Garza got two thirds of the vote
By Maggie Q. Thompson, 12:20AM, Wed. Mar. 6, 2024
José Garza speaks at his election night party (Photo by Austin Sanders)
The Democratic primary election for Travis County district attorney has been contentious, but incumbent José Garza won resoundingly on Super Tuesday with 66% of the vote.
Challenger Jeremy Sylestine provided a more moderate alternative to Garza, who has highlighted his effort to curb mass incarceration by diverting defendants away from the justice system and toward mental health or other services. Sylestine had the support of a mix of Democrats and Republicans, some of whom crossed over party lines to vote for him. Travis County saw an uptick in people with Republican voting histories casting a ballot in the Democratic primary.
Still, Garza won out in the end, with about 53,000 votes to Sylestine’s roughly 27,000.
For detailed analysis, pick up this week’s issue of the Chronicle Thursday.
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