Suzanne Gamboa at NBC:
Candace Valenzuela stands to become the first Black Latina elected to Congress and just the third Latina elected from Texas.
Valenzuela won a Democratic primary runoff Tuesday in the state's 24th Congressional District against retired Air Force Col. Kim Olson and will face Republican Beth Van Duyne, the former mayor of Irving, in the general election.
Democrats consider the seat to be one of their best pickup opportunities in November.
Valenzuela's mother is Mexican American, and her father is Black. She was the first in her family to graduate from college, and she became an educator, working as a special needs teacher. Like many other Latinos, she started her political career on the school board, in Farmers Branch.
During the runoff, she had many high-profile endorsements including civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) and four Democratic presidential candidates: Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, and Julian Castro.
The district is rapidly changing. Incumbent Kenny Marchant (R) barely cleared 50 percent in 2018 and announced his retirement in the 2020 cycle.
Her biographical video was an all-time great:NEW: @DCCC polling in #TX24 shows @candacefor24 +6 on Beth Van Duyne, Biden +6 in the district. pic.twitter.com/ignU00tiC5— Avery Jaffe (@averyjaffe) July 15, 2020
