COOK WINS BY 74 VOTES

By: Diego Martinez State Senator Molly Cook appears to have narrowly clinched victory over state Representative Jarvis Johnson in the Senate District 15 primary runoff for the second time within this month, positioning herself to retain the long-held Houston Mayor John Whitmire’s seat in the upper chamber. Cook currently leads Johnson by 74 votes, with all precincts reporting, as per unofficial results, a margin well within the range for a potential recount. This count also excludes late-arriving mail-in ballots. This success marks Cook’s second win over Johnson this month. Initially, she defeated Johnson with a 57% to 43% margin on May 4 in a special election triggered by Whitmire’s resignation to assume the mayoral office earlier in the year. Sworn in on May 16 to serve out the term until year-end, Cook now advances to the November ballot to contest for a full term, representing a diverse segment of Harris County. In a statement announcing her victory on Wednesday, Cook reflected on her journey to the Senate, recalling her initial attempt to challenge Whitmire in 2022. Being the fi rst individual other than Whitmire to occupy the seat since 1983, Cook, an emergency room nurse and community organizer, also holds...