The race to fill a Texas congressional seat has candidates but no election date more than three weeks after Rep. Sylvester Turner’s death left a vacancy in a stronghold for Democrats, who are eager to cut into Republicans’ narrow U.S. House majority.

Texas Republican Jake Ellzey is the newest member of the U.S. House.

Wright’s coveted endorsement from Trump — which appeared so powerful in propelling her to the top in the initial election — may have contributed to her undoing in the runoff where state Rep. Jake Ellzey benefited from a more bipartisan appeal, coupled with a more positive, energetic campaign.

Ellzey, a state representative, beat fellow Republican Susan Wright, who was backed by former President Donald Trump. Ellzey will finish the term of Ron Wright, who died earlier this year after contracting COVID-19.

Ellzey and Wright are vying to succeed her late husband, U.S. Rep. Ron Wright, R-Arlington, in the 6th District in North Texas. Early voting for the runoff started Monday and ends Friday.

A special election for a U.S. House seat in Texas is headed for a runoff.

The widow of a Texas congressman who died after contracting the coronavirus is carrying Donald Trump’s endorsement into a special election.

While Democrats have cause for optimism — the district has rapidly trended blue in recent presidential election results — some are urging caution. AdWhile Democrats have cause for optimism — the district has rapidly trended blue in recent presidential election results — some are urging caution. One wild card is Dan Rodimer, the former professional wrestler who ran for Congress last year in Nevada and scrambled to file last-minute for the Texas special election. Sanchez and Bean leaned heavily on their previous campaign experience to argue they were best positioned to turn out Democrats for the special election. AdBean got one of the first major endorsements among Democratic candidates last week, unveiling the support of the Tarrant County AFL-CIO.

Ad"We need fighters in Texas, and that’s what I’m coming here for," Rodimer told The Texas Tribune. Some of the other candidates had already announced their campaigns, most notably including Wright's widow, longtime GOP activist Susan Wright. On Tuesday evening, one potential major GOP candidate, former Trump campaign adviser Katrina Pierson, announced she was not running. The district has been getting increasingly competitive in statewide results, with Trump carrying it by only 3 percentage points last year. However, Ron Wright won it by more healthy margins when he was first elected in 2018 and then reelected in 2020.

Early voting in the special election to replace the late U.S. Rep. Ron Wright, R-Arlington, will begin April 19. Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas TribuneGov. Greg Abbott has selected May 1 as the date for the special election to succeed late U.S. Rep. Ron Wright, R-Arlington. The candidate filing deadline for the special election is March 3, and early voting starts April 19. The special election for the Republican-leaning seat is set to draw a large crowd, and several candidates have already announced or filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission. AdTwo Democrats have declared their candidacies: Jana Lynne Sanchez, the 2018 Democratic nominee for the seat, and Lydia Bean, last year's Democratic nominee for state House District 93.

Ron Wright died earlier this month after living for years with cancer and testing positive for coronavirus in January. Greg Abbott has not scheduled the special election yet, but it is likely to happen May 1 or sooner. Still, Gooden said Susan Wright would "out-hustle anybody, and she's also not going to think it's her seat." Ron Wright, the former Tarrant County tax assessor-collector, was first elected in 2018 and easily won a second term in November. It remains to be seen whether national Democrats will make a serious push in the special election.

Texas GOP Congressman Ron Wright, who battled health challenges including lung cancer and COVID-19, dies at 67AUSTIN – Texas GOP Congressman Ron Wright, who battled health challenges including lung cancer and COVID-19, dies at 67. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Wright, the Texas Republican who had battled health challenges over the past year including lung cancer treatment died Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021, more than two weeks after contracting COVID-19, his office said Monday, Feb. 8. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)AUSTIN, Texas – Republican Rep. Ron Wright of Texas, who had lung cancer and was hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19 last month, has died, his office said Monday. Wright died Sunday, spokesman Matt Langston said. Another Texas member of Congress, Republican U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, also announced that she had tested positive around that time. “He emulated the very best of America, and we were fortunate to have had the opportunity to call him a colleague and a friend," House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said.

U.S. Rep, Ron Wright, R-Arlington. Credit: United States CongressU.S. Rep. Ron Wright, R-Arlington, has tested positive for the coronavirus, he said in a statement Thursday afternoon. Earlier this month, Republican U.S. Reps. Kay Granger of Fort Worth and Kevin Brady of The Woodlands both tested positive for the coronavirus. Other state lawmakers, including Rep. Tony Tinderholt, Sen. Kel Seliger and outgoing House Speaker Dennis Bonnen have tested positive. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller also tested positive in early December.

President Joe Biden delivers his inaugural address on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2021 in Washington, DC. We saw many recognizable faces Wednesday at the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, but there were many people -- some quite notable -- who were not in attendance. President Donald Trump: He announced on Twitter ahead of the inauguration that he would not be attending, and he stuck to his word. He’s the first outgoing president who chose not to attend the ceremony since President Andrew Johnson’s refusal in 1869. Sen. Marco Rubio: Rubio conveyed he would be hard at work instead.

U.S. Rep, Ron Wright, R-Arlington, was released from the hospital Monday. Credit: United States CongressU.S. Rep. Ron Wright, a freshman Republican from Arlington, has been released from a Dallas hospital after a bout with pneumonia. “Upon his recovery from pneumonia, Congressman Wright will resume his duties in Washington and his treatment for cancer,” the press release said. Earlier this month, he was admitted to the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, for treatment before returning to Arlington. “The Congressman looks forward to returning to work and the campaign trail as soon as possible,” the release said.

Credit: United States CongressThe Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is adding three more districts to its Texas target list, expanding an already ambitious battlefield in the state. The DCCC is now targeting 10 districts across Texas, or nearly half the GOP-held seats in the state's congressional delegation. "That consistent message and our 16-month long investment in Texas have put fast-changing districts like these ones in play and Democratic candidates in strong position to deliver in November." Taylor, Williams and Wright all won their races in 2018 by margins ranging from 8 to 10 percentage points. The National Republican Congressional Committee has argued that the Democratic candidates are too liberal for Texas and that the GOP is the party on offense with strong challengers against Allred and Fletcher.