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Texas Election Coverage: Live Blog

Voters across Bexar County and Texas still have an hour left to head to the polls in what has been a hotly contested -- sometimes bitter and divisive -- presidential race. It's come down to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican candidate Donald Trump who each in the later months of the campaign have found themselves embroiled in controversies. The vitriol has divided families and friends but has also prompted unprecedented voter registrations, early voter turnout and voting from within the Hispanic community.
 
Tonight reporters from Texas Public Radio have fanned out across the county to provide updates on area congressional races, county elections as well as a bond election and tax increase for San Antonio Independent School District. You will find our live updates below, as well as tweets from across the state. You can share your experiences on Twitter using #TXDecides or email us your polling place observations at news@tpr.org.

12:45 The Presidential Election

NPR was reporting just minutes ago that Donald Trump was projected to win Pennsylvania and its 20 electoral votes, leaving him just 6 more electoral votes to claim the presidency. Wisconsin, Michigan and New Hampshire have yet to be called and Nevada was won by Hillary Clinton. There is still a narrow path in which Hillary Clinton could win.  Many voters are headed to bed wondering which candidate will be the next president when they wake up in the morning. We'll do our best to let you know as things unfold across the country.
 
12:30 a.m. ​Eilan Hotel La Cantera
​With all precincts tallied, Republican Will Hurd declared victory and retained his seat as the District 23 U.S. representative, staking a claim to 53 percent of the vote to his opponent Pete Gallego's 41 percent.
 
Cadillac Bar

​In the race for Bexar County Sheriff, Democratic challenger Javier Salazar  took the win over incumbent Republican Susan Parmerleau by 4,188 votes.
 
East Side
 
Also, in the race for State Representative District 120 -- the first full-term after Ruth Jones McClendon left her position early -- was won by Democrat Barbara Gervin Hawkins, who beat out the interim representative, Independent Laura Thompson.
10:45 p.m. Texas

Credit NPR
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NPR
A look at Texas' presidential results.

With votes still being tallied across the country, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin were too close to call. TPR doesn't call the races and NPR typically follows the lead of the Associated Press. Shortly after 8 p.m. Central Time, Texas was called for Donald Trump with 52 percent of the vote to Hillary Clinton's 44 percent, giving the republican nominee Texas' 38 electoral votes. However, Trump's lead was fueled by voters in smaller counties like Denton, Tarrant and Collin counties. Clinton won the major metropolitan areas, most notably, Bexar, Harris and Dallas -- home to the state's three largest cities, San Antonio, Houston and Dallas, respectively.
10:15 p.m. Cadillac Bar
 
Shortly after 10 p.m. Bexar County Elections was reporting that Sheriff's candidate Javier Salazar was trailing the incumbent Susan Pamerleau by just 3,480 votes but half an hour later he had taken the lead by more than 1,000 votes. Surrounded by his supporters, he prepared to take questions from the media at the Cadillac Bar on South Flores Street.

 

​9:30 p.m. Austin

Texas GOP Chairman Tom Mechler

Texas GOP Chairman Tom Mechler tells Republican Party says he would be shocked if Donald Trump doesn't win by double digits.  


9:15 p.m. Nationwide

As Donald Trump makes gains across the country the Dow Futures drops by more than 500 points, in what a variety of media outlets is calling 'election day jitters.'

Credit Aaron Schrank / Texas Public Radio
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Texas Public Radio
Will Hurd's watch party.

8:57 p.m. Eilan Hotel La Cantera

With 32 precints counted, incumbent Will Hurd regained the lead with 54 percent over his opponent Pete Gallego who has 41 percent of the vote.   

8:53 p.m. Bexar County

With 151 of 712 precincts counted in Bexar County, there is now less than 2 points that separate Incumbent Susan Pamerleau from Democrat challenger Javier Salazar in Bexar County Sheriff's race.

8:37 p.m. East Side

At a watch party for House District 120, Democrat Barbara Gervin-Hawkins on Sinclair Road on the city’s East Side, the rain did not dampen the spirits of the several hundred people who gathered to watch returns on the big screen and eat barbeque. There were even bounce houses for the children.

A live donkey attracted the attention of the children in the crowd. And a Donald Trump piñata was poised for a bashing. It looks like Gervin-Hawkins will be the winner, heading to Austin after beating the incumbent who had been elected in a special election after Ruth Jones McClendon left the seat open.

8:04 p.m. Augie's BBQ​
Early voting also shows that some 70 percent of voters are in favor of both the $450 million bond and 13-cent tax increase for San Antonio Independent School District. The money would be used to renovate 13 schools within the district, improving physical structures and air conditioning as well as old bathrooms and warped floors. Money would also be used to pay for teacher's salaries for summer school and after school programs.

Republican Will Hurd's parents.

7:25 p.m. Eilan Hotel La Cantera

Republican Will Hurd's parents, Robert and Mary Alice, wait in support of their son who is running for re-election for U.S. Representative, District 23. It's a heated race against Democrat Pete P. Gallego.

7:21 p.m. Cadillac Bar
Sheriff's candidate Javier Salazar, with his wife Sarah standing next to him, addresses his supporters in English y Español at the Cadillac Bar.

7:15 p.m. Bexar County
 
​Early vote totals are in and 475,389 voted during early elections with 53.46 percent going to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and 41,38 percent for Republican candidate Donald Trump. Now we wait for the 723 precincts to be counted.
 

 
7:13 p.m. Paramour
Pete Gallego, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Representative District 23, holds his watch party over drinks at the local watering hole, Paramour, where bartenders were pouring 'Bad Hombre' and 'NastyWoman' drinks.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7:04 p.m. Austin

Credit Ryan Poppe / Texas Public Radio
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Texas Public Radio
Texas Secretary of State workers excited and ready to record counties election returns.

 

​4 p.m. Bexar County Elections

Bexar County Elections Administrator Jacque Callanen says 87,000 people had voted today in Bexar County by 4 p.m. Early voting was 436,000, plus an additional 38,000 in mail-in ballots.

Credit Joey Palacios / Texas Public Radio
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Texas Public Radio
Bexar County Elections Administrator Jacque Callanen speaks at 4 p.m. press conference on Election Day 2016.

​Reporters David Martin Davies, Louisa Jonas, Joey Palacios, Ryan Poppe, Jan Ross Piedad and Aaron Schrank contributed to this report.

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Tricia Schwennesen is the Web Producer/News Editor for Texas Public Radio where she manages the station’s web site and social media accounts.