Sheriff Troy Nehls defeats Kathaleen Wall in GOP runoff for District 22

FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas - Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls has won the fiercely-contested Republican primary run-off for Congressional District 22.

Nehls defeated challenger Wall, despite her millions spent on mostly-negative campaign ads, early in the election by winning roughly 70% of the vote.

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Activist Wall hit the airwaves with the controversial ads, after moving to District 22 from Houston solely to contend for the seat. She drew fire from other voters who say they’ve endured an irritating, onslaught of paid advertising that’s turned them against the outsider. One voter called the tactic “negative overkill.”

MORE: Voters dislike negative onslaught in District 22 run-off election

Nehls relied heavily on goodwill accumulated during years as a constable and Ft. Bend County Sheriff.

Rice political analyst Mark Jones predicted that Wall would likely spend more than $7 million during the campaign. Jones also said records indicated Nehls' spending had barely reached six figures.

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What made the race even more interesting, both candidates refused to entertain questions from reporters ahead of the run-off election day.