United States Senate election in Texas, 2024
From Ballotpedia - Reading time: 37 min
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| U.S. Senate, Texas |
|---|
 |
| Democratic primary Republican primary Libertarian primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: December 11, 2023 Convention: April 14, 2024 |
| General: November 5, 2024 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Texas |
| Race ratings |
DDHQ and The Hill: Lean Republican Inside Elections: Likely Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Likely Republican |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2024 |
| See also |
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th • 12th • 13th • 14th • 15th • 16th • 17th • 18th • 19th • 20th • 21st • 22nd • 23rd • 24th • 25th • 26th • 27th • 28th • 29th • 30th • 31st • 32nd • 33rd • 34th • 35th • 36th • 37th • 38th Texas elections, 2024 U.S. Congress elections, 2024 U.S. Senate elections, 2024 U.S. House elections, 2024 |
Incumbent Ted Cruz (R), Colin Allred (D), Ted Brown (L), and Tracy Andrus (D) (Write-In) are running in the U.S. Senate race in Texas on November 5, 2024.
In 2018, Cruz defeated Beto O'Rourke (D) 50.9% to 48.3%. Democrats, who have not won a statewide election in Texas since 1994, are targeting the race in an effort to retain control of the Senate as Republicans look to win a majority. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee identified Texas and Florida's Senate elections as their top two pickup opportunities in 2024. [1] Inside Election's Nathan Gonzalez said, “Texas is the only Republican seat that we have not graded as solid Republican. Right now, we think Democrats have a better chance in Texas than they do in Florida, but both are still difficult races.”[2]
Cruz called himself the biggest target from Democrats behind Donald Trump (R) and said, "Texas is a battlefield. It’s easy to be complacent. One of the real mistakes people make in politics is they have a recency bias. They say well, whatever things have been recently, that’s what it’s going to be forever.”[3]
Cruz was first elected to the Senate in 2012 and served as the Solicitor General of Texas from 2003 to 2008. Before holding elected office, he was a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist, associate deputy attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice, and director of the Office of Policy Planning for the Federal Trade Commission.
Allred was elected to the U.S. House in 2018. Before holding public office, he played football for the Tennessee Titans, was a civil rights lawyer, and worked in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development during the Obama administration.
Both candidates are campaigning on immigration. The Texas Tribune's Jasper Sherer wrote, "Allred is running campaign ads that tout headlines about him breaking with his party to condemn Biden, while Cruz laced into the president’s policies in a lively speech at the Republican National Convention Tuesday, blaming Biden for several recent high-profile murders allegedly committed by immigrants who entered the country illegally. The border-centric campaigns are a nod to public opinion polls that have repeatedly shown Texas voters ranking immigration and the border as their most pressing issues."[4]
In an email to the Tribune, Cruz pointed to his record: "Over the past decade I’ve repeatedly authored and introduced strong border legislation, and Democrats like Allred have repeatedly refused to agree to anything that would actually secure the border.”[5]
Allred said: "One of my biggest frustrations with Sen. Cruz is that he's had 12 years to try and enact any kind of reform — whether it's comprehensive or even just targeted — to try and help us do something about what's been happening at the border. And he has, every single time, refused."[5]
Based on second quarter reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, Cruz raised $59.2 million and spent $46.6 million, and Allred raised $38.4 million and spent $28.0 million as of June 30, 2024. To review all the campaign finance figures in full detail, click here. According to reports filed in 2018, Cruz raised $23.7 million and spent $15.2 million, and O'Rourke raised $23.8 million and spent $10.1 million as of the same point in that election cycle. To review all 2018 campaign finance figures, click here.
As of September 18, 2024, The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, Inside Elections with Nathan Gonzales, and Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball each rated the general election Likely Republican, while Decision Desk HQ and The Hill rated it Lean Republican.
Allred, Brown, and Andrus completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. To read their responses, click here.
The outcome of this race will affect the partisan balance of the U.S. Senate in 2025.
Thirty-four of 100 seats are up for election, including one special election. Of the seats up for election in 2024, Democrats hold 19, Republicans hold 11, and independents hold four. As of September 2024, eight members of the U.S. Senate had announced they were not running for re-election, more than in any year since 2012.
For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:
- United States Senate election in Texas, 2024 (April 14 Libertarian convention)
- United States Senate election in Texas, 2024 (March 5 Republican primary)
- United States Senate election in Texas, 2024 (March 5 Democratic primary)
Candidates and election results[edit]
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Texas
Incumbent Ted Cruz, Colin Allred, Ted Brown, Tracy Andrus, and Analisa Roche are running in the general election for U.S. Senate Texas on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
 | Ted Cruz (R) | |
 | Colin Allred (D)  | |
 | Ted Brown (L) | |
 | Tracy Andrus (Independent) (Write-in) | |
 | Analisa Roche (Independent) (Write-in) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Dan McQueen (Independent)
- Mason Cysewski (G)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Texas
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Texas on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Colin Allred | 58.9 | 569,585 |
 | Roland Gutierrez | 16.6 | 160,978 | |
 | Mark A. Gonzalez | 8.8 | 85,228 | |
 | Meri Gomez | 4.6 | 44,166 | |
 | Carl Sherman Sr. | 3.3 | 31,694 | |
 | Ahmad Hassan | 2.3 | 21,855 | |
 | Steve Keough | 2.3 | 21,801 | |
| Heli Rodriguez Prilliman | 1.9 | 18,801 | |
 | Thierry Tchenko | 1.4 | 13,395 | |
| Total votes: 967,503 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Zachariah Manning (D)
- Aaron Arguijo (D)
- Soren Pendragon (D)
- John Love III (D)
- Sherri Taylor (D)
- Victor D. Dunn (D)
- Tracy Andrus (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate Texas
Incumbent Ted Cruz defeated Holland Gibson and Rufus Lopez in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Texas on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ted Cruz | 88.3 | 1,977,961 |
| Holland Gibson | 6.0 | 134,011 | |
| Rufus Lopez | 5.7 | 127,986 | |
| Total votes: 2,239,958 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Cody Andrews (R)
- Carlos Garza (R)
- Josiah Ingalls (R)
- Montgomery Markland (R)
Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for U.S. Senate Texas
Ted Brown advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. Senate Texas on April 14, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Ted Brown (L) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Voting information[edit]
- See also: Voting in Texas
Candidate comparison[edit]
Candidate profiles[edit]
This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: Yes
Political Office:
- U.S. Senate, Texas (Assumed office: 2013)
- Solicitor General of Texas (2003-2008)
Biography: Cruz received a bachelor's degree from Princeton University and a law degree from Harvard Law School. Before serving in the Senate, he was the Solicitor General of Texas from 2003 to 2008 and a law clerk to United States Chief Justice William Rehnquist.
Show sources
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: U.S. House of Representatives, Texas District 32 (Assumed office: 2019)
Submitted Biography: "My story is a uniquely Texas story. I am a fourth-generation Texan, and I was born and raised in Dallas by a single mom who was a public school teacher. With help from my aunt and uncle, my mom and I moved to North Dallas, where my mom, aunt and uncle still live a street apart. When not at a YMCA camp, I often spent summers visiting my grandmother in Brownsville, where my mom was raised and where my grandfather was a customs officer after fighting in the Pacific with the Navy in World War II. After graduating from Hillcrest, I earned a full-ride scholarship to play football at Baylor and trained for the NFL draft in Houston. My wife, Aly, and I are proud to be raising our family here in Dallas and I could not be more excited about my boys’ future as Texans. People from across this state have shaped me into who I am today and I know we are so much better than Ted Cruz makes us out to be."
Party: Libertarian Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "I am a lifelong Libertarian activist who advocates for personal freedom and economic freedom. Government at all levels is much too large and must be cut back severely. Democrats and Republicans want to control our lives in different ways. I just want to be left alone and want you to be left alone as well. I have been married for 40 years to Laura and have an adult daughter named Katie. I am self-employed as an independent insurance claims adjuster. I was recently Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Travis County and currently serve on the State Libertarian Executive Committee. I am not beholden to any special interest groups or corrupt party leaders, like my opponents are. I am beholden to the U. S. Constitution, the people of Texas, and to the inherent human rights and individual liberty of each person. I believe in the Bill of Rights. I am opposed to any political leaders having emergency powers, since this is just an excuse to create emergencies. I believe in cutting taxes, cutting spending, free trade, more and easier legal immigration, a non-interventionist foreign policy, police reform, judicial reform, and educational choice. I will always stand up for the right of the individual against government power and control. You don't have to vote for Democrats and Republicans. They have wrecked this country. Try voting Libertarian for a change -- a big change!"
Party: Independent
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "I am Tracy Andrus, son of Ms. Alice and Warren Andrus of Crowley, Louisiana. I am the youngest of 10 boys and two girls. I am the Director of Criminal Justice at Wiley College and Pastor of Edwards Chapel B.C. Marshall, Texas. I am also a business owner and Executive Director of Tracy Andrus Foundation. I spent three years in prison on a 57-year sentence for check kiting and theft of service. I was released from prison in 1994. I entered college in 1995 and received degrees from Louisiana College in Pineville, Louisiana, University of Louisiana Monroe (Masters) and in 2005, I became the first African American in the United Stated to earn a PhD in Juvenile Justice from Prairie View A&M University."
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses[edit]
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Survey responses from candidates in this race
Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
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Colin Allred (D)
I was raised by a single mom, who was a public school teacher. When I think about service, I think about how we can work to help families like mine growing up. To strengthen Texas, we must build the ladders of opportunity so everyone has the chance to chase their dreams. Through smart investments in affordable child care, early childhood education, job and skills training and expanding health care coverage we can increase productivity and grow our economy in a way that works for everyone. By making investments in our families, our workers and our infrastructure, we can strengthen our economy and ensure we are prepared to compete with anyone – while also lowering our debt.
It’s clear that we cannot afford six more years of Ted Cruz and his divisive agenda that is setting Texas and America on a dangerous course. But I know who we are, and I know we can still work together to find common ground and do big things. In my time in Congress, I have shown that we can create jobs by investing in our infrastructure and high-tech manufacturing; we can move forward on gun safety legislation; we can protect and expand access to affordable health care. All of this is possible when we put aside partisan politics and work together. That is something Ted Cruz has no interest in. He does not care about delivering for Texas, he only cares about himself.
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
I will support legislation that allows women to choose what happens to their bodies. No government, lawyer, politician or anyone else should choose for women when it comes to their bodies.
I will support legislation that provides more jobs to help ramp up production to meet the demands of our robust economy which will in turn reduce inflation. Inflation is too high!
Ted Brown (L)
Immigration is good for this country and should be encouraged. Unlike what we see in the media, immigrants come here to work and to seek better lives for themselves and their families, not to go on welfare. They need to be able to work from Day One, rather than being on welfare programs while awaiting work permits. I favor an Ellis Island-style immigration system where immigrants just need to come in officially, sign in, be checked for criminal records and contagious diseases, and then be welcomed in. And no, immigrants do not commit a lot of crimes. Their crime rate is much lower than that of native-born Americans. Both of my grandfathers were immigrants, and I'm quite happy they were allowed to come here.
The war on drugs is a war on the American people and always has been. Most people now want marijuana to be legal, especially for medical purposes. The federal government must take marijuana off the schedule of controlled substances completely and repeal all marijuana laws. No one should go to jail for a plant. Even for harder drugs, I believe that adults have the right to choose to put any substances in their bodies that they want to. To be sure those substances are not adulterated, they must be completely legal. Anyone who is jail or prison for a non-violent drug offense should be released and their record expunged.
Colin Allred (D)
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
Ted Brown (L)
Colin Allred (D)
Congresswoman Johnson was a force in Congress, and though she never shied away from standing up for her values, she also worked across the aisle to get things done and deliver for Dallas and Texas. I saw this up close and personal serving with her on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, where she was a fierce advocate for securing federal investment for transportation needs here in North Texas. There are few parts of our state that she has not made a mark – from improving the VA, to fighting for civil rights to transportation investment to her work to pass the Chips and Science Act as Chair of the House Science Committee.
Texas lost a giant when we lost Congresswoman Johnson, and I will always carry with me the lessons she taught me as I seek to serve all Texans in the U.S. Senate.
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
Colin Allred (D)
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
Ted Brown (L)
Colin Allred (D)
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
Colin Allred (D)
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
Ted Brown (L)
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
Ted Brown (L)
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
Ted Brown (L)
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
Ted Brown (L)
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
Ted Brown (L)
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
Colin Allred (D)
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
Ted Brown (L)
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
Ted Brown (L)
Colin Allred (D)
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
Colin Allred (D)
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
The Kingdom Center Numerous Organizations and Pastors Individual Business Owners
Students from various colleges and universities
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
Ted Brown (L)
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
Colin Allred (D)
Tracy Andrus (Independent)
Ted Brown (L)
You can ask candidates in this race to fill out the survey by clicking their names below:
Campaign ads[edit]
This section includes a selection of up to three campaign advertisements per candidate released in this race, as well as links to candidates' YouTube, Vimeo, and/or Facebook video pages. If you are aware of other links that should be included, please email us.
Ted Cruz[edit]
| July 29, 2024 |
| July 25, 2024 |
| March 6, 2024 |
View more ads here:
Colin Allred[edit]
| July 29, 2024 |
| May 16, 2024 |
| May 3, 2023 |
View more ads here:
Election competitiveness[edit]
Polls[edit]
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
Polls are conducted with a variety of methodologies and have margins of error or credibility intervals.[6] The Pew Research Center wrote, "A margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level means that if we fielded the same survey 100 times, we would expect the result to be within 3 percentage points of the true population value 95 of those times."[7] For tips on reading polls from FiveThirtyEight, click here. For tips from Pew, click here.
The links below show polls for this race aggregated by FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics, where available. Click here to read about FiveThirtyEight's criteria for including polls in its aggregation.
Race ratings[edit]
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[8]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[9][10][11]
| Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in Texas, 2024 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| September 24, 2024 | September 17, 2024 | September 10, 2024 | September 3, 2024 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | |||||
| Decision Desk HQ and The Hill | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Likely Republican | Lean Republican | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week. | |||||||||
Endorsements[edit]
Ballotpedia researchers did not identify any candidate websites that provide endorsement information. If you are aware of a website that should be included, please email us.
Election spending[edit]
Campaign finance[edit]
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ted Cruz | Republican Party | $59,159,421 | $46,606,431 | $12,710,949 | As of June 30, 2024 |
| Colin Allred | Democratic Party | $38,433,748 | $27,983,265 | $10,450,482 | As of June 30, 2024 |
| Ted Brown | Libertarian Party | $6,170 | $6,054 | $116 | As of June 30, 2024 |
| Tracy Andrus | Independent | $18,385 | $11,749 | $6,250 | As of June 30, 2024 |
| Analisa Roche | Independent | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2024. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
|||||
Satellite spending[edit]
- See also: Satellite spending
Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[12][13][14]
If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.
| By candidate | By election |
|---|---|
Election analysis[edit]
Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
- Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
- State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
- Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
Cook PVI by congressional district
2020 presidential results by 2024 congressional district lines
| 2020 presidential results in congressional districts based on 2024 district lines, Texas[15] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Joe Biden
|
Donald Trump
| ||
| Texas' 1st | 26.5% | 72.4% | ||
| Texas' 2nd | 37.9% | 60.7% | ||
| Texas' 3rd | 42.0% | 56.4% | ||
| Texas' 4th | 36.4% | 62.4% | ||
| Texas' 5th | 38.2% | 60.6% | ||
| Texas' 6th | 37.4% | 61.3% | ||
| Texas' 7th | 64.2% | 34.5% | ||
| Texas' 8th | 35.8% | 63.0% | ||
| Texas' 9th | 76.2% | 22.8% | ||
| Texas' 10th | 39.8% | 58.6% | ||
| Texas' 11th | 29.1% | 69.5% | ||
| Texas' 12th | 40.1% | 58.3% | ||
| Texas' 13th | 26.5% | 72.0% | ||
| Texas' 14th | 35.0% | 63.6% | ||
| Texas' 15th | 48.1% | 51.0% | ||
| Texas' 16th | 67.0% | 31.5% | ||
| Texas' 17th | 38.0% | 60.5% | ||
| Texas' 18th | 73.6% | 25.1% | ||
| Texas' 19th | 26.2% | 72.4% | ||
| Texas' 20th | 65.8% | 32.7% | ||
| Texas' 21st | 39.4% | 59.1% | ||
| Texas' 22nd | 41.3% | 57.4% | ||
| Texas' 23rd | 45.8% | 52.9% | ||
| Texas' 24th | 43.0% | 55.4% | ||
| Texas' 25th | 33.8% | 64.9% | ||
| Texas' 26th | 40.0% | 58.6% | ||
| Texas' 27th | 38.1% | 60.6% | ||
| Texas' 28th | 52.9% | 45.9% | ||
| Texas' 29th | 67.8% | 31.0% | ||
| Texas' 30th | 77.8% | 21.0% | ||
| Texas' 31st | 39.0% | 59.2% | ||
| Texas' 32nd | 65.7% | 32.7% | ||
| Texas' 33rd | 74.2% | 24.4% | ||
| Texas' 34th | 57.3% | 41.8% | ||
| Texas' 35th | 71.7% | 26.5% | ||
| Texas' 36th | 33.6% | 65.2% | ||
| Texas' 37th | 75.5% | 22.7% | ||
| Texas' 38th | 40.2% | 58.4% | ||
2012-2020
How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:
| County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | |||||||
| Status | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | ||||
| Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
| Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
| Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
| New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
| Republican | |||||||
| Status | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | ||||
| Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
| Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
| Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
| New Republican | D | D | R | ||||
Following the 2020 presidential election, 45.5% of Texans lived in one of the state's 18 Solid Democratic counties, which voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election from 2012 to 2020, and 40.1% lived in one of 223 Solid Republican counties. Overall, Texas was Solid Republican, having voted for Mitt Romney (R) in 2012, Donald Trump (R) in 2016, and Donald Trump (R) in 2020. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Texas following the 2020 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.
| Texas county-level statistics, 2020 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid Democratic | 18 | 45.5% | |||||
| Solid Republican | 223 | 40.1% | |||||
| New Democratic | 3 | 10.2% | |||||
| Trending Democratic | 1 | 2.8% | |||||
| Trending Republican | 1 | 0.9% | |||||
| New Republican | 7 | 0.6% | |||||
| Battleground Republican | 1 | <0.1% | |||||
| Total voted Democratic | 22 | 58.5% | |||||
| Total voted Republican | 232 | 41.5% | |||||
Historical voting trends
Texas presidential election results (1900-2020)
- 16 Democratic wins
- 15 Republican wins
| Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winning Party | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | D | D | D | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.
U.S. Senate elections[edit]
The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Texas.
| U.S. Senate election results in Texas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race | Winner | Runner up |
| 2020 | 53.5% |
43.9%
|
| 2018 | 50.9% |
48.3%
|
| 2014 | 61.6% |
34.4%
|
| 2012 | 56.5% |
40.7%
|
| 2008 | 54.8% |
42.8%
|
| Average | 55.5 | 42.0 |
Gubernatorial elections[edit]
- See also: Governor of Texas
The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Texas.
| Gubernatorial election results in Texas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race | Winner | Runner up |
| 2022 | 54.8% |
43.9%
|
| 2018 | 55.8% |
42.5%
|
| 2014 | 59.3% |
38.9%
|
| 2010 | 55.0% |
42.3%
|
| 2006 | 39.0% |
29.8%
|
| Average | 53.4 | 38.7 |
- See also: Party control of Texas state government
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of Texas' congressional delegation as of May 2024.
| Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Texas | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
| Democratic | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| Republican | 2 | 25 | 27 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vacancies | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 2 | 38 | 40 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in Texas' top four state executive offices as of May 2024.
| State executive officials in Texas, May 2024 | |
|---|---|
| Office | Officeholder |
| Governor | Greg Abbott
|
| Lieutenant Governor | Dan Patrick
|
| Secretary of State | Jane Nelson
|
| Attorney General | Ken Paxton
|
State legislature
Texas State Senate[edit]
| Party | As of February 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 11 | |
| Republican Party | 19 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | |
| Total | 31 | |
Texas House of Representatives[edit]
| Party | As of February 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 64 | |
| Republican Party | 86 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 150 | |
Trifecta control
The table below shows the state's trifecta status from 1992 until 2024.
Texas Party Control: 1992-2024
Three years of Democratic trifectas • Twenty-two 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
The table below details demographic data in Texas and compares it to the broader United States as of 2022.
| Demographic Data for Texas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Texas | United States | |
| Population | 29,145,505 | 331,449,281 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 261,268 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 59.1% | 65.9% |
| Black/African American | 12.1% | 12.5% |
| Asian | 5.2% | 5.8% |
| Native American | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more | 15.1% | 8.8% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 39.9% | 18.7% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 85.2% | 89.1% |
| College graduation rate | 32.3% | 34.3% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $73,035 | $75,149 |
| Persons below poverty level | 10.7% | 8.8% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2017-2022). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Election context[edit]
Ballot access requirements[edit]
The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in Texas in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Texas, click here.
| Filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates, 2024 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Office | Party | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| Texas | U.S. Senate | Democratic or Republican | 5,000 | Fixed number | $5,000.00 | Fixed number | 12/11/2023 | Source |
| Texas | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 83,717 | 1% of all votes cast for governor in the last election | N/A | N/A | 12/11/2023 | Source |
Election history[edit]
The section below details election results for this state's U.S. Senate elections dating back to 2014.
2020
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Texas
Incumbent John Cornyn defeated Mary Jennings Hegar, Kerry McKennon, David B. Collins, and Ricardo Turullols-Bonilla in the general election for U.S. Senate Texas on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | John Cornyn (R) | 53.5 | 5,962,983 |
 | Mary Jennings Hegar (D) | 43.9 | 4,888,764 | |
 | Kerry McKennon (L) | 1.9 | 209,722 | |
 | David B. Collins (G) | 0.7 | 81,893 | |
 | Ricardo Turullols-Bonilla (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 678 | |
| Total votes: 11,144,040 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Arjun Srinivasan (Independent)
- Cedric Jefferson (People Over Politics Party)
- James Brumley (The Human Rights Party)
- Tim Smith (Independent)
Democratic primary runoff election
Democratic primary runoff for U.S. Senate Texas
Mary Jennings Hegar defeated Royce West in the Democratic primary runoff for U.S. Senate Texas on July 14, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mary Jennings Hegar | 52.2 | 502,516 |
 | Royce West | 47.8 | 459,457 | |
| Total votes: 961,973 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Texas
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Texas on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mary Jennings Hegar | 22.3 | 417,160 |
| ✔ | | Royce West | 14.7 | 274,074 |
 | Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez | 13.2 | 246,659 | |
 | Annie Garcia | 10.3 | 191,900 | |
 | Amanda Edwards | 10.1 | 189,624 | |
 | Chris Bell | 8.5 | 159,751 | |
 | Sema Hernandez | 7.4 | 137,892 | |
 | Michael Cooper | 4.9 | 92,463 | |
 | Victor Harris | 3.2 | 59,710 | |
 | Adrian Ocegueda | 2.2 | 41,566 | |
 | Jack Daniel Foster Jr. | 1.7 | 31,718 | |
 | D.R. Hunter | 1.4 | 26,902 | |
| Total votes: 1,869,419 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- John Love III (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate Texas
Incumbent John Cornyn defeated Dwayne Stovall, Mark Yancey, John Castro, and Virgil Bierschwale in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Texas on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | John Cornyn | 76.0 | 1,470,669 |
 | Dwayne Stovall | 11.9 | 231,104 | |
 | Mark Yancey | 6.5 | 124,864 | |
 | John Castro | 4.5 | 86,916 | |
 | Virgil Bierschwale | 1.1 | 20,494 | |
| Total votes: 1,934,047 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Green convention
Green convention for U.S. Senate Texas
David B. Collins advanced from the Green convention for U.S. Senate Texas on April 18, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | David B. Collins (G) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for U.S. Senate Texas
Kerry McKennon defeated Wes Benedict in the Libertarian convention for U.S. Senate Texas on August 3, 2020.
Candidate | ||
 | Wes Benedict (L) | |
| ✔ | | Kerry McKennon (L) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
2018
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Texas
Incumbent Ted Cruz defeated Beto O'Rourke and Neal Dikeman in the general election for U.S. Senate Texas on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ted Cruz (R) | 50.9 | 4,260,553 |
 | Beto O'Rourke (D) | 48.3 | 4,045,632 | |
 | Neal Dikeman (L) | 0.8 | 65,470 | |
| Total votes: 8,371,655 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Bob McNeil (Independent)
2014
On November 4, 2014, John Cornyn won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated David Alameel (D), Rebecca Paddock (L) and Emily Marie Sanchez (G) in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  John Cornyn Incumbent |
61.6% | 2,861,531 | |
| Democratic | David Alameel | 34.4% | 1,597,387 | |
| Libertarian | Rebecca Paddock | 2.9% | 133,751 | |
| Green | Emily Marie Sanchez | 1.2% | 54,701 | |
| Write-in | Mohammed Tahiro | 0% | 988 | |
| Total Votes | 4,648,358 | |||
| Source: U.S. House Clerk "2014 Election Statistics" | ||||
2024 battleground elections[edit]
- See also: Battlegrounds
This is a battleground election. Other 2024 battleground elections include:
- Colorado's 8th Congressional District election, 2024
- New York's 3rd Congressional District special election, 2024
- Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District election, 2024
See also[edit]
External links[edit]
Footnotes[edit]
- ↑ AP News, "Democrats target GOP strongholds Texas and Florida with Senate majority on the line," January 15, 2024
- ↑ The Dallas Morning News, "With losses looming elsewhere, national Democrats target Ted Cruz in Texas," November 13, 2023
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, "Ted Cruz warns Texas Republicans that his reelection is not in the bag," July 18, 2024
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, "Immigration is taking center stage in Texas’ Senate race. Here’s what Colin Allred’s and Ted Cruz’s records show." July 17, 2024
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedtribune - ↑ For more information on the difference between margins of error and credibility intervals, see explanations from the American Association for Public Opinion Research and Ipsos.
- ↑ Pew Research Center, "5 key things to know about the margin of error in election polls," September 8, 2016
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," December 12, 2021
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' presidential results by congressional district for 2020, 2016, and 2012," accessed December 15, 2023
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