Texas Rep. David Cook, candidate in Senate District 22
State Rep. David Cook has declared victory in the Republican primary for the Texas Senate in District 22.
“What a night! I’m humbled, grateful and honored the voters have placed their trust in me to be the Republican Nominee for Senate District 22,” Cook said in a prepared statement “This was a grassroots effort from the start, built by families, small business owners, teachers, law enforcement, pastors, farmers and many who love Texas and want to keep it strong and free.”
Cook, the former Mansfield mayor, has 68% of the vote, with Jon Gimble at 24% and Rena Schroeder at 8%, according to unofficial returns
Sixty-nine of 342 precincts voting in the race had been reported as of 10:28 p.m, according to the Texas Secretary of State.
The district includes parts of south Fort Worth and Stephenville, Clifton, Waco and Eastland.
Cook began serving in the Texas House of Representatives in 2021, where he represented Arlington, Burleson, Crowley, Fort Worth and other cities in Tarrant County. Prior to that, he was the mayor of Mansfield from 2008 to 2021.
Gimble, a former Texas State Guard member and McLennan County district clerk who currently serves on the Texas Judicial Council, ran on a platform that emphasizes border security and Second Amendment rights, according to his campaign website.
Schroeder moved to Texas with her husband in 2018 and is the co-founder of a nonprofit equine ranch, according to her campaign website. She was focused on making improvements to foster care and mental health and homeless services.
In the Democratic primary, Amy Martinez-Salas, a legal assistant and UT Arlington alumna, is running uncontested. She will face the winner of the Republican primary during the general election in November.
Since 2010, the Texas state Senate District 22 seat has been held by Republican Sen. Brian Birdwell. He is not seeking reelection after being tapped by President Donald Trump to serve as an assistant secretary of defense at the Pentagon.
This story was originally published March 3, 2026 at 7:13 PM.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Lillie Davidson is a breaking news reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She graduated from TCU in 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, is fluent in Spanish, and can complete a crossword in five minutes.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Samuel O’Neal is a local news reporter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram covering higher education and local news in Fort Worth. He joined the team in December 2025 after previously working as a staff writer at the Philadelphia Inquirer. He graduated from Temple University, where he served as the Editor-in-Chief of the school’s student paper, The Temple News.