2010: Jackson Beats Taylor [updated]

Mabrie Jackson, who pulled out of the race for state Rep. Brian McCall's unexpired term, beat Van Taylor in Saturday's special election, winning 56 percent of the vote to his 44 percent, according to Collin County's election results.

That's a little awkward. 

Taylor won the primary election runoff last month and is on his way to serving a two-year term in the House. But McCall, who is now the chancellor of the Texas State University System, quit his House post early to take the academic job. The special was designed to fill out the rest of his term. Jackson, who lost the other election, withdrew her name and Taylor was sworn in. All three of them are Republicans from Plano.

But absent any more campaigning, she won the special election.

Turnout was lower in the special than in the runoff or the primary, probably because both candidates were campaigning. And they weren't campaigning this time because ... it's over. Jackson pulled out of the special election. The Secretary of State named Taylor the only candidate and therefore the winner, calling the result and ending the race. And Collin County let it tail out, counting votes in an already decided election where no one asked for support.