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State Rep. Matt Schaefer, R-Tyler, came out victorious in Tuesday’s election and will continue serving the constituents of District 6.

Schaefer secured 73.3% of the vote while his competitor Democrat Cody Grace received 26.7%.

“I am honored and grateful to get to serve the people of East Texas in the Texas House,” said Schaefer, who was first elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2012.

Schaefer joined fellow Republicans at Rick’s on the Square in downtown Tyler on Tuesday night for a watch party. Attendees celebrated as results rolled in for various races on Tuesday night.

Schaefer said there were several messages from voters reflected in the midterm election results.

“Results showed that voters have rejected President (Joe) Biden’s policies on the border, on inflation, on crime, and Texas voters have definitely rejected Beto’s efforts to take our guns and to turn Texas woke,” Schaefer said. “Now is a time for Republicans in Texas to lead and for Republicans in Washington to come forward with solutions to get our country back on track.”

Schaefer said he plans to continue making an impact in his district through various legislation and initiatives. He added that he is already working on things for next session like more vocational training for public school students.

Schaefer previously told the Tyler Morning Telegraph that in his years of service, he has had great success by bringing programs such as plumbing to high schools; constitutional carry legislation; “protecting innocent life in the womb,” and more.

He looks to continue supporting the second amendment, promoting “pro-life culture” in Texas and lowering property taxes.

Grace, a small-business owner who has lived in the Tyler area his whole life, said although he was ready to serve the district, he is positive about the future.

“Looks like we got about 30% of the vote, and that’s a huge success for us,” Grace said in a video posted on his campaign Facebook page on Tuesday night. “We’re going to keep pushing Smith County forward, keep doing what we’re doing, and making sure we have good jobs, good schools, good health care, at the state level and any way we can.”

He said the fight is not over and he appreciates everyone who had any part in helping get out the vote.

“This race is just as much your race as it is my race. … We’re going to keep going. Can’t stop, won’t stop. We’re going to take a rest and see what happens after that,” Grace said.

Grace has also served on local government boards and volunteered with nonprofit organizations.

He previously told the Morning Telegraph he is not a politician and got involved in politics around 10 years ago after the Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut. Grace wanted to be a part of making a difference and actually take action on issues like gun violence.