The 2018 Texas Senate elections took place as part of the biennial United States elections. Texas voters elected state senators in 15 of the state senate's 31 districts. The winners of this election served in the 86th Texas Legislature. State senators serve four-year terms in the Texas State Senate. A statewide map of Texas's state Senate districts can be obtained from the Texas Legislative Council here, and individual district maps can be obtained from the U.S. Census here.
A primary election on March 6, 2018, determined which candidates appeared on the November 6 general election ballot. Primary election results can be obtained from the Texas Secretary of State's website.[1]
Following the 2016 elections, Republicans maintained control of the Senate with 20 members. However, they gained an extra seat by flipping the 19th District in a September special election, giving them a 21-seat supermajority.[2]
To claim control of the chamber from Republicans, the Democrats would have needed to net six Senate seats. The Democratic Party gained two seats, leaving the Republicans with a 19 to 12 majority in the chamber. Republicans maintained their supermajority, however, due to a 2015 rule change that reduced the effective vote threshold to pass legislation from 21 to 19.[3]
One incumbent did not run for re-election in 2018:
Republican
[edit]
District 8: Van Taylor ran for Texas's 3rd congressional district.
Seats gained in preceding special elections
[edit]
Republicans
[edit]
District 19: Pete Flores defeated Pete Gallego in a preceding special election on September 18, 2018, to flip this seat. The seat was vacated by Carlos Uresti, who resigned after multiple convictions on fraud and laundering charges.
Incumbents defeated
[edit]
In the primary election
[edit]
Republicans
[edit]
District 30: Craig Estes lost to Pat Fallon.
In the general election
[edit]
Republicans
[edit]
District 10: Konni Burton lost to Beverly Powell.
District 16: Don Huffines lost to Nathan M. Johnson.
Incumbent Republican Bob Hall ran for re-election. Hall, a member of the Tea Party movement, was challenged in the Republican primary by state representative Cindy Burkett, who ran as a moderate alternative to Hall.[7] Hall narrowly defeated Burkett in the primary and went on to defeat Democrat Kendall Scudder in the general election by a wide margin.[8]
Republican primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Bob Hall (incumbent)
35,530
53.2
Republican
Cindy Burkett
31,216
46.8
Total votes
66,746
100.0
Democratic primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Kendall Scudder
20,573
100.0
Total votes
20,573
100.0
Texas's 2nd State Senate District general election, 2018
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Bob Hall (incumbent)
153,151
59.35
Democratic
Kendall Scudder
104,897
40.65
Total votes
258,048
100.0
Republican hold
District 3
[edit]
Incumbent Republican Robert Nichols won re-election.
Democratic primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Shirley Layton
12,452
100.0
Total votes
12,452
100.0
Republican primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Robert Nichols (incumbent)
78,434
100.0
Total votes
78,434
100.0
Texas's 3rd State Senate District general election, 2018
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Robert Nichols (incumbent)
215,058
78.27
Democratic
Shirley Layton
56,398
20.53
Libertarian
Bruce Quarles
3,301
1.20
Total votes
274,757
100.0
Republican hold
District 5
[edit]
Incumbent Republican Charles Schwertner won re-election.
Republican primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Charles Schwertner (incumbent)
50,254
75.1
Republican
Harold Ramm
16,648
24.9
Total votes
66,902
100.0
Democratic primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Meg Walsh
22,605
71.1
Democratic
Brian E. Cronin
5,383
16.9
Democratic
Glenn "Grumpy" Williams
3,791
11.9
Total votes
31,779
100.0
Texas's 5th State Senate District general election, 2018
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Charles Schwertner (incumbent)
182,550
55.34
Democratic
Meg Walsh
136,792
41.47
Libertarian
Amy Lyons
10,500
3.18
Total votes
329,842
100.0
Republican hold
District 7
[edit]
Incumbent Republican Paul Bettencourt won re-election.
Republican primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Paul Bettencourt (incumbent)
44,950
100.0
Total votes
44,950
100.0
Democratic primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
David Romero
22,989
100.0
Total votes
22,989
100.0
Texas's 7th State Senate District general election, 2018
Incumbent Republican Van Taylor retired to run for Texas's 3rd congressional district, which was being vacated by incumbent Republican Sam Johnson.[9] Prior to Taylor's retirement announcement, businessman Phillip Huffines, the brother of senator Don Huffines, announced his bid for the seat on the assumption that Taylor would run for the House. Educator Angela Paxton, the wife of attorney general Ken Paxton, later joined the race. Both candidates ran highly negative campaigns, spending millions of dollars on advertisements on what would become the most expensive senate primaries in state history.[10][11] Paxton won the Republican primary while Mark Pharris, a plaintiff in the lawsuit to overturn Texas's ban on same-sex marriage, won the Democratic primary.[12] Paxton won the general election in the heavily Republican Collin County district.[13] This was the closest senate election in the state during the 2018 elections.
Republican primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Angela Paxton
32,756
54.3
Republican
Phillip Huffines
27,545
45.7
Total votes
60,301
100.0
Democratic primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Mark Phariss
16,748
50.9
Democratic
Brian Chaput
16,148
49.1
Total votes
32,896
100.0
Texas's 8th State Senate District general election, 2018
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Angela Paxton
169,995
51.18
Democratic
Mark Phariss
162,157
48.82
Total votes
332,152
100.0
Republican hold
District 9
[edit]
Incumbent Republican Kelly Hancock won re-election.
Democratic primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Gwenn Burud
21,382
100.0
Total votes
21,382
100.0
Republican primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Kelly Hancock (incumbent)
31,188
100.0
Total votes
31,188
100.0
Texas's 9th State Senate District general election, 2018
Incumbent Republican Konni Burton ran for re-election. She was initially elected in 2014, flipping the seat after incumbent Democrat Wendy Davis retired to run for governor. Democrats Allison Campolo and Beverly Powell ran in the Democratic primary to challenge Burton, with Campolo running from the progressive wing of the Democratic party while Powell ran from the moderate wing of the party.[14] Powell advanced to the general election, which saw large spending from conservative groups such as Empower Texans to defend Burton's seat.[15] Powell narrowly defeated Burton in the general election, flipping the seat back to the Democrats.[16][17]
Republican primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Konni Burton (incumbent)
35,758
100.0
Total votes
35,758
100.0
Democratic primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Beverly Powell
23,148
61.6
Democratic
Allison Campolo
14,432
38.4
Total votes
37,580
100.0
Texas's 10th State Senate District general election, 2018
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Beverly Powell
148,959
51.73
Republican
Konni Burton (incumbent)
138,968
48.27
Total votes
287,927
100.0
Democratic gain from Republican
District 14
[edit]
Incumbent Democrat Kirk Watson won re-election.
Republican primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
George W. Hindman
24,168
100.0
Total votes
24,168
100.0
Democratic primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Kirk Watson (incumbent)
82,626
100.0
Total votes
82,626
100.0
Texas's 14th State Senate District general election, 2018
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Kirk Watson (incumbent)
276,052
71.93
Republican
George Hindman
96,834
25.23
Libertarian
Micah Verlander
10,889
2.84
Total votes
383,775
100.0
Democratic hold
District 15
[edit]
Incumbent Democrat John Whitmire won re-election.
Republican primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Randy Orr
17,057
100.0
Total votes
17,057
100.0
Democratic primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
John Whitmire (incumbent)
27,307
74.9
Democratic
Damian Lacroix
6,520
17.9
Democratic
Hank Segelke
2,619
7.2
Total votes
36,446
100.0
Texas's 15th State Senate District general election, 2018
Incumbent Republican Don Huffines ran for re-election. Despite Republicans having held the 16th district for over 30 years, Huffines was seen as vulnerable due to the district's shifting demographics and Huffines' ultraconservative voting record. The district had voted for Hillary Clinton by 5 percentage points in 2016.[18][19] Nathan Johnson, the Democratic nominee, defeated Huffines in the general election.[16]
Republican primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Don Huffines (incumbent)
30,311
100.0
Total votes
30,311
100.0
Democratic primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Nathan Johnson
25,437
69.6
Democratic
Joe Bogen
11,125
30.4
Total votes
36,562
100.0
Texas's 16th State Senate District general election, 2018
Incumbent Republican Joan Huffman ran for re-election. Although she was considered potentially vulnerable due to Donald Trump's narrow victory in the district in 2016, she defeated Democrat Rita Lucido in the general election by 5 percentage points.[3][20]
Republican primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Joan Huffman (incumbent)
36,830
72.7
Republican
Kristin Tassin
13,849
27.3
Total votes
50,679
100.0
Democratic primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Rita Lucido
17,669
49.0
Democratic
Fran Watson
12,663
35.1
Democratic
Ahmad R. Hassan
5,757
15.9
Total votes
36,089
100.0
Democratic primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Rita Lucido
10,533
57.8
Democratic
Fran Watson
7,694
42.2
Total votes
18,227
100.0
Texas's 17th State Senate District general election, 2018
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Joan Huffman (incumbent)
158,263
51.44
Democratic
Rita Lucido
143,978
46.80
Libertarian
Lauren LaCount
5,396
1.75
Total votes
307,637
100.0
Republican hold
District 19 (special)
[edit]
2018 Texas's 19th senate district special election
Incumbent Democrat Carlos Uresti resigned after multiple convictions on fraud and laundering charges.[21] Former U.S. Representative Pete Gallego and Texas House representative Roland Gutierrez ran as Democrats against Republican Pete Flores in the special election. Flores placed first in the election, a boon to Republicans in the Democratic-leaning district, but he failed to win a majority of the vote, forcing him into a runoff with Gallego.[22] Despite stirrings of an upcoming Democratic wave election, Flores defeated Gallego in the runoff on September 18, 2018, to flip this seat, giving Republicans a supermajority of 21 seats in the Senate.[2]
Texas's 19th Senate District special election runoff[24]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Pete Flores
25,330
56.67
Democratic
Pete Gallego
19,367
43.33
Total votes
44,697
100.0
Republican gain from Democratic
District 23
[edit]
Incumbent Democrat Royce West won re-election unopposed.
Democratic primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Royce West (incumbent)
50,226
100.0
Total votes
50,226
100.0
Texas's 23rd State Senate District general election, 2018
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Royce West (incumbent)
192,148
100.0
Total votes
192,148
100.0
Democratic hold
District 25
[edit]
Incumbent Republican Donna Campbell won re-election.
Republican primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Donna Campbell (incumbent)
59,143
73.7
Republican
Shannon K. McClendon
21,055
26.3
Total votes
80,198
100.0
Democratic primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Steven Kling
23,017
51.1
Democratic
Jack Guerra
22,064
48.9
Total votes
45,081
100.0
Texas's 25th State Senate District general election, 2018
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Donna Campbell (incumbent)
236,753
57.68
Democratic
Steven Kling
173,698
42.32
Total votes
410,451
100.0
Republican hold
District 30
[edit]
Incumbent Craig Estes, considered a centrist Republican, faced conservative state representative Pat Fallon in a primary race.[25][26] As the primary election approached, both campaigns grew increasingly combinative, including spars over an ad by Estes' campaign featuring Fallon in a Catholic confessional.[27] Polling on behalf of Fallon paid for by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick suggested that Patrick supported Fallon's primary challenge, although he made no official endorsement.[28] Fallon defeated Estes in the primary by a wide margin and went on to win the general election by an even larger margin.[29]
Republican primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Pat Fallon
53,881
62.0
Republican
Craig Estes (incumbent)
19,641
22.6
Republican
Craig Carter
13,371
15.4
Total votes
86,893
100.0
Democratic primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Kevin Lopez
15,760
100.0
Total votes
15,760
100.0
Texas's 30th State Senate District general election, 2018
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Pat Fallon
234,374
73.92
Democratic
Kevin Lopez
82,669
26.08
Total votes
317,043
100.0
Republican hold
District 31
[edit]
Incumbent Republican Kel Seliger ran for re-election. Seliger was considered vulnerable to a primary challenge due to his refusal to back many conservative bills during previous sessions. He narrowly won his primary in 2014, voted against a 20-week abortion ban, opposed school voucher legislation, and refused to endorse lieutenant governor Dan Patrick's re-election campaign. He drew two primary challengers, including Mike Canon, whom Seliger had narrowly defeated in 2014 and had the support of conservative groups such as Empower Texans.[30][31][32] Seliger won the primary, narrowly avoiding a runoff.[33] He faced nominal third-party opposition in the general election and easily won.
Republican primary
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Kel Seliger (incumbent)
40,664
50.4
Republican
Mike Canon
25,335
31.4
Republican
Victor Leal
14,671
18.2
Total votes
80,670
100.0
Texas's 31st State Senate District general election, 2018
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Kel Seliger (incumbent)
174,367
87.52
Libertarian
Jack Westbrook
24,869
12.48
Total votes
199,236
100.0
Republican hold
See also
[edit]
United States elections, 2018
United States Senate election in Texas, 2018
United States House of Representatives elections in Texas, 2018
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