Elections
After Kenny Marchant announced in August 2019 that he would not seek reelection to the United States House of Representatives, Van Duyne resigned from HUD so that she could run to succeed Marchant in representing Texas's 24th congressional district, a suburban stretch between Dallas and Fort Worth, including parts of Denton, Dallas, and Tarrant counties. She received Trump's endorsement in early 2020 and won the Republican primary on March 3, defeating four rivals with about 65% of the vote.
In the general election, Van Duyne faced the Democratic nominee, Candace Valenzuela, a former Carrollton-Farmers Branch school board member. Van Duyne opposed the Affordable Care Act, saying it "has done profound damage to the healthcare of Americans." During the campaign, she ran advertisements in which she said she would protect laws that require preexisting conditions to be covered by insurance. Valenzuela criticized Van Duyne for not wearing a face mask or socially distancing at campaign events, in contradiction to public health guidance at the time. Van Duyne called Valenzuela a "coward" for not campaigning in person during the pandemic, and praised the Trump administration's handling of the public health crisis. On criminal justice reform, Van Duyne stated her opposition to ending cash bail. The Atlantic has described Van Duyne as "the new face of Trumpism in Texas."
On November 3, Van Duyne defeated Valenzuela, 48.8% to 47.5%, even as Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden carried the district by 5 points. According to the Dallas Morning News, Van Duyne focused on public safety and the economy during the campaign. During the campaign, approximately $7.6 million was spent on advertisements against Van Duyne and $7.9 million on advertisements against Valenzuela.
On November 8, Van Duyne defeated Democrat Jan McDowell, 59.75% to 40.25%. McDowell was previously the Democratic nominee for Texas's 24th congressional district in 2016 and 2018, losing both times to Kenny Marchant.
The 24th was competitive in the previous two elections, but redistricting maps released by Republicans in 2021 made the district much safer for Van Duyne. It was pushed into whiter, wealthier and traditionally Republican areas near Dallas and Fort Worth, including the Park Cities. This made the district 20 points more Republican than its predecessor, and also drew her 2020 challenger's home out of the district.
Van Duyne ran for a third term and defeated Democrat Sam Eppler in the general election, winning 60% of the vote.
