HOUSTON — Attorney Lizzie Pannill Fletcher and the U.S. House Democratic campaign arm prevailed Tuesday evening in its effort to block activist Laura Moser from being the party's nominee in a highly contentious congressional primary in west Houston.
RELATED: Statewide election results
Moser trailed Fletcher by more than 38 points in their nomination fight to take on U.S. Rep. John Culberson, a Republican, in the fall.
Back in February, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee released an opposition research file on Moser in hopes of knocking her out of this spring’s runoff, the Texas Tribune reported. Instead, Moser placed second behind Fletcher out of seven candidates.
The DCCC did not officially endorse Fletcher in the runoff, but it made its preference plain. Additionally, Fletcher had the support of EMILY’s List, an influential national organization that backs Democratic women who support abortion rights.
Despite the massive victory, the fall fight is sure to be a slog for Fletcher. While Democrat Hillary Clinton carried the district in 2016, Culberson won re-election by a 12-point margin. He also has nearly $1 million in his campaign account.
At her election night party, Moser encouraged her supporters to back Fletcher in the fall "if this night turns out like it looks like it’s going to turn out," according to Buzzfeed News.
Culberson did not mention Fletcher by name in his statement about the Democratic primary. Instead, he stressed his position as a member of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee and his capacity to potentially deliver funds on flood control, highway, space projects.
"Too much is at state for Houston to experiment with the far-left ideas of my opponent," he said.
"My top priority is fighting every day to ensure that Houston families flooded by Hurricane Harvey get the federal financial help they need to recover and rebuild, and to finish building out our flood control network."
DCCC Chairman Ben Ray Luján released a statement on Fletcher's victory late Tuesday night and sent a strong signal on the issues his party plans to use in its case against Culberson: flooding and health care.
"Lizzie is in a very strong position for the general election, and her inclusive message will strike a powerful contrast with her Republican opponent’s record of undermining investment in critical infrastructure and disaster preparedness, and raising the cost of health care for thousands of families across Texas," the chairman stated.
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