Andy Hopper has defeated incumbent Lynn Stucky in the race for the Republican nomination to represent District 64 in the Texas House of Representatives.
In Tuesday’s primary runoff, complete but unofficial results showed Hopper winning with 58.11% of the votes to Stucky’s 41.89% — a difference of nearly 2,500 votes.
Hopper will face Angela Brewer, who ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination, in November.
“Tonight is a massive victory for principled conservatives in Wise and Denton Counties,” Hopper said via X, formerly known as Twitter. “Our district strongly endorses closing the southern border, cutting property taxes, and passing school choice.
“To Texans for Lawsuit Reform and every dark money interest group in Austin who spent hundreds of thousands lying to our neighbors, District 64 has been returned to the voters.
“Our conservative movement is resounding, and I thank every single person who believed in our mission. I want to thank God, my wife Amanda, my family, our entire team, and every volunteer who’s worked tirelessly in support of this campaign. God bless House District 64 and God bless Texas.”
The race for Texas House District 64 included attacks between the GOP candidates.
Hopper took a 3.4 percentage-point lead over Stucky — a difference of 851 ballots — in the March 5 primary. Hopper had 46.7% of the vote compared to Stucky’s 43.3% then.
Hopper succeeded in his second attempt to take the seat Stucky has held since 2016. In 2022, Hopper lost to Stucky by less than 100 votes.
A former Missouri and Denton resident, Hopper co-founded the Wise County Conservatives. He joined the Texas State Guard in 2014 and is currently a chief warrant officer.
Hopper has criticized Stucky’s vote last year to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has endorsed Hopper, along with the opponents of others who voted to impeach him.
Hopper has also accused the incumbent of voting against conservative legislative efforts.
Stucky has criticized Hopper for taking donations from a super PAC associated with white supremacist Nick Fuentes.
Stucky, a longtime veterinarian in the Denton area, served on the Sanger ISD school board for 15 years before being elected to the state House.
He was the vice chair on the House Committee on Higher Education and interim chair of County Affairs in the 87th Texas Legislature.
Gov. Greg Abbott endorsed Stucky and other candidates supported the governor’s push for school vouchers.
Stucky captured about 56% of the vote in Denton County, but Hopper had more support in the rest of Texas House District 64. The district covers the entirety of Wise County, as well as most of the city of Denton, plus Krum and northwestern Denton County.