Bexar County DA candidate has yet to concede in close Democratic runoff

Jane Davis, left, finished fewer than 1,000 votes short of Luz Elena Chapa in Tuesday’s primary runoff. Credit: Michael Karlis

Jane Davis has yet to concede in Tuesday’s close runoff to decide the Democratic nominee for Bexar County District Attorney, saying through her political consultant that she wants to wait for a hand count of some precincts.

Despite having four decades of prosecutorial experience in the DA’s office, Davis lost to former Fourth Court of Appeals Justice Luz Elena Chapa by only 934 votes in Tuesday’s runoff.

The politically well-connected Chapa trailed Davis early in the night’s vote count. However, the lead flipped as new precinct results came in, and the night ended with Chapa ahead.

Davis political consultant Laura Barberena told the Current that the campaign isn’t calling for a full recount, even though that’s something it’s legally entitled to under Texas state law.

Instead, Barberena said Davis wants to wait for vote totals from a few precincts that haven’t yet been fully reported. Further, the campaign wants to wait for the Bexar County Elections Department to conduct a hand count from three precincts.

Every election, the Bexar County Elections Department chooses a race in which to hand count ballots from a trio of precincts. In this election, department officials chose the DA runoff, which was widely expected to be a close contest.

“Jane will concede when she’s ready,” Barberena said.

However, San Antonio Democratic activist Kathy Vale, a Chapa supporter, argued in a Wednesday Facebook post that Davis should concede as soon as possible so the party can unite and focus on the November election.

“This has been a long, hard-fought and at times negative Democratic Primary race for Bexar County District Attorney, for the candidates, their families and their campaigns,” Vale wrote. “I expect both candidates are catching their breath and spending time with family. I remain hopeful Ms. Davis and her team will very soon unite behind Luz Elena Chapa — it’s what we do as Texas and Bexar County Democrats.”

Bexar County Democratic Party Precinct Chair Christy Ortiz Andrews — a Davis supporter — agreed.

“Yes, my candidate for Bexar County District Attorney lost last night,” Andrews wrote on Facebook. “Yes, I wish Jane Davis would call Luz Elena Chapa to congratulate her and concede the election. We are, after all, blue dog Democrats. We are, after all, the party of decency and transparency.”

If the results of the hand count and outstanding ballots don’t change the results, then Chapa will take on Republican Ashley Foster in November.

Jason Wolff, a criminal defense attorney and nephew of former Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, also could be on the November ballot as an independent, assuming he manages to secure 500 signatures from people who didn’t vote in the March primary or May runoff.

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