I hope to someday see Texas pulled back towards the middle, where we can meet to compromise and agree on good ideas,” Shank said.
