Recount in Texas House race would be high-stakes

After losing by just 20 votes, Democrat Bob Romano has requested a manual recount in his bid to unseat Republican state Rep. Linda Harper-Brown of Irving.

The Texas secretary of state’s office received the recount request along with a $4,095 deposit to pay for it late Wednesday, according to spokesman Randall Dillard.

"We are reviewing that request to make sure it meets statutory requirements," Dillard said Thursday. His office must approve or deny the request within 48 hours, he said. If it’s approved, Dallas County officials must start the recount within a week, he said.

This month, Dallas County Elections Administrator Bruce Sherbet said recounting the more than 40,000 ballots would take about three days.

The race has received intense scrutiny locally and statewide in recent weeks, because the winner will determine whether Republicans keep a majority in the Texas House.

If Harper-Brown maintains her lead, the House will have 76 Republicans and 74 Democrats. If Romano pulls ahead, the House will be split evenly.