Texas House of Representatives elections, 2016
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| 2016 Texas House Elections | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Primary | March 1, 2016 |
| General | November 8, 2016 |
| 2016 Election Results | |
| 2014・2012・2010・2008 2006・2004・2002・2000 | |
| 2016 Elections | |
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All 150 seats in the Texas House of Representatives were up for election in 2016. Democrats gained five seats in the November 2016 general election.
Contents
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Context of 2016 elections
- 3 Retired incumbents
- 4 2016 election competitiveness
- 5 List of candidates
- 6 General election
- 7 Primary election
Introduction[edit]
Elections for the Texas House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election was held on March 1, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was December 14, 2015.[1]
Texas had recently seen more primary challenges than other states: 33 House incumbents faced primary competition in 2014. In 2016, that number rose to 42 incumbents, 31 of whom were Republicans. Nearly one-third of Texas House Republicans faced primary challenges.
Majority control[edit]
- See also: Partisan composition of state houses
Heading into the election, the Republican Party held the majority in the Texas House of Representatives:
| Texas House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 7, 2016 | After November 8, 2016 | |
| Democratic Party | 50 | 55 | |
| Republican Party | 99 | 95 | |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 150 | 150 | |
Context of 2016 elections[edit]
Notable primary contests[edit]
| Did Thomas McNutt want to centralize control of education? | |
| In a February 3 interview with the Palestine Herald-Press, Byron Cook claimed that “my opponent Thomas McNutt and his supporters want to take money and local control away from our rural and small public school districts and then centralize the control of education with a single state agency in Austin.” Was Cook’s claim about McNutt's position true? | |
- Main article: Notable Texas primaries, 2016
Several Republican incumbents faced conservative challengers in 2016 primaries for seats in the Texas Legislature. Of note:
- State House Speaker Joe Straus defeated two primary challengers.
- District 115 featured the third contest between incumbent Matt Rinaldi and challenger Bennett Ratliff, who lost in 2014 by 92 votes.
- The Fort Worth Star‑Telegram called House District 99 "one of the most costly, controversial local races that pits moderate conservatives against movement conservatives."
Click here to read more of Ballotpedia's Texas primary coverage »
Retired incumbents[edit]
Fourteen incumbent representatives did not run for re-election in 2016. Those incumbents were:
| Name | Party | Current Office |
|---|---|---|
| Bryan Hughes |  Republican |
House District 5 |
| David Simpson | Republican |
House District 7 |
| John Otto | Republican |
House District 18 |
| Scott Turner | Republican |
House District 33 |
| Elliott Naishtat |  Democratic |
House District 49 |
| Jimmie Don Aycock | Republican |
House District 54 |
| Jim Keffer | Republican |
House District 60 |
| Myra Crownover | Republican |
House District 64 |
| Susan King | Republican |
House District 71 |
| Marisa Marquez | Democratic |
House District 77 |
| Trey Martinez Fischer | Democratic |
House District 116 |
| Patricia Harless | Republican |
House District 126 |
| Allen Fletcher | Republican |
House District 130 |
| Borris Miles | Democratic |
House District 146 |
Note: The seat previously held by Sylvester Turner (D-139) was filled in a special election on May 7, 2016, by Jarvis Johnson (D). Johnson ran for a full-term in the 2016 general election.
Note: The seat previously held by Ruth Jones McClendon (D-120) was filled in a special election on August 2, 2016, by Laura Thompson (Ind.)
2016 election competitiveness[edit]
Texas continues to lack in general election competition.
Ballotpedia conducts a yearly study of electoral competitiveness in state legislative elections. Details on how well Texas performed in the study are provided in the image below. Click here for the full 2016 Competitiveness Analysis »
- In the Texas State Senate, there were 11 Democratic incumbents and 20 Republican incumbents. Three incumbents faced primary challengers in the Democratic Party. There were no incumbents that faced primary challenges in the Republican primary.
- In the House, there were 51 Democratic incumbents and 99 Republican incumbents. Eight state representatives faced primary opposition in the Democratic Party. There were 33 incumbents that faced primary challenges in the Republican primary.
- Overall, 18.6 percent of Democratic incumbents and 21.4 percent of GOP incumbents faced primary opposition in all of the state legislatures with elections in 2016.
- The cumulative figure for how many state legislative candidates faced no major party opposition in November in these states was 41.8 percent. This compares to 32.7 percent in 2010, 38.3 percent in 2012, and 43.0 percent in 2014.
- More details on electoral competitiveness in Texas can be found below.
List of candidates[edit]
General election[edit]
| 2016 Texas House general election candidates | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| District |  Democrat
|
 Republican
|
Other |
| 1 | No candidate | Gary VanDeaver: 49,840 (I)  |
|
| 2 | No candidate | Dan Flynn: 54,605 (I) |
|
| 3 | No candidate | Cecil Bell, Jr.: 56,737 (I) |
|
| 4 | No candidate | Lance Gooden: 52,089 |
|
| 5 | No candidate | Cole Hefner: 51,428 |
|
| 6 | No candidate | Matt Schaefer: 46,382 (I) |
|
| 7 | No candidate | Jay Dean: 45,026 |
|
| 8 | No candidate | Byron Cook: 43,240 (I) |
|
| 9 | No candidate | Chris Paddie: 53,172 (I) |
|
| 10 | No candidate | John Wray: 51,729 (I) |
Chuck Richter: 7,773 (L) |
| 11 | Stephen J. Wright: 14,276 | Travis Clardy: 42,481 (I) |
|
| 12 | No candidate | Kyle Kacal: 38,826 (I) |
|
| 13 | Cecil R. Webster: 14,965 | Leighton Schubert: 55,073 (I) |
|
| 14 | No candidate | John Raney: 37,330 (I) |
|
| 15 | No candidate | Mark Keough: 65,439 (I) |
|
| 16 | No candidate | Will Metcalf: 55,968 (I) |
|
| 17 | No candidate | John Cyrier: 41,694 (I) |
|
| 18 | No candidate | Ernest Bailes: 40,966 |
Evan Nagel: 5,581 (L) |
| 19 | No candidate | James White: 58,542 (I) |
|
| 20 | No candidate | Terry Wilson: 61,745 |
|
| 21 | No candidate | Dade Phelan: 54,753 (I) |
|
| 22 | Joe Deshotel: 38,009 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 23 | Lloyd Criss: 25,501 | Wayne Faircloth: 36,501 (I) |
|
| 24 | No candidate | Greg Bonnen: 59,789 (I) |
|
| 25 | No candidate | Dennis Bonnen: 44,280 (I) |
|
| 26 | L. DeMerchant: 28,910 | Rick Miller: 39,693 (I) |
|
| 27 | Ron Reynolds: 45,718 (I) |
Ken Bryant: 21,536 | |
| 28 | No candidate | John Zerwas: 56,822 (I) |
|
| 29 | John T. Floyd: 28,505 | Ed Thompson: 44,713 (I) |
|
| 30 | No candidate | Geanie Morrison: 47,975 (I) |
|
| 31 | Ryan Guillen: 30,829 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 32 | No candidate | Todd Hunter: 40,435 (I) |
|
| 33 | Karen Jacobs: 24,199 | Justin Holland: 56,802 |
Rick Donaldson: 2,783 (L) |
| 34 | Abel Herrero: 33,221 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 35 | Oscar Longoria: 25,812 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 36 | Sergio Munoz, Jr.: 29,633 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 37 | Rene Oliveira: 26,587 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 38 | Eddie Lucio, III: 30,850 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 39 | Armando Martinez: 29,713 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 40 | Terry Canales: 23,257 (I) |
Maricela De Leon: 8,266 | |
| 41 | Robert Guerra: 24,863 (I) |
Hilda Garza De Shazo: 18,924 | |
| 42 | Richard Raymond: 35,124 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 43 | Marisa Yvette Garcia-Utley: 19,735 | J.M. Lozano: 31,040 (I) |
|
| 44 | Robert M. Bohmfalk: 20,411 | John Kuempel: 53,997 (I) |
|
| 45 | No candidate | Jason Isaac: 47,937 (I) |
|
| 46 | Dawnna Dukes: 37,457 (I) |
Gabriel Nila: 10,209 | Adam Michael Greely: 2,178 (G) Kevin Ludlow: 3,445 (L) |
| 47 | Ana Jordan: 42,635 | Paul Workman: 54,785 (I) |
Scott McKinlay: 4,838 (L) |
| 48 | Donna Howard: 60,512 (I) |
No candidate | Ben Easton: 15,702 (L) |
| 49 | Gina Hinojosa: 68,398 |
No candidate | Rick Perkins: 12,631 (L) |
| 50 | Celia Israel: 43,637 (I) |
Ceasar Ruiz: 24,882 | |
| 51 | Eddie Rodriguez: 42,082 (I) |
No candidate | Kat Gruene: 6,162 (G) |
| 52 | No candidate | Larry Gonzales: 40,329 (I) |
Henry Knetsar: 13,082 (L) |
| 53 | Stephanie Lochte Ertel: 14,256 | Andrew Murr: 54,741 (I) |
Brian Holk: 2,170 (L) |
| 54 | Sandra Blankenship: 23,794 | Scott Cosper: 28,894 |
|
| 55 | No candidate | Hugh Shine: 35,950 |
|
| 56 | No candidate | Charles Anderson: 43,979 (I) |
Clif Deuvall: 6,840 (L) |
| 57 | No candidate | Trent Ashby: 47,916 (I) |
|
| 58 | No candidate | DeWayne Burns: 54,149 (I) |
|
| 59 | No candidate | J.D. Sheffield: 43,217 (I) |
|
| 60 | No candidate | Mike Lang: 61,668 |
|
| 61 | No candidate | Phil King: 70,708 (I) |
|
| 62 | No candidate | Larry Phillips: 50,076 (I) |
|
| 63 | No candidate | Tan Parker: 64,120 (I) |
|
| 64 | Connor Flanagan: 26,288 | Lynn Stucky: 42,158 |
|
| 65 | Alex Mendoza: 26,759 | Ron Simmons: 34,418 (I) |
|
| 66 | Gnanse Nelson: 27,240 | Matt Shaheen: 40,368 (I) |
Shawn Jones: 2,726 (L) |
| 67 | Scott Coleman: 29,036 | Jeff Leach: 41,440 (I) |
Ray Brewer: 2,704 (L) |
| 68 | No candidate | Drew Springer: 50,625 (I) |
|
| 69 | No candidate | James Frank: 41,640 (I) |
|
| 70 | John Bryant: 24,057 | Scott Sanford: 56,684 (I) |
Emmett Merwin: 598 (G) Rachel Wester: 3,160 (L) |
| 71 | Pierce LoPachin: 10,647 | Stan Lambert: 44,335 |
|
| 72 | No candidate | Drew Darby: 46,571 (I) |
|
| 73 | No candidate | Kyle Biedermann: 77,592 |
|
| 74 | Poncho Nevarez: 31,724 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 75 | Mary Gonzalez: 32,576 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 76 | Cesar Blanco: 32,956 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 77 | Evelina Ortega: 28,819 |
No candidate | |
| 78 | Joseph Moody: 31,185 (I) |
Jeffrey Lane: 18,030 | |
| 79 | Joe Pickett: 35,427 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 80 | Tracy King: 32,548 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 81 | No candidate | Brooks Landgraf: 37,306 (I) |
|
| 82 | No candidate | Tom Craddick: 47,432 (I) |
|
| 83 | No candidate | Dustin Burrows: 53,437 (I) |
|
| 84 | No candidate | John Frullo: 35,627 (I) |
|
| 85 | John Davis: 23,334 | Phil Stephenson: 35,594 (I) |
|
| 86 | No candidate | John Smithee: 58,050 (I) |
|
| 87 | No candidate | Four Price: 38,067 (I) |
|
| 88 | No candidate | Ken King: 41,209 (I) |
|
| 89 | Denise Hamilton: 24,861 | Jodie Laubenberg: 48,341 (I) |
Bob Worthington: 2,890 (L) |
| 90 | Ramon Romero, Jr.: 20,925 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 91 | No candidate | Stephanie Klick: 43,601 (I) |
|
| 92 | Kim K. Leach: 24,806 | Jonathan Stickland: 35,622 (I) |
Travis Christal: 1,171 (G) Leah Sees: 2,428 (L) |
| 93 | Nancy Bean: 23,987 | Matt Krause: 37,002 (I) |
|
| 94 | No candidate | Tony Tinderholt: 39,224 (I) |
Jessica Pallett: 14,037 (L) |
| 95 | Nicole Collier: 35,246 (I) |
Albert McDaniel: 11,376 | |
| 96 | Sandra D. Lee: 29,434 | Bill Zedler: 38,991 (I) |
|
| 97 | Elizabeth Tarrant: 27,019 | Craig Goldman: 39,537 (I) |
Patrick Wentworth: 2,531 (L) |
| 98 | Maricela Sanchez Chibli: 21,547 | Giovanni Capriglione: 65,348 (I) |
|
| 99 | No candidate | Charlie Geren: 45,201 (I) |
Dan Hawkins: 9,393 (L) |
| 100 | Eric Johnson: 33,198 (I) |
No candidate | Heather Marcus: 4,965 (L) |
| 101 | Chris Turner: 30,591 (I) |
Carlos Garza: 15,530 | |
| 102 | Laura Irvin: 26,208 | Linda Koop: 31,595 (I) |
|
| 103 | Rafael Anchia: 3,323 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 104 | Roberto Alonzo: 26,751 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 105 | Terry Meza: 23,656 | Rodney Anderson: 23,720 (I) |
|
| 106 | No candidate | Pat Fallon: 55,596 (I) |
Rodney Caston: 13,209 (L) |
| 107 | Victoria Neave: 27,922 |
Kenneth Sheets: 27,086 (I) | |
| 108 | No candidate | Morgan Meyer: 47,799 (I) |
Scott Smith: 18,131 (L) |
| 109 | Helen Giddings: 53,458 (I) |
A. Denise Russell: 11,155 | |
| 110 | Toni Rose: 31,380 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 111 | Yvonne Davis: 44,918 (I) |
Chad O. Jackson: 12,520 | |
| 112 | Jack Blackshear: 23,351 | Angie Chen Button: 31,234 (I) |
|
| 113 | Rhetta Andrews Bowers: 24,795 | Cindy Burkett: 30,501 (I) |
|
| 114 | Jim Burke: 27,367 | Jason Villalba: 37,588 (I) |
Anthony Holan: 2,502 (L) |
| 115 | Dorotha M. Ocker: 28,939 | Matt Rinaldi: 29,987 (I) |
|
| 116 | Diana Arevalo: 36,772 |
No candidate | |
| 117 | Philip Cortez: 29,319 |
Rick Galindo: 27,783 (I) | |
| 118 | Tomas Uresti: 25,632 |
John Lujan: 20,831 (I) | |
| 119 | Roland Gutierrez: 33,384 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 120 | Barbara Gervin-Hawkins: 31,510 |
No candidate | Laura Thompson: 9,072 (I) (Ind.) |
| 121 | No candidate | Joe Straus: 56,970 (I) |
|
| 122 | No candidate | Lyle Larson: 73,957 (I) |
|
| 123 | Diego Bernal: 38,649 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 124 | Ina Minjarez: 38,622 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 125 | Justin Rodriguez: 38,774 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 126 | Joy Dawson-Thomas: 23,991 | Kevin Roberts: 35,528 |
Eric Moquin: 1,735 (L) |
| 127 | No candidate | Dan Huberty: 49,712 (I) |
Joseph McElligott: 3,501 (G) Scott Ford: 7,486 (L) |
| 128 | No candidate | Briscoe Cain: 42,287 |
Ken Lowder: 6,653 (L) |
| 129 | No candidate | Dennis Paul: 47,339 (I) |
|
| 130 | No candidate | Tom Oliverson: 62,952 |
|
| 131 | Alma Allen: 40,583 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 132 | No candidate | Mike Schofield: 40,001 (I) |
Phil Kurtz: 9,854 (L) |
| 133 | No candidate | Jim Murphy: 54,471 (I) |
|
| 134 | Ben Rose: 38,958 | Sarah Davis: 48,192 (I) |
Gilberto Velasquez, Jr.: 2,831 (L) |
| 135 | Jesse A. Ybanez: 26,905 | Gary Elkins: 32,682 (I) |
|
| 136 | Paul R. Gordon: 34,077 | Tony Dale: 41,643 (I) |
|
| 137 | Gene Wu: 18,088 (I) |
Kendall Baker: 8,178 | Dan Biggs: 735 (L) |
| 138 | No candidate | Dwayne Bohac: 31,958 (I) |
|
| 139 | Jarvis Johnson: 41,913 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 140 | Armando Walle: 22,349 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 141 | Senfronia Thompson: 33,831 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 142 | Harold Dutton, Jr.: 36,280 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 143 | Ana Hernandez Luna: 26,247 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 144 | Mary Ann Perez: 16,287 |
Gilbert Pena: 10,745 (I) | |
| 145 | Carol Alvarado: 25,838 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 146 | Shawn Thierry: 39,452 |
No candidate | |
| 147 | Garnet Coleman: 43,900 (I) |
Matt Murphy: 11,985 | Brian Harrison: 1,676 (G) |
| 148 | Jessica Farrar: 33,633 (I) |
No candidate | |
| 149 | Hubert Vo: 27,613 (I) |
Bryan Chu: 15,840 | |
| 150 | Michael Shawn Kelly: 27,893 | Valoree Swanson: 47,892 |
|
Notes:
| |||
Primary election[edit]
Withdrawn candidates[edit]
- District 108: Joe Farkus (D)
Margins of victory[edit]
The average margin of victory for contested races in the Texas House of Representatives in 2016 was higher than the national average. Out of 150 races in the Texas House of Representatives in 2016, 68 were contested, meaning at least two candidates competed for that seat in the general election. The average margin of victory across these races was 35.4 percent. Across contested single-winner state legislative elections in 2016, the average margin of victory was 29.01 percent.[2]
| Democratic candidates in the Texas House of Representatives saw larger margins of victory than Republican candidates in 2016. Democrats won 55 races. In the 22 races where a winning Democrat faced a challenger, the average margin of victory was 40.6 percent. Republicans won 95 races in 2016. In the 46 races where a winning Republican faced a challenger, the average margin of victory was 32.9 percent. |
| More Republican candidates than Democratic candidates saw margins of victory that were less than 10 percentage points. Eight of the 68 contested races in 2016—11.8 percent—saw margins of victory that were 10 percent or less. Four races saw margins of victory that were 5 percent or less. Republicans won six races with margins of victory of 10 percent or less. |
Texas House of Representatives: 2016 Margins of Victory Less than 10 Percent District Winning Party Margin of Victory District 54 R 9.7 percent District 102 R 9.3 percent District 105 R 0.1 percent District 107 D 1.5 percent District 115 R 1.8 percent District 117 D 2.7 percent District 135 R 9.7 percent District 136 R 10.0 percent
| The average margin of victory for incumbents in the Texas House of Representatives who ran for re-election and won in 2016 was higher than the national average. 125 incumbents who ran for re-election in 2016 won. The average margin of victory for the 54 winning Texas House of Representatives incumbents who faced a challenger in 2016 was 35.6 percent. The average margin of victory for all winning incumbents in contested single-winner state legislative elections in 2016 was 31.8 percent. |
| Democratic incumbents in the Texas House of Representatives saw larger margins of victory than Republican incumbents. 46 Democratic incumbents won re-election. In the 16 races where a winning Democratic incumbent faced a challenger, the average margin of victory was 45.9 percent. 79 Republican incumbents won re-election. In the 38 races where a winning Republican incumbent faced a challenger, the average margin of victory was 31.2 percent. |
Texas House of Representatives: 2016 Margin of Victory Analysis Party Elections won Average margin of victory[3] Races with incumbent victories Average margin of victory for incumbents[3] Unopposed incumbents Unopposed races Percent unopposed Democratic 55 40.6 percent 46 45.9 percent 30 33 60.0 percent Republican 95 32.9 percent 79 31.2 percent 41 49 51.6 percent Total 150 35.4 percent 125 35.6 percent 71 82 54.7 percent
Click [show] on the tables below to see the margin of victory in Texas House of Representatives districts in 2016.
| Texas House of Representatives: 2016 Margin of Victory by District | ||
|---|---|---|
| District | Winning Party | Margin of Victory |
| District 1 | R | Unopposed |
| District 2 | R | Unopposed |
| District 3 | R | Unopposed |
| District 4 | R | Unopposed |
| District 5 | R | Unopposed |
| District 6 | R | Unopposed |
| District 7 | R | Unopposed |
| District 8 | R | Unopposed |
| District 9 | R | Unopposed |
| District 10 | R | 73.9 percent |
| District 11 | R | 49.7 percent |
| District 12 | R | Unopposed |
| District 13 | R | 57.3 percent |
| District 14 | R | Unopposed |
| District 15 | R | Unopposed |
| District 16 | R | Unopposed |
| District 17 | R | Unopposed |
| District 18 | R | 76.0 percent |
| District 19 | R | Unopposed |
| District 20 | R | Unopposed |
| District 21 | R | Unopposed |
| District 22 | D | Unopposed |
| District 23 | R | 17.7 percent |
| District 24 | R | Unopposed |
| District 25 | R | Unopposed |
| District 26 | R | 15.7 percent |
| District 27 | D | 36.0 percent |
| District 28 | R | Unopposed |
| District 29 | R | 22.1 percent |
| District 30 | R | Unopposed |
| District 31 | D | Unopposed |
| District 32 | R | Unopposed |
| District 33 | R | 38.9 percent |
| District 34 | D | Unopposed |
| District 35 | D | Unopposed |
| District 36 | D | Unopposed |
| District 37 | D | Unopposed |
| District 38 | D | Unopposed |
| District 39 | D | Unopposed |
| District 40 | D | 47.6 percent |
| District 41 | D | 13.6 percent |
| District 42 | D | Unopposed |
| District 43 | R | 22.3 percent |
| District 44 | R | 45.1 percent |
| District 45 | R | Unopposed |
| District 46 | D | 51.1 percent |
| District 47 | R | 11.9 percent |
| District 48 | D | 58.8 percent |
| District 49 | D | 68.8 percent |
| District 50 | D | 27.4 percent |
| District 51 | D | 74.5 percent |
| District 52 | R | 51.0 percent |
| District 53 | R | 56.9 percent |
| District 54 | R | 9.7 percent |
| District 55 | R | Unopposed |
| District 56 | R | 73.1 percent |
| District 57 | R | Unopposed |
| District 58 | R | Unopposed |
| District 59 | R | Unopposed |
| District 60 | R | Unopposed |
| District 61 | R | Unopposed |
| District 62 | R | Unopposed |
| District 63 | R | Unopposed |
| District 64 | R | 23.2 percent |
| District 65 | R | 12.5 percent |
| District 66 | R | 18.7 percent |
| District 67 | R | 17.0 percent |
| District 68 | R | Unopposed |
| District 69 | R | Unopposed |
| District 70 | R | 38.6 percent |
| District 71 | R | 61.3 percent |
| District 72 | R | Unopposed |
| District 73 | R | Unopposed |
| District 74 | D | Unopposed |
| District 75 | D | Unopposed |
| District 76 | D | Unopposed |
| District 77 | D | Unopposed |
| District 78 | D | 26.7 percent |
| District 79 | D | Unopposed |
| District 80 | D | Unopposed |
| District 81 | R | Unopposed |
| District 82 | R | Unopposed |
| District 83 | R | Unopposed |
| District 84 | R | Unopposed |
| District 85 | R | 20.8 percent |
| District 86 | R | Unopposed |
| District 87 | R | Unopposed |
| District 88 | R | Unopposed |
| District 89 | R | 30.9 percent |
| District 90 | D | Unopposed |
| District 91 | R | Unopposed |
| District 92 | R | 16.9 percent |
| District 93 | R | 21.3 percent |
| District 94 | R | 47.3 percent |
| District 95 | D | 51.2 percent |
| District 96 | R | 14.0 percent |
| District 97 | R | 18.1 percent |
| District 98 | R | 50.4 percent |
| District 99 | R | 65.6 percent |
| District 100 | D | 74.0 percent |
| District 101 | D | 32.7 percent |
| District 102 | R | 9.3 percent |
| District 103 | D | Unopposed |
| District 104 | D | Unopposed |
| District 105 | R | 0.1 percent |
| District 106 | R | 61.6 percent |
| District 107 | D | 1.5 percent |
| District 108 | R | 45.0 percent |
| District 109 | D | 65.5 percent |
| District 110 | D | Unopposed |
| District 111 | D | 56.4 percent |
| District 112 | R | 14.4 percent |
| District 113 | R | 10.3 percent |
| District 114 | R | 15.2 percent |
| District 115 | R | 1.8 percent |
| District 116 | D | Unopposed |
| District 117 | D | 2.7 percent |
| District 118 | D | 10.3 percent |
| District 119 | D | Unopposed |
| District 120 | D | 55.3 percent |
| District 121 | R | Unopposed |
| District 122 | R | Unopposed |
| District 123 | D | Unopposed |
| District 124 | D | Unopposed |
| District 125 | D | Unopposed |
| District 126 | R | 18.8 percent |
| District 127 | R | 69.6 percent |
| District 128 | R | 72.8 percent |
| District 129 | R | Unopposed |
| District 130 | R | Unopposed |
| District 131 | D | Unopposed |
| District 132 | R | 60.5 percent |
| District 133 | R | Unopposed |
| District 134 | R | 10.3 percent |
| District 135 | R | 9.7 percent |
| District 136 | R | 10.0 percent |
| District 137 | D | 36.7 percent |
| District 138 | R | Unopposed |
| District 139 | D | Unopposed |
| District 140 | D | Unopposed |
| District 141 | D | Unopposed |
| District 142 | D | Unopposed |
| District 143 | D | Unopposed |
| District 144 | D | 20.5 percent |
| District 145 | D | Unopposed |
| District 146 | D | Unopposed |
| District 147 | D | 55.5 percent |
| District 148 | D | Unopposed |
| District 149 | D | 27.1 percent |
| District 150 | R | 26.4 percent |
Important dates and deadlines[edit]
- See also: Texas elections, 2016
The calendar below lists important dates for political candidates in Texas in 2016.
| Dates and requirements for candidates in 2016 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadline | Event type | Event description | |
| September 15, 2015 | Ballot access | First day to file for a place on the primary ballot for precinct chair candidates | |
| November 14, 2015 | Ballot access | First day to file for all other candidates for offices that are regularly scheduled to be on the primary ballot | |
| December 14, 2015 | Ballot access | Filing deadline for candidates; filing deadline for independent candidates to file intent declaration | |
| January 15, 2016 | Campaign finance | January semi-annual report due | |
| February 1, 2016 | Campaign finance | 30th-day pre-primary report due | |
| February 12, 2016 | Campaign finance | Personal financial statement due | |
| February 22, 2016 | Campaign finance | 8th-day pre-primary report due | |
| March 1, 2016 | Election date | Primary election | |
| May 16, 2016 | Campaign finance | 8th-day pre-runoff report due | |
| July 15, 2016 | Campaign finance | July semi-annual report due | |
| October 11, 2016 | Campaign finance | 30th-day pre-election report due | |
| October 31, 2016 | Campaign finance | 8th-day pre-election report due | |
| November 8, 2016 | Election date | General election | |
| January 17, 2017 | Campaign finance | January semi-annual report due | |
| Sources: Texas Secretary of State, "Important 2016 Election Dates," accessed July 17, 2016 Texas Ethics Commission, "2016 Filing Schedule for Candidates and Officeholders Who File with the Texas Ethics Commission," accessed November 25, 2015 | |||
Competitiveness[edit]
Candidates unopposed by a major party[edit]
In 98 of the 150 districts up for election in 2016, there was only one major party candidate running for election. A total of 38 Democrats and 60 Republicans were guaranteed election barring unforeseen circumstances.
Two major party candidates faced off in the general election in 52 of the 150 districts up for election.
Primary challenges[edit]
Forty-one incumbents faced primary competition on March 1. Fifteen incumbents did not seek re-election and another 94 incumbents advanced past the primary without opposition. Six incumbents were defeated in the primary and primary runoff:
- District 4: Incumbent Stuart Spitzer was defeated by Lance Gooden in the Republican primary.
- District 20: Incumbent Marsha Farney was defeated by Terry Wilson in the Republican primary.
- District 55: Incumbent Molly White was defeated by Hugh Shine in the Republican primary.
- District 73: Incumbent Doug Miller was defeated by Kyle Biedermann in the Republican primary runoff.
- District 128: Incumbent Wayne Smith was defeated by Briscoe Cain in the Republican primary runoff.
- District 150: Incumbent Debbie Riddle was defeated by Valoree Swanson in the Republican primary.
Retired incumbents[edit]
Fourteen incumbent representatives did not run for re-election, while 136 (90.6%) ran for re-election. A list of those incumbents, ten Republicans and four Democrats, can be found above.
Results from 2014[edit]
There were 6,057 seats in 87 chambers with elections in 2014. All three aspects of Ballotpedia's Competitiveness Index—the number of open seats, incumbents facing primary opposition, and general elections between partisan candidates—showed poor results compared to the prior election cycle. States with elections in 2014 held fewer general elections between partisan candidates. Additionally, fewer incumbents faced primary opposition and more incumbents ran for re-election than in recent years.
Since 2010, when the Competitiveness Index was established, there had not been an even-year election cycle to do statistically worse in any of the three categories. See the following chart for a breakdown of those scores between each year.
| Overall Competitiveness | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2012 | 2014 | |
| Competitiveness Index | 36.2 | 35.8 | 31.4 |
| % Open Seats | 18.6% | 21.2% | 17.0% |
| % Incumbent with primary challenge | 22.7% | 24.6% | 20.1% |
| % Candidates with major party opposition | 67.3% | 61.7% | 57.0% |
The following table details Texas' rates for open seats, incumbents that faced primary challenges, and major party competition in the 2014 general election.
| Texas Legislature 2014 Competitiveness | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Open Seats | % Incumbent with primary challenge | % Candidates with major party opposition | Competitiveness Index | Overall rank |
| 9.1% | 26.0% | 33.3% | 22.8 | 38 |
Historical context[edit]
Uncontested elections: In 2014, 32.8 percent of Americans lived in states with an uncontested state senate election. Similarly, 40.4 percent of Americans lived in states with uncontested house elections. Primary elections were uncontested even more frequently, with 61 percent of people living in states with no contested primaries. Uncontested elections often occur in locations that are so politically one-sided that the result of an election would be a foregone conclusion regardless of whether it was contested or not.
Open seats: In most cases, an incumbent will run for re-election, which decreases the number of open seats available. In 2014, 83 percent of the 6,057 seats up for election saw the incumbent running for re-election. The states that impose term limits on their legislatures typically see a higher percentage of open seats in a given year because a portion of incumbents in each election are forced to leave office. Overall, the number of open seats decreased from 2012 to 2014, dropping from 21.2 percent in 2012 to 17.0 percent in 2014.
Incumbent win rates: Ballotpedia's competitiveness analysis of elections between 1972 and 2014 documented the high propensity for incumbents to win re-election in state legislative elections. In fact, since 1972, the win rate for incumbents had not dropped below 90 percent—with the exception of 1974, when 88 percent of incumbents were re-elected to their seats. Perhaps most importantly, the win rate for incumbents generally increased over time. In 2014, 96.5 percent of incumbents were able to retain their seats. Common convention holds that incumbents are able to leverage their office to maintain their seat. However, the high incumbent win rate may actually be a result of incumbents being more likely to hold seats in districts that are considered safe for their party.
Marginal primaries: Often, competitiveness is measured by examining the rate of elections that have been won by amounts that are considered marginal (5 percent or less). During the 2014 election, 90.1 percent of primary and general election races were won by margins higher than 5 percent. Interestingly, it is usually the case that only one of the two races—primary or general—will be competitive at a time. This means that if a district's general election is competitive, typically one or more of the district's primaries were won by more than 5 percent. The reverse is also true: If a district sees a competitive primary, it is unlikely that the general election for that district will be won by less than 5 percent. Primaries often see very low voter turnout in comparison to general elections. In 2014, there were only 27 million voters for state legislative primaries, but approximately 107 million voters for the state legislative general elections.
Campaign contributions[edit]
The following chart shows how many candidates ran for State House in Texas in past years and the cumulative amount of campaign contributions in State House races, including contributions in both primary and general election contests.[4]
| Texas House of Representatives Donations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Candidates | Amount |
| 2014 | 319 | $60,105,670 |
| 2012 | 378 | $73,828,127 |
| 2010 | 332 | $78,107,011 |
| 2008 | 361 | $70,859,751 |
| 2006 | 425 | $65,138,687 |
State comparison[edit]
The map below shows the average contributions to 2014 candidates for state houses. The average contributions raised by state house candidates in 2014 was $59,983. Texas, at $188,419 per candidate, is ranked three of 45 for state house chambers with the highest average contributions. Hover your mouse over a state to see the average campaign contributions for that state’s house candidates in 2014.[4][5]
Qualifications[edit]
To be eligible to serve in the Texas House of Representatives, a candidate must be:[6]
- A U.S. citizen
- 21 years old before the general election
- A two-year resident of Texas before the general election
- A district resident for 1 year prior to the general election
See also[edit]
External links[edit]
Footnotes[edit]
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Important 2016 Election Dates," accessed December 14, 2015
- ↑ This calculation excludes chambers that had elections where two or more members were elected in a race. These chambers are the Arizona House, the New Hampshire House, the North Dakota House, the South Dakota House, the Vermont House, the Vermont Senate, and the West Virginia House.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Excludes unopposed elections
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 followthemoney.org, "Contributions to candidates and committees in elections in Texas," accessed July 28, 2015
- ↑ This map relies on data collected in July 2015.
- ↑ Qualifications for running for Texas House of Representatives
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