Republican House candidate Ron Estes won his special election yesterday for the seat vacated by the new CIA director Mike Pompeo, despite a last-minute surge by his Democratic opponents that had Republicans scrambling.

“I probably shouldn’t say this, Mr. Estes did not beat us,” said James Thompson, Estes’ Democratic opponent, according to The Washington Post. “It took a president of the United States, the vice president, the speaker of the House, a senator coming into our state,” and what he claims were untruths about his support for late-term and taxpayer-financed abortion. (Democrats try to nuance their position on abortion.)

Fair enough, then. Estes was not the strongest candidate, and he expected to skate to victory. Call it a victory for Trump, who sent robocalls into the district urging his supporters to turn out. Estes’ 8-point triumph saves the GOP Republican majority.

May they finally use it to follow through on their promises to voters.

Photo credit: Erik Hersman via Flickr, CC BY 2.0