Texas State Senate elections, 2020
From Ballotpedia - Reading time: 16 min
| 2020 Texas Senate Elections | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General | November 3, 2020 |
| Primary | March 3, 2020 |
| Primary runoff | July 14, 2020 |
| Past Election Results |
| 2018・2016・2014 2012・2010・2008 |
| 2020 Elections | |
|---|---|
| Choose a chamber below: | |
Republicans lost a seat in the 2020 elections for Texas State Senate, but preserved their majority. Sixteen seats in the chamber were up for election in 2020. Heading into the election, Republicans held 19 seats and Democrats held 12. Democrats gained a net one seat, meaning Republicans had an 18-13 majority following the 2020 elections.
The Texas State Senate was one of 86 state legislative chambers with elections in 2020. A total of 16 seats out of the chamber's 31 seats were up for election in 2020. There are 99 chambers throughout the country. In 2018, 87 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections.
Texas' 2020 state legislative elections affected partisan control of redistricting following the 2020 census. In Texas, the state legislature is responsible for drafting both congressional and state legislative district plans. District plans are subject to gubernatorial veto.
For detailed campaign finance information for the elections in this chamber, click here.
Election procedure changes in 2020[edit]
Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.
Texas modified its absentee/mail-in voting, candidate filing, and early voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:
- Absentee/mail-in voting: Local election officials could not reject an absentee ballot due to a perceived signature mismatch unless the voter was given a pre-rejection notice of this finding and a "meaningful opportunity to cure his or her ballot's rejection." Return locations for absentee/mail-in ballots were limited to one per county.
- Candidate filing procedures: The petition deadline for independent candidates for non-presidential office was extended to August 13, 2020.
- Early voting: Early voting began on October 13, 2020.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Party control[edit]
| Texas State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 12 | 13 | |
| Republican Party | 19 | 18 | |
| Total | 31 | 31 | |
Candidates[edit]
General candidates[edit]
Texas State Senate general election 2020 |
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| Office |  Democratic |
 Republican |
Other |
| District 1 |
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| District 4 |
Cameron Brock (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 6 |
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Timothy Duffield (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 11 |
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Jared Wissel (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 12 |
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| District 13 |
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| District 18 |
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| District 19 |
Peter P. Flores (i) |
Jo-Anne Valdivia (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 20 |
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| District 21 |
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| District 22 |
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| District 24 |
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| District 26 |
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Julian Villarreal (Green Party) |
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| District 27 |
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| District 28 |
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| District 29 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate ConnectionPrimary runoff candidates[edit]
Texas State Senate primary runoff 2020 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| District 19 |
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| District 27 |
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Primary candidates[edit]
The candidate list below is based on candidate filing lists provided by the Texas Secretary of State on December 10, 2019. (I) denotes an incumbent.[1]
Texas State Senate primary 2020 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| District 1 |
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| District 4 |
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| District 6 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 11 |
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| District 12 |
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| District 13 |
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| District 18 |
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| District 19 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 20 |
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| District 21 |
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| District 22 |
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| District 24 |
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| District 26 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 27 |
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| District 28 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 29 |
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Convention candidates[edit]
The following candidates filed to run in the Libertarian Party convention on April 18, 2020:[2]
- Cameron Brock, District 4
- Timothy Duffield, District 6
- Jared Wissel, District 11
- Jo-Anne Valvdivia, District 19
- David Marino, District 29
Campaign finance[edit]
The section and tables below contain data from financial reports submitted to state agencies. Districts and elections are grouped in sections of 10. To view data for a district, click on the appropriate bar below to expand it. The data is gathered and made available by Transparency USA.
Incumbents who were not re-elected[edit]
Incumbents defeated in the general election[edit]
One incumbent lost in the Nov. 3 general election. That incumbent was:
| Name | Party | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Peter Flores |  Republican |
Senate District 19 |
Incumbents defeated in primary elections[edit]
No incumbents lost in the March 3 primaries or July 14 primary runoffs. Before 2020, the most recent time an incumbent Senator was defeated in a primary or runoff was 2014 when Sens. John Carona (R) and Bob Deuell (R) lost to challengers. No incumbent Democratic Senator has been defeated in a primary since 2006.
Retiring incumbents[edit]
There was one open seat where the incumbent legislator did not file for re-election in 2020.[3] That incumbent was:
| Name | Party | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Jose Rodriguez |  Democratic |
Senate District 29 |
The one seat left open in 2020 was the fewest since 2010.
| Open Seats in Texas State Senate elections: 2010 - 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Seats with incumbents running for re-election |
| 2020 | 16 | 1 (6 percent) | 15 (94 percent) |
| 2018 | 15 | 4 (27 percent) | 11 (73 percent) |
| 2016 | 16 | 3 (19 percent) | 13 (81 percent) |
| 2014 | 15 | 3 (20 percent) | 12 (80 percent) |
| 2012 | 31 | 4 (13 percent) | 27 (87 percent) |
| 2010 | 16 | 1 (6 percent) | 15 (94 percent) |
Process to become a candidate[edit]
See statutes: Title 9 of the Texas Election Code
A candidate in Texas may run with an officially recognized political party, as an independent, or as a write-in.
For major party candidates[edit]
In order to run with a major political party, a candidate must file an application with the county or state party chair and pay a filing fee. A candidate also has the option of filing a petition in lieu of the filing fee. Application and petition forms are available through local party officials or the Texas Secretary of State. The regular filing period for the primary election begins on the 30th day before the date of the regular filing deadline, which is 6 p.m. on the second Monday in December of an odd-numbered year.[4]
A chart detailing the signature and filing requirements for each particular office can be accessed here.[5]
For minor party candidates[edit]
State-qualified minor parties nominate candidates by convention. To be considered for nomination by a convention, a minor party candidate must file an application for nomination no later than 6 p.m. on the second Monday in December of an odd-numbered year, preceding the minor party’s convention. A candidate seeking nomination for a state or district office must file with the state party chair. Candidates for county or precinct offices must file applications with county party chairs. A candidate nominated via convention must either pay a filing fee (equal to the filing fee paid by major party candidates in primary elections) or submit a petition a petition in lieu of paying the filing fee.[6][7]
For independent candidates[edit]
A candidate may have his or her name placed on the general election ballot as an independent candidate if he or she is not affiliated with a political party.[8][9][10][11][12]
To run as an independent, a candidate must file a declaration of intent with the county judge (county or precinct offices) or the Texas Secretary of State (district and state offices) during the same filing period as major and minor party candidates.[9][13]
This paperwork must include signatures of voters who have not participated in the primary election or the runoff primary election of a party that has nominated, at either election, a candidate for the office the petitioning candidate seeks.[9][14]
A chart detailing the signature and filing requirements for each particular office can be accessed here.[9]
For write-in candidates[edit]
In order to become a write-in candidate in the general election, the candidate must file a declaration of candidacy with the Texas Secretary of State or the county judge, as appropriate, no later than 5 p.m. of the 78th day before general election day.[15][16]
The declaration must be accompanied by either a filing fee or a nominating petition signed by a certain number of qualified voters. A chart detailing the signature and filing requirements for each particular office can be accessed here.[15][17]
2020 ballot access requirements[edit]
The table below details filing requirements for Texas State Senate candidates in the 2020 election cycle.
| Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber name | Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source |
| Texas State Senate | Qualified party | N/A | $1,250.00 | 12/9/2019 | Source |
| Texas State Senate | Unaffiliated | 5% of all votes cast for governor in the district in the last election | N/A | 8/13/2020 | Source |
Qualifications[edit]
To be eligible to serve in the Texas State Senate, a candidate must be:[18]
- A U.S. citizen
- 26 years old before the general election
- A five-year resident of Texas before the general election
- A district resident for 1 year prior to the general election.
Salaries and per diem[edit]
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[19] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $7,200/year | $221/day |
When sworn in[edit]
Texas legislators assume office at the beginning of the legislative session, which starts at noon on the second Tuesday in January in the year after the election.[20][21]
Texas political history[edit]
Trifectas[edit]
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.
Texas Party Control: 1992-2025
Three years of Democratic trifectas • Twenty-three years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Presidential politics in Texas[edit]
2016 Presidential election results[edit]
| U.S. presidential election, Texas, 2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine | 43.2% | 3,877,868 | 0 | |
| Republican |  Donald Trump/Mike Pence |
52.2% | 4,685,047 | 38 | |
| Libertarian | Gary Johnson/Bill Weld | 3.2% | 283,492 | 0 | |
| Green | Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka | 0.8% | 71,558 | 0 | |
| - | Write-in votes | 0.6% | 51,261 | 0 | |
| Total Votes | 8,969,226 | 38 | |||
| Election results via: Texas Secretary of State | |||||
Voter information[edit]
How the primary works[edit]
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Texas utilizes an open primary system. Voters do not have to register with a party in advance in order to participate in that party's primary. The voter must sign a pledge stating the following (the language below is taken directly from state statutes)[22]
| “ | The following pledge shall be placed on the primary election ballot above the listing of candidates' names: 'I am a (insert appropriate political party) and understand that I am ineligible to vote or participate in another political party's primary election or convention during this voting year.'[23] | ” |
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times[edit]
In Texas, all polling places are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. Texas is divided between the Central and Mountain time zones. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[24]
Registration requirements[edit]
- Check your voter registration status here.
To register to vote in Texas, an applicant must be a United States citizen, a resident of the county in which he or she is registering, and at least 17 years and 10 months old.[25]
The deadline to register to vote is 30 days before the election. Prospective voters can request a postage-paid voter registration form online or complete the form online and return it to the county voter registrar. Applications are also available at a variety of locations including the county voter registrar’s office, the secretary of state’s office, libraries, and high schools. Voter registration certificates are mailed to newly registered voters.[26]
Automatic registration[edit]
Texas does not practice automatic voter registration.[27]
Online registration[edit]
- See also: Online voter registration
Texas does not permit online voter registration.[27]
Same-day registration[edit]
Texas does not allow same-day voter registration.[27]
Residency requirements[edit]
Prospective voters must reside in the county in which they are registering to vote.[28]
Verification of citizenship[edit]
Texas does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.
State law requires election officials to conduct a check of registered voters' citizenship status. Section 18.068 of the Texas Election Code says the following:
| “ |
The secretary of state shall quarterly compare the information received under Section 16.001 of this code and Section 62.113, Government Code, to the statewide computerized voter registration list. If the secretary determines that a voter on the registration list is deceased or has been excused or disqualified from jury service because the voter is not a citizen, the secretary shall send notice of the determination to the voter registrar of the counties considered appropriate by the secretary.[23] |
” |
| —Section 18.068, Texas Election Code[29] | ||
In January 2019, the Texas secretary of state’s office announced that it would be providing local election officials with a list of registered voters who obtained driver’s licenses or IDs with documentation such as work visas or green cards. Counties would then be able to require voters on the list to provide proof of citizenship within 30 days.[30] The review was halted by a federal judge in February 2019, and Secretary of State David Whitley rescinded the advisory in April.[31][32] A news release from Whitley’s office stated that “... going forward, the Texas Secretary of State's office will send to county voter registrars only the matching records of individuals who registered to vote before identifying themselves as non-U.S. citizens to DPS when applying for a driver's license or personal identification card. This will ensure that naturalized U.S. citizens who lawfully registered to vote are not impacted by this voter registration list maintenance process.”[33]
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[34] As of January 2025, six states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, and New Hampshire — had passed laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration. However, only two of those states' laws were in effect, in Arizona and New Hampshire. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allowed noncitizens to vote in some local elections as of November 2024. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration[edit]
The Texas Secretary of State’s office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.
Voter ID requirements[edit]
Texas requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[35]
The following list of accepted ID was current as of February 2023. Click here for the Texas Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.
- Texas driver’s license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
- Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
- Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS
- Texas handgun license issued by DPS
- United States Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph
- United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph
- United States passport (book or card)
Identification provided by voters aged 18-69 may be expired for no more than four years before the election date. Voters aged 70 and older can use an expired ID card regardless of how long ago the ID expired.[35]
Voters who are unable to provide one of the ID options listed above can sign a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and provide one of the following supporting documents:[35]
- Copy or original of a government document that shows the voter’s name and an address, including the voter’s voter registration certificate
- Copy of or original current utility bill
- Copy of or original bank statement
- Copy of or original government check
- Copy of or original paycheck
- Copy of or original of (a) a certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate or (b) a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes the voter’s identity (which may include a foreign birth document)
The following voters are exempt from showing photo ID:[35]
- Voters with a disability
- Voters with a disability "may apply with the county voter registrar for a permanent exemption to presenting an acceptable photo identification or following the Reasonable Impediment Declaration procedure in the county."
- Voters who have a religious objection to being photographed
Voters who do not have a photo ID can obtain a Texas Election Identification Certificate (EIC) at any Texas driver’s license office during regular business hours. Voters can also obtain an Election Identification Certificate from a mobile station. Locations are listed here.[35]
Early voting[edit]
Texas permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting[edit]
Texas voters are eligible to vote absentee in an election if:
- They cannot make it to the polls on Election Day because they will be away from the county on Election Day and during early voting;
- They are sick or disabled;
- They are 65 years of age or older; or
- They are confined in jail.[36]
To vote absentee, a request must be received by county election officials no later than close of regular business on the eleventh day before the election. The completed ballot must then be returned by the close of polls on Election Day.[37]
See also[edit]
External links[edit]
Footnotes[edit]
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Texas Secretary of State," accessed December 10, 2019
- ↑ Libertarian Party of Texas, "2020 Candidates, accessed January 27, 2020
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 172.023," accessed April 23, 2025
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Republican or Democratic Party Nominees," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 181.033," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ Texas Legislature, "SB 2093," accessed June 8, 2021
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 1.005(9)," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Texas Elections Division, "Independent Candidates," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 142.008," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 162.003," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 162.007," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 142.002(b)(2)," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 142.009," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Texas Secretary of State, "Procedures for Write-In Candidates in 2024," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 146.025," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 146.023-146.0232," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Qualifications for office," accessed December 18, 2013
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ Texas Government Code, "Title 3., Subtitle A., Sec. 301.001," accessed February 17, 2021
- ↑ Texas Constitution, "Article 3. Legislative Department, Section 4," accessed November 4, 2021
- ↑ Texas Statutes, "Section 172.086," accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ VoteTexas.gov, "Who, What, Where, When, How," accessed February 27, 2023
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, “Request for Voter Registration Applications,” accessed February 27, 2023
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, “Voter Registration,” accessed February 27, 2023
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed July 28, 2024
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Request for Voter Registration Applications," accessed July 28, 2024
- ↑ Texas Constitution and Statutes, “Election Code,” accessed February 23, 2023
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, “Texas officials flag tens of thousands of voters for citizenship checks,” January 25, 2019
- ↑ The New York Times, “Federal Judge Halts ‘Ham-Handed’ Texas Voter Purge,” February 28, 2019
- ↑ The New York Times, “Texas Ends Review That Questioned Citizenship of Almost 100,000 Voters,” April 26, 2019
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, “Secretary Whitley Announces Settlement In Litigation On Voter Registration List Maintenance Activity,” April 26, 2019
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 35.3 35.4 Texas Secretary of State, "Required Identification for Voting in Person," accessed February 27, 2023 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "tvid" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ VoteTexas.gov, "FAQ," accessed December 16, 2013
- ↑ VoteTexas.gov, "Early Voting," accessed December 16, 2013
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