 In 1994 the six-term Republican Representative Robert Eckels did not seek reelection but instead won the first of three consecutive terms as county judge of Harris County.Nixon and three others sought the party nomination to succeed Eckels.Nixon led with 3,303 votes (31.3 percent) and was placed into a runoff election with the second-place contender, Steve Crawford, who polled 2,551 (24.2 percent).