Former Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt took the oath of office in a ceremony Tuesday to become the next state senator representing Austin and neighboring Bastrop County.
She won the most votes in a special election held July 14 to replace longtime incumbent Kirk Watson, who retired for a job in academia.
But Eckhardt, a Democrat, fell just short of a majority with only 49.7% of the vote, triggering the possibility of a runoff with the second-place finisher, State Representative Eddie Rodriguez, also a Democrat, who had won 33.9% of the vote.
Rodriguez, however, announced on July 27 that he would drop out of the race, after earlier saying that he planned to contest the runoff.
The former county judge took a ceremonial oath of office at a “COVID-adapted ceremony” officiated by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick.
She said, “I look forward to many lively discussions with him as we work together for the good of Texas. I also look forward to celebrating with friends and family once in-person events can safely take place.”
Patrick, a Republican, presides over the senate chamber and controls body with the help of a majority of 19 Republicans out of a total of 31 seats.
Eckhardt’s actual term of service in the senate began on July 31, when she went to the senate secretary’s office and signed the oath of office, before proceeding to the senate chamber, joined by her daughter, where she posed for some photos.
Wednesday’s swearing-in by the lieutenant governor was purely ceremonial, and a chance for the two to meet face-to-face.
Eckhardt has named Peter Einhorn as her chief of staff — a position he held when she was Travis County judge.
During the campaign, Eckhardt made the COVID-19 pandemic a centerpiece of her platform, arguing that Texas needs to be better prepared to confront health crises. She also vowed to work for criminal justice changes and fight for environmental protections.
