Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX), the oldest sitting member of the House of Representatives at 91, lost a runoff election on Tuesday to conservative challenger U.S. Attorney John Ratcliffe.
With 98 percent of precincts reporting on Wednesday, Ratcliffe was leading Hall 53 percent to 47 percent.
Hall was a 34-year incumbent prior to losing, according to the Daily Beast. He had been the target of a number of prominent conservative outside groups this cycle who backed Ratcliffe’s candidacy. The Club for Growth’s Chris Chocola was quick to praise Ratcliffe’s win.
“Congratulations to John Ratcliffe on his great victory tonight. In Congress, John will be a fighter for Texas taxpayers and a champion for economic liberty. John Ratcliffe is a constitutional conservative and we can’t wait to see him elected.
Similarly, the Senate Conservatives Fund, which invested $60,000 on supporting Ratcliffe, also lauded his victory.
“We congratulate John Ratcliffe on his victory tonight. He won this race because he never stopped fighting for conservative principles,” SCF Executive Director Matt Hoskins said in a statement. “John Ratcliffe will go to Washington and fight to stop wasteful spending, balance the budget, and repeal Obamacare.”
