HOUSTON—Republican state Rep. Glenda Dawson is dead, but she’s not gone.

She easily defeated her living Democratic opponent Tuesday night.

That victory came two months after dying from a brief illness.

Dawson’s campaign ensured the traditionally GOP 29^th District would stay that way after her September death, handing out yard signs, printed fliers listing her accomplishments and sent out letters to voters.

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Dawson’s campaign was criticized for sending out campaign mailers just before the election touting her record but not mentioning that she had died.

She beat Democratic challenger Anthony A. Dinovo of Pearland with more than 60 percent of the vote.

Gov. Rick Perry will call a special election to fill the seat.

Political background

Glenda Dawson was a public school teacher for more than three decades before becoming a lawmaker.

She was a Republican from Pearland who was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2002.

Dawson served on the higher education, house administration and public health committees during the 2005 legislative session.

In her 2002 campaign, Dawson was one of seven Republican candidates who received money at the center of a scandal that led to criminal charges against former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

The scheme allegedly funneled $190,000 in restricted corporate donations to a DeLay-founded political action committee to the Republican National Committee to the seven Texas candidates.

Texas bans the use of corporate donations for direct campaign spending.

The scheme helped the GOP win a majority in the Texas Legislature.

Dawson received $40,000 of the money, but she was never accused of wrongdoing.

She went on to beat veteran Democratic lawmaker Tom Uher, of Bay City, who had served since 1967.