Texas State Senate elections, 2012
 Texas's 2012 elections: • U.S. Senate • U.S. House • Other executive offices • State Senate • State House |
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← 2010
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 State Legislative Elections |
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The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was March 9, 2012.[2]
All 31 Senate seats will be up for election in 2012. Texas Senators serve four year terms. One-half of the Senate membership is elected every two years in even-numbered years, with the exception that all 31 Senate seats are up for election for the first legislature following the decennial census in order to reflect the newly redrawn districts. After the initial election, the Senate is divided by lot into two classes, with one class having a re-election after two years and the other having a re-election after four years.[3]
* Redistricting note: Due to legal turmoil in the redistricting process, filing deadlines have changed twice and primary have changed once. The original filing deadline was December 12th, which was then moved to December 15th. The deadline was further changed to the current December 19 date. However, the filing period will be re-opened once a final map is chosen. [4]The original primary date was March 6, 2012 and the original primary runoff date was set for May 22, 2012.
Majority control
- See also: Partisan composition of state senates
Heading into the November 6 election, the Republican Party holds the majority in the Texas State Senate:
| Texas State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2012 | After the 2012 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 12 | 12 | |
| Republican Party | 19 | 19 | |
| Total | 31 | 31 | |
The following map displays party control of districts throughout the Texas State Senate before the 2012 election:
Incumbents retiring
A total of 4 incumbents are not running for re-election in 2012. Those incumbents are:
| Name: | Party: | Current office: |
|---|---|---|
| Chris Harris |  Republican
| Texas State Senate, District 9 |
| Florence Shapiro | Republican
| Texas State Senate, District 8 |
| Mike Jackson | Republican
| Texas State Senate, District 11 |
| Steve Ogden | Republican
| Texas State Senate, District 5 |
Campaign contributions
This chart shows how many candidates ran for state senate in Texas in past years and the cumulative amount of dollars raised in state senate races, including contributions in both primary and general election contests. All figures come from Follow The Money.[1]
| Year | Number of candidates | Total contributions |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 41 | $11,219,972 |
| 2008 | 37 | $17,705,611 |
| 2006 | 46 | $20,836,417 |
| 2004 | 30 | $10,539,364 |
| 2002 | 75 | $23,504,855 |
In 2010, the candidates for state senate raised a total of $11,219,972 in campaign contributions. The top 10 donors were: [2]
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Perry, Bob J | $544,500 |
| Border Health | $486,750 |
| Texas Association of Realtors | $426,548 |
| Bius, Ben | $273,790 |
| Texas Medical Association | $255,741 |
| Time Warner | $251,075 |
| Texans for Lawsuit Reform | $218,466 |
| Independent Insurance Agents of Texas | $207,232 |
| AT&T | $205,850 |
| Associated General Contractors of Texas | $180,408 |
Qualifications
To be eligible to serve in the Texas State Senate, a candidate must be:[3]
- 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
Vacancies
| How Vacancies are filled in State Legislatures |
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If there is a vacancy in the Senate, the Governor must call a special election to fill the vacant seat[4]. A Governor's proclamation to a special election must be delivered to local elections authorities representing the vacant seat no later than 36 days before the scheduled election[5].
The Secretary of State can declare a candidate duly elected in a special election if there is no opposition[6].
List of candidates
District 1
May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
May 29 GOP primary candidates:
- Kevin Eltife - Incumbent Eltife was first elected to office in 2004
November 6 General election candidates:
District 2
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- No candidates filed.
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
- Bob Deuell - Incumbent Deuell was first elected to office in 2002
November 6 General election candidates:
District 3
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- No candidates filed.
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
- Tammy Blair
- Robert Nichols - Incumbent Nichols was first elected to office in 2006
November 6 General election candidates:
District 4
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- No candidates filed.
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
- Michael Galloway
- Tommy Williams - Incumbent Williams was first elected to office in 2002.
May 29 Libertarian primary candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
District 5
Note: Incumbent Steve Ogden (R) is not running for re-election.
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- No candidates filed.
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
- Ben Bius
- Charles Schwertner - Schwertner is currently the District 20 incumbent in the State House.
- May 29 Libertarian primary candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
District 6
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- Mario V. Gallegos, Jr. - Incumbent Gallegos was first elected to office in 1994.
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
- May 29 Libertarian primary candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
District 7
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
- Dan Patrick - Incumbent Patrick was first elected to office in 2006.
November 6 General election candidates:
District 8
Note: Incumbent Florence Shapiro (R) is not running for re-election.
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
- Ken Paxton Paxton is currently the District 70 incumbent in the State House.
- May 29 Libertarian primary candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
District 9
Note: Incumbent Chris Harris (R) is not running for re-election.
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
- Kelly Hancock Hancock is currently the District 91 incumbent in the State House.
- Todd Smith
- May 29 Libertarian primary candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
District 10
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- Wendy R. Davis - Incumbent Davis was first elected in 2008.
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
- Derek Cooper
- Mark Shelton Shelton is currently the District 97 incumbent in the State House.
November 6 General election candidates:
District 11
Note: Incumbent Mike Jackson (R) is not running for re-election.
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
- Daniel McCool
- Dave Norman
- Larry Taylor Taylor is currently the District 22 incumbent in the State House.
November 6 General election candidates:
District 12
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- No candidates filed.
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
- Jane Nelson - Incumbent Nelson was first elected to office in 1992.
- May 29 Libertarian primary candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
District 13
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- Rodney Ellis - Incumbent Ellis was first elected to office in 1990.
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
- No candidates filed.
November 6 General election candidates:
District 14
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- Kirk Watson - Incumbent Watson was first elected to office in 2006.
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
- May 29 Libertarian primary candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
District 15
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- John Whitmire - Incumbent Whitmire was first elected to office in 1982.
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
District 16
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- No candidates filed.
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
- John Carona - Incumbent Carona was first elected to office in 1996.
- May 29 Libertarian primary candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
District 17
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- No candidates filed.
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
- Joan Huffman - Incumbent Huffman was first elected to office in 2008.
- May 29 Libertarian primary candidates:
May 29 Green Party primary candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
District 18
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- No candidates filed.
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
- Glenn Hegar - Incumbent Hegar was first elected to office in 2006.
November 6 General election candidates:
District 19
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- Carlos Uresti - Incumbent Uresti was first elected to office in 2006.
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
District 20
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- Juan Hinojosa - Incumbent Hinojosa was first elected to office in 2002.
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
District 21
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- Judith Zaffirini - Incumbent Zaffirini was first elected to office in 1986.
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
- May 29 Libertarian primary candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
District 22
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
- Brian Birdwell - Incumbent Birdwell was first elected to office in 2010.
- May 29 Libertarian primary candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
District 23
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- Royce West - Incumbent West was first elected to office in 1992.
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
District 24
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- No candidates filed.
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
- Troy Fraser - Incumbent Fraser was first elected to office in 1996.
November 6 General election candidates:
District 25
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
- Donna Campbell
- Elizabeth Ames Jones Ames is the current chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission
- Jeff Wentworth - Incumbent Wentworth was first elected to office in 1992.
- May 29 Libertarian primary candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
District 26
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- Leticia Van de Putte - Incumbent Van de Putte was first elected to office in 1998.
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
- No candidates filed.
- May 29 Libertarian primary candidates:
- May 29 Green Party primary candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
District 27
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- Eddie Lucio, Jr. - Incumbent Lucio was first elected to office 1990.
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
- No candidates filed for election in this district.
November 6 General election candidates:
District 28
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- No candidates filed.
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
- Robert Duncan - Incumbent Duncan was fist elected to office in 1996.
- E.M. Garza
- May 29 Libertarian primary candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
District 29
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- Jose R. Rodriguez - Incumbent Rodriguez was first elected to office in 2010.
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
District 30
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- No candidates filed.
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
- Craig Estes - Incumbent Estes was first elected to office in 2000.
- Jim Herblin
- May 29 Libertarian primary candidates:
November 6 General election candidates:
District 31
- May 29 Democratic primary candidates:
- No candidates filed.
- May 29 GOP primary candidates:
- Randy Rives
- Kel Seliger - Incumbent Seliger was first elected to office in 2004.
November 6 General election candidates:
See also
External links
- Texas GOP - 2012 Republican primary candidates
- Texas Democratic Party - 2012 Democratic primary candidates
- Texas Libertarian Party - 2012 Libertarian primary candidates
- Texas Green Party - 2012 Green Party primary candidates
- Texas Secretary of State - 2012 Independent primary candidates
References
- ↑ Follow the Money, Texas
- ↑ Follow the Money: "Texas Senate 2010 Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ Qualifications for running for Texas Senate
- ↑ Texas Legislature "Texas Election Code"(Referenced Statute 3.003 (3))
- ↑ Texas Legislature "Texas Election Code"(Referenced Statute 3.003 (3)(b)-(c))
- ↑ Texas Legislature "Texas Election Code"(Referenced Statute 2.055 (3)(b)-(c))
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