The Democratic establishment notched a notable win in its struggle with progressives and outsiders Tuesday in a Texas congressional runoff.
In the 7th District of Texas, attorney Lizzie Pannill Fletcher bested progressive Laura Moser in the Democratic primary to take on incumbent Republican Rep. John Culberson. It’s a toss-up that could prove critical to Democrats flipping control of the House come November.
Fletcher maintained a cash advantage throughout the race and notched more high-profile endorsements than Moser, including influential super PAC EMILY’s List. The race drew national attention when the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted opposition research on Moser, attempting to label her a carpetbagger.
Though it sparked outrage among liberals nationally and boosted Moser’s fundraising in the immediate aftermath, the drama died down by Tuesday’s runoff. National Democrats wanted to sideline Moser because they thought she was too liberal for the district.
Fletcher prevailed and will try to flip the district, which went for Hillary Clinton in 2016 by 1 point. The race was ultimately not close, with Fletcher winning nearly 68 percent of the vote.
Earlier Tuesday night, outside candidate Amy McGrath defeated establishment-backed Lexington Mayor Jim Gray in the Democratic primary in Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District.
