For the first time in roughly a decade, voters in Hays and Blanco counties selected a Democrat as their Texas House representative.

Democrat Erin Zwiener, a Hays County resident and educator, defeated Republican Ken Strange Nov. 6 to secure the Texas House District 45 seat. Zwiener becomes the first Democrat to be elected to the HD45 office since Patrick Rose, who served from 2003-2010.

Zwiener secured 42,999 total votes between Hays and Blanco counties and claimed victory with just over 53 perc...