GOP Rep. Weber leads Lampson in race to succeed Ron Paul

WASHINGTON - Republican state Rep. Randy Weber on Tuesday defeated former five-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Nick Lampson, who waged an uphill battle to return to Capitol Hill from a third congressional district in 16 years.

Weber succeeds retiring Rep. Ron Paul, R-Lake Jackson, an iconic, 13-term lawmaker who pursued the GOP presidential nomination three times over the last 24 years.

Weber, 59, of Alvin, owner of an air conditioning firm, defeated Lampson in the 14th Congressional District stretching southeast from Houston to the Gulf Coast.

Weber's victory was bolstered in part by the statewide landslide for GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who swept 58 percent of Texas' vote.

In San Antonio, an upset was brewing with one-term Republican Rep. Francisco "Quico" Canseco, R-San Antonio, narrowly trailing 20-year state Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, in a $4 million contest that was expected to be decided late.

More than 13.6 million registered voters were eligible to cast ballots at the 9,150 polling places across the Lone Star State, Secretary of State Hope Andrade said.

Voters in the Houston area largely ignored virulent anti-Congress sentiment to return nine tried-and-true House incumbents to Capitol Hill and send former Republican House member Steve Stockman back to Washington for the first time in 16 years to represent a new congressional district northeast of Houston.

"Tonight, the voters said they wanted to go in a direction that will put our country on the right track and restore conservative principles to Washington," Weber said in a victory statement. "That is what I will do, we will do it together."

Lampson congratulated Weber. "We waged a tough campaign," Lampson said. "I have always tried to be there for the people and communities that I represent. And while this may not be the end of the story, it is the end of a chapter."

Early winners included Reps. Ted Poe, R-Humble; John Culberson, R-Houston; Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands; Al Green, D-Houston; Michael McCaul, R-Austin; Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston; Pete Olson, R-Sugar Land; Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi; and Gene Green, D-Houston.

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GOP Rep. Weber leads Lampson in race to succeed Ron Paul