The race to succeed John Whitmire in the Texas Senate is likely heading to a May runoff

State Rep. Jarvis Johnson is poised for the second stage of the Democratic primary for the Texas state Senate seat previously held by Houston Mayor John Whitmire, while emergency room nurse Molly Cook and attorney-mediator Todd Litton are vying for the second spot in a likely runoff. Johnson, Cook and Litton received 38%, 21% and 16% of all ballots counted so far in Senate District 15, respectively. The other three Democratic candidates – community advocate Michelle Bonton, attorney Alberto “Beto” Cardenas and former Houston ISD teacher Karthik Soora – are trailing in the single digits. The runoff is set for May 28 and will pit the two top candidates against each other. The District 15 seat is open for the first time since 1983 after Houston voters selected Whitmire as the city’s new mayor in December, leading him to resign from his Senate seat. Six Democrats and one Republican – local businessman Joseph Trahan – entered the race for the seat.