2018 Texas Senate election
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15 of the 31 seats in the Texas State Senate 16 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Republican hold Democratic hold Republican gain Democratic gain No election Republican: 50–60% 70–80% 80–90% |
Elections in Texas |
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Government |
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.
Summary of race results[edit]
Party | Candidates | Votes | Seats | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | Before | Up | Won | After | +/– | ||||||||
Republican | 14 | 2,280,884 | 52.14 | 21 | 12 | 10 | 19 | 2 | ||||||
Democratic | 14 | 2,026,761 | 46.33 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 12 | 2 | ||||||
Libertarian | 7 | 67,062 | 1.90 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
Total | 3,525,443 | 100.00 | 35 | 15 | 15 | 35 | ||||||||
Source:[3] |
Retirements[edit]
One incumbent did not run for re-election in 2020:
Republican[edit]
- District 8: Van Taylor ran for U.S. House of Texas's 3rd 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.
Close races[edit]
District | Winner | Margin |
---|---|---|
District 8 | Republican | 2.36% |
District 10 | Democratic (flip) | 3.04% |
District 17 | Republican | 4.64% |
District 9 | Republican | 8.06% |
District 16 | Democratic (flip) | 8.26% |
District 5 | Republican | 13.87% |
District 25 | Republican | 15.36% |
District 7 | Republican | 17.41% |
District 2 | Republican | 18.7% |
Summary of results by State Senate District[edit]
Race results:[3]
District | Democratic | Republican | Libertarian | Total | Result | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
District 2 | 104,897 | 40.65% | 153,151 | 59.35% | - | - | 258,048 | 100.00% | Republican hold |
District 3 | 56,398 | 20.53% | 215,058 | 78.27% | 3,301 | 1.20% | 274,757 | 100.00% | Republican hold |
District 5 | 136,792 | 41.47% | 182,550 | 55.34% | 10,500 | 3.18% | 329,842 | 100.00% | Republican hold |
District 7 | 124,232 | 40.34% | 177,864 | 57.75% | 5,878 | 1.91% | 307,974 | 100.00% | Republican hold |
District 8 | 162,157 | 48.82% | 169,995 | 51.18% | - | - | 332,152 | 100.00% | Republican hold |
District 9 | 112,537 | 45.97% | 132,256 | 54.03% | - | - | 244,793 | 100.00% | Republican hold |
District 10 | 148,959 | 51.73% | 138,968 | 48.27% | - | - | 287,927 | 100.00% | D GAIN from R |
District 14 | 276,052 | 71.93% | 96,834 | 25.23% | 10,889 | 2.84% | 383,775 | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
District 15 | 153,016 | 65.18% | 75,518 | 32.17% | 6,229 | 2.65% | 234,763 | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
District 16 | 159,228 | 54.13% | 134,933 | 45.87% | - | - | 294,161 | 100.00% | D GAIN from R |
District 17 | 143,978 | 46.80% | 158,263 | 51.44% | 5,396 | 1.75% | 307,637 | 100.00% | Republican hold |
District 23 | 192,148 | 100.00% | - | - | - | - | 192,148 | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
District 25 | 173,698 | 42.32% | 236,753 | 57.68% | - | - | 410,451 | 100.00% | Republican hold |
District 30 | 82,669 | 26.08% | 234,374 | 73.92% | - | - | 317,043 | 100.00% | Republican hold |
District 31 | - | - | 174,367 | 87.52% | 24,869 | 12.48% | 199,236 | 100.00% | Republican hold |
Total | 2,026,761 | 46.33% | 2,280,884 | 52.14% | 67,062 | 1.53% | 4,374,707 | 100.00% |
Source:[4]
- Note: For districts not displayed re-election not scheduled until 2020.
State Senate District | Incumbent | Party | Elected Senator | Party | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2nd | Bob Hall | Rep | Bob Hall | Rep | ||
3rd | Robert Nichols | Rep | Robert Nichols | Rep | ||
5th | Charles Schwertner | Rep | Charles Schwertner | Rep | ||
7th | Paul Bettencourt | Rep | Paul Bettencourt | Rep | ||
8th | Van Taylor | Rep | Angela Paxton | Rep | ||
9th | Kelly Hancock | Rep | Kelly Hancock | Rep | ||
10th | Konni Burton | Rep | Beverly Powell | Dem | ||
14th | Kirk Watson | Dem | Kirk Watson | Dem | ||
15th | John Whitmire | Dem | John Whitmire | Dem | ||
16th | Don Huffines | Rep | Nathan Johnson | Dem | ||
17th | Joan Huffman | Rep | Joan Huffman | Rep | ||
19th | Vacant[5] | Dem | Pete Flores | Rep | ||
23rd | Royce West | Dem | Royce West | Dem | ||
25th | Donna Campbell | Rep | Donna Campbell | Rep | ||
30th | Craig Estes | Rep | Pat Fallon | Rep | ||
31st | Kel Seliger | Rep | Kel Seliger | Rep |
Detailed results by State Senate District[edit]
District 2 • District 3 • District 5 • District 7 • District 8 • District 9 • District 10 • District 14 • District 15 • District 16 • District 17 • District 19 • District 23 • District 25 • District 30 • District 31 |
District 2[edit]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Bob Hall (incumbent) | 35,530 | 53.2 | |
Republican | Cindy Burkett | 31,216 | 46.8 | |
Total votes | 66,746 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Kendall Scudder | 20,573 | 100.0 | |
Total votes | 20,573 | 100.0 |
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]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Shirley Layton | 12,452 | 100.0 | |
Total votes | 12,452 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Robert Nichols (incumbent) | 78,434 | 100.0 | |
Total votes | 78,434 | 100.0 |
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]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Charles Schwertner (incumbent) | 50,254 | 75.1 | |
Republican | Harold Ramm | 16,648 | 24.9 | |
Total votes | 66,902 | 100.0 |
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 |
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]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Paul Bettencourt (incumbent) | 44,950 | 100.0 | |
Total votes | 44,950 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | David Romero | 22,989 | 100.0 | |
Total votes | 22,989 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Paul Bettencourt (incumbent) | 177,864 | 57.75 | |
Democratic | David Romero | 124,232 | 40.34 | |
Libertarian | Tom Glass | 5,878 | 1.91 | |
Total votes | 307,974 | 100.0 | ||
Republican hold |
District 8[edit]
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Precinct results Paxton: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Phariss: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican Van Taylor retired to run for Texas's 3rd congressional district, which was being vacated by incumbent Republican Sam Johnson.[7] 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.[8][9] 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.[10] Paxton won the general election in the heavily Republican Collin County district.[11]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Angela Paxton | 32,756 | 54.3 | |
Republican | Phillip Huffines | 27,545 | 45.7 | |
Total votes | 60,301 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Mark Phariss | 16,748 | 50.9 | |
Democratic | Brian Chaput | 16,148 | 49.1 | |
Total votes | 32,896 | 100.0 |
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]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Gwenn Burud | 21,382 | 100.0 | |
Total votes | 21,382 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Kelly Hancock (incumbent) | 31,188 | 100.0 | |
Total votes | 31,188 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Kelly Hancock (incumbent) | 132,256 | 54.03 | |
Democratic | Gwenn Burud | 112,537 | 45.97 | |
Total votes | 244,793 | 100.0 | ||
Republican hold |
District 10[edit]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Konni Burton (incumbent) | 35,758 | 100.0 | |
Total votes | 35,758 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Beverly Powell | 23,148 | 61.6 | |
Democratic | Allison Campolo | 14,432 | 38.4 | |
Total votes | 37,580 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Beverly Powell | 148,959 | 51.73 | |
Republican | Konni Burton (incumbent) | 138,968 | 48.27 | |
Total votes | 287,927 | 99% | ||
Democratic gain from Republican |
District 14[edit]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | George W. Hindman | 24,168 | 100.0 | |
Total votes | 24,168 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Kirk Watson (incumbent) | 82,626 | 100.0 | |
Total votes | 82,626 | 100.0 |
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]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Randy Orr | 17,057 | 100.0 | |
Total votes | 17,057 | 100.0 |
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 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | John Whitmire (incumbent) | 153,016 | 65.18 | |
Republican | Randy Orr | 75,518 | 32.17 | |
Libertarian | Gilberto Velsquez, Jr. | 6,229 | 2.65 | |
Total votes | 234,763 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic hold |
District 16[edit]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Don Huffines (incumbent) | 30,311 | 100.0 | |
Total votes | 30,311 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Nathan Johnson | 25,437 | 69.6 | |
Democratic | Joe Bogen | 11,125 | 30.4 | |
Total votes | 36,562 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Nathan Johnson | 159,228 | 54.13 | |
Republican | Don Huffines (incumbent) | 134,933 | 45.87 | |
Total votes | 294,161 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic gain from Republican |
District 17[edit]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Joan Huffman (incumbent) | 36,830 | 72.7 | |
Republican | Kristin Tassin | 13,849 | 27.3 | |
Total votes | 50,679 | 100.0 |
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 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Rita Lucido | 10,533 | 57.8 | |
Democratic | Fran Watson | 7,694 | 42.2 | |
Total votes | 18,227 | 100.0 |
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]
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County results Flores: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Gallego: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Democrat Carlos Uresti resigned after multiple convictions on fraud and laundering charges.[12] 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.[13] 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]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Pete Flores | 9,003 | 32.35 | |
Democratic | Pete Gallego | 7,580 | 28.38 | |
Democratic | Roland Gutierrez | 6,389 | 24.38 | |
Republican | Carlos Antonio Raymond | 920 | 3.51 | |
Democratic | Tomas Uresti | 799 | 3.05 | |
Democratic | Charlie Urbina Jones | 789 | 3.01 | |
Republican | Jesse (Jay) Alaniz | 461 | 1.76 | |
Libertarian | Tony Valdivia | 266 | 1.01 | |
Total votes | 26,207 | 100.0 |
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]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Royce West (incumbent) | 50,226 | 100.0 | |
Total votes | 50,226 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Royce West (incumbent) | 192,148 | 100.0 | |
Total votes | 192,148 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic hold |
District 25[edit]
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 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Steven Kling | 23,017 | 51.1 | |
Democratic | Jack Guerra | 22,064 | 48.9 | |
Total votes | 45,081 | 100.0 |
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]
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 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Kevin Lopez | 15,760 | 100.0 | |
Total votes | 15,760 | 100.0 |
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]
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 |
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
- Texas gubernatorial election, 2018
- 2018 Texas House of Representatives election
- Texas elections, 2018
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Election Results". Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
- ^ a b Svitek, Patrick (September 20, 2018). "How Texas Democrats lost a state Senate seat amid talk of a blue wave". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ a b "Race Summary Report - 2018 General Election". Office of the Secretary of State. Archived from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
- ^ "Texas State Senate elections, 2018". Ballotpedia. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
- ^ "2018 Special Election, Senate District 19". Texas Secretary of State. Archived from the original on August 7, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
- ^ "Texas State Senate elections, 2018". Ballotpedia. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
- ^ Svitek, Patrick (August 23, 2017). "GOP state Sen. Van Taylor of Plano makes congressional run official". Texas Tribune. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ Svitek, Patrick (March 5, 2018). "End is near in bruising, expensive Huffines-Paxton battle". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ Connelly, Christopher (February 12, 2018). "Paxton, Huffines Spend Millions In GOP Bid For Texas' Only Open State Senate Seat". KERA News. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ Wigglesworth, Valerie (March 7, 2018). "Paxton beats Huffines in bitter Republican primary race for Texas Senate District 8". Dallas News. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ Ford, Holley (November 5, 2018). "Republican Angela Paxton Wins Over Democrat Mark Phariss for Texas District 8 Senate Seat". NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ "Former state Sen. Carlos Uresti gets 12 years in prison in federal corruption case". Mysa. June 26, 2018.
- ^ Svitek, Patrick (July 31, 2018). "Republican Pete Flores, Democrat Pete Gallego set for runoff for Uresti seat". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ https://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist330_state.htm
- ^ https://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist332_state.htm