Updated at 2:56 a.m. to reflect the latest results.

Activist Lorraine Birabil and developer James Armstrong III on Tuesday advanced to a runoff election that will determine a replacement for Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson in the Texas Legislature.

Birabil, 38, finished first and comfortably ahead of the three eligible candidates in the House District 100 contest. Only a handful of votes separated the others: communications executive Daniel Clayton, former Dallas City Council member Sandra Crenshaw and Armstrong. An affordable housing developer, Armstrong beat Clayton by five votes to make what’s likely to be a January runoff election.

Results for the special election weren’t made final until early Wednesday morning. Clayton told The Dallas Morning News that he will not seek a recount of the extremely tight contest. A recount would cost his campaign more than $26,000, Clayton said. He said he wasn’t certain a new count would change the results.

A runoff is necessary because no candidate scored over 50% of the vote. Dallas County Elections Administrator Toni Pippins-Poole said Tuesday she wasn’t sure of the runoff’s exact date in January.

Birabil, making her first run for public office, thanked the district’s voters for placing her in the runoff. She got 33% of the vote, compared to Armstrong’s 21% total.

“In the coming weeks, expect to see me and my team knocking on doors and calling voters," she said in a news release. "I’m ready to go to Austin and fight for access to affordable healthcare, access to quality public education, and safer communities. I’m proud of what we have built so far. Let’s take it across the finish line.”

An array of local leaders support Birabil, including Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price and U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth.

In 2018, Birabil served as Texas outreach director for the Senate campaign of former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-El Paso, and previously helped lead Veasey’s constituent services unit.

She is campaigning on health care and education, as well as improving constituent services and using her experience in state, county and federal government to make sure the district’s residents are getting the most use of various programs and services.

Armstrong, 33 and also a first-time candidate, focused on his work outside of politics that includes leading an affordable housing company. He has touted his working relationship with Johnson and says there needs to be better cohesion between local and state government.

Clayton, 42, is a communications company executive who served as chief of staff for Rep. Toni Rose, D-Dallas. He also worked for state Rep. Royce West, D-Dallas, and campaigned on his experience in state government.

Crenshaw, 66, is a perennial candidate who ran on issues related to mental health.

Some votes in the close contest were wasted on an ineligible candidate.

Dallas lawyer Paul Stafford, whom the Texas Secretary of State declared ineligible because he didn’t fulfill residency requirements, received over 6 percent of the vote because his name still appeared on the ballot.

The candidates generally agree that the district needs solutions for better education, health care and other issues, including reducing crime and police violence.

The race, analysts contend, hinges on qualifications for the job and what district voters want in a leader.

Birabil had significantly more resources than her rivals. According to campaign finance disclosure reports filed last month, she’s raised over $60,000 and had nearly $38,000 in the bank. She said she’s now raised over $95,000 for the campaign.

Reports show Clayton raised about $9,500 for the contest and had over $400 in the bank, while Armstrong raised about $15,000, with $6,000 of that coming from loans. He had $2,000 cash on hand.

The candidates are vying to fill Johnson’s unexpired term, which ends Dec. 31, 2020.

Johnson served in the Legislature for nearly 10 years before resigning from the post in June after being elected Dallas mayor.

Through a spokesman, Johnson said he’s not endorsing a candidate to replace him.

Additional candidates have already lined up to run for the House District 100 term that begins in 2021. That primary for the district, which includes parts of West Dallas, Oak Cliff and East Dallas, will be waged in March.

Meanwhile, turnout for the special election was small, and that total could decrease for the January runoff.