Democratic Party primaries in Texas, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 9
- Early voting: Oct. 22 - Nov. 2
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 7
- Online registration: No
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: Photo ID required
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Democratic Party primary elections were held in Texas on March 6, 2018, in order to select the party's candidates for Texas' 2018 elections. These primaries included elections for the U.S. Senate, all 36 of the state's seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, Texas Governor and Texas Lieutenant Governor, and Texas Attorney General.
Eleven of the congressional elections went to runoffs since no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote, including the races in the 7th, 21st, and 23rd districts. All three of those districts are held by Republicans, and the only incumbent not running for re-election was Rep. Lamar Smith in District 21. The runoff was held on May 22, 2018.
Two of the Democratic candidates Ballotpedia tracked did win the primaries outright: El Paso County judge Veronica Escobar in the 16th District and state Sen. Sylvia Garcia in the 29th. Media outlets framed the victories of Garcia and Escobar as what could result in the state sending its first Latina to Congress. The Texas Tribune said of the two primary winners, “The state of Texas is all but certain to break a major glass ceiling and send at least one, and likely two, Hispanic women to Congress next year.”[1]
Beto O'Rourke won the Democratic nomination in the primary election for the U.S. Senate, defeating four other candidates. He hoped to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz (R) on November 6, 2018. Leading up to the 2018 election, the last time a Democrat had held this U.S. Senate seat was 1993.[2]
Two top vote-getters in the Democratic primary for governor of Texas advanced to a runoff election: Lupe Valdez and Andrew White. They defeated eight other candidates. Valdez, the winner of the runoff, challenged Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and could have broken the state government trifecta that first began in 2003. The last time a Democrat held the governor's office was 1995.[3]
Battleground primaries
Battleground elections are those that Ballotpedia expected would either be more competitive than other races or attract significant national attention.
- Texas' 7th Congressional District election (March 6, 2018 Democratic primary)
- Texas' 7th Congressional District election (May 22, 2018 Democratic primary runoff)
- Texas' 21st Congressional District election (March 6, 2018 Democratic primary)
- Texas' 23rd Congressional District election (March 6, 2018 Democratic primary)
- Texas' 29th Congressional District election (March 6, 2018 Democratic primary)
- Texas congressional Democratic Party primary runoffs, 2018
Federal elections
On March 6, 2018, primary elections took place in Texas for one U.S. Senate seat and for 36 seats in the U.S. House.
U.S. Senate

U.S. House
District 1

District 2

District 3

District 4

District 5

- Dan Wood ✔
District 6

District 7

- Joshua Butler
- James Cargas
- Lizzie Pannill Fletcher ✔
- Laura Moser ✔
- Ivan Sanchez
- Alex Triantaphyllis
- Jason Westin
District 8

District 9

- Al Green (Incumbent) ✔
District 10


District 11

District 12

District 13

District 14

District 15

- Vicente Gonzalez Jr. (Incumbent) ✔
District 16

District 17

District 18

- Sheila Jackson Lee (Incumbent) ✔
- Richard Johnson
District 19


District 20

- Joaquin Castro (Incumbent) ✔
District 21


District 22

District 23

District 24


District 25

District 26

District 27

District 28

- Henry Cuellar (Incumbent) ✔
District 29

District 30

District 31

District 32

- Colin Allred ✔
- Ronald William Marshall
- Todd Maternowski
- Edward Meier
- George Rodriguez
- Lillian Salerno ✔
- Brett Shipp
District 33

- Marc Veasey (Incumbent) ✔
- Carlos Quintanilla
District 34

- Filemon Vela (Incumbent) ✔
District 35

- Lloyd Doggett (Incumbent) ✔
District 36


State elections
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 |
Gubernatorial election
Democratic primary candidates
- James Clark
- Cedric Davis
- Joe Mumbach
- Adrian Ocegueda
- Jeffrey Payne
- Lupe Valdez ✔
- Thomas Wakely
- Andrew White ✔
- Grady Yarbrough
Election results
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Texas
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Lupe Valdez | 42.9 | 435,484 |
✔ | ![]() | Andrew White | 27.4 | 278,333 |
![]() | Cedric Davis | 8.3 | 83,817 | |
![]() | Grady Yarbrough | 5.4 | 54,372 | |
Jeffrey Payne | 4.8 | 48,269 | ||
![]() | Adrian Ocegueda | 4.4 | 44,681 | |
![]() | Thomas Wakely | 3.4 | 34,737 | |
James Clark | 2.2 | 21,871 | ||
Joe Mumbach | 1.4 | 13,878 |
Total votes: 1,015,442 | ||||
![]() | ||||
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Lieutenant gubernatorial election
Democratic primary candidates
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Election results
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Texas
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Mike Collier ![]() | 52.4 | 500,568 | |
Michael Cooper | 47.6 | 455,222 |
Total votes: 955,790 | ||||
![]() | ||||
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. | ||||
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Attorney general election
Democratic primary candidates
Early voting in Texas primaries, 2018
Click here to learn about historic early voting turnout for both parties in Texas in 2014 and 2018.
State party overview
- See also: Democratic Party of Texas
State party leadership
Entering the 2018 election, the chair of the Democratic Party of Texas is Gilberto Hinojosa. He was elected to the position by delegates at the party's convention in June 2012.
State political party revenue
State political parties typically deposit revenue in separate state and federal accounts in order to comply with state and federal campaign finance laws. The following table displays the Democratic Party of Texas' revenue over a six-year period from 2011 to 2016. Revenue totals are broken down by account type and year. The data was compiled through publicly available state and federal campaign finance reports.
Democratic Party of Texas revenue, 2011 to 2016[7] | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Federal account | State account(s) | Total |
2011 | $701,112.76 | $386,877.68 | $1,087,990.44 |
2012 | $1,752,672.10 | $841,278.33 | $2,593,950.43 |
2013 | $1,270,718.14 | $223,559.98 | $1,494,278.12 |
2014 | $3,641,619.19 | $1,783,496.46 | $5,425,115.65 |
2015 | $1,042,415.92 | $177,443.19 | $1,219,859.11 |
2016 | $5,811,137.09 | $608,549.81 | $6,419,686.90 |
Texas compared to other states
The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following maps display total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic and Republican state party affiliates from 2011 to 2016. The blue map displays Democratic state parties and the red map displays Republican state parties. Click on a state below to view the state party's revenue per capita totals:
Total Democratic and Republican state political party revenue per capita in the United States, 2011-2016
Primary election scheduling
Texas was the only state to hold a primary election on March 6, 2018.
Voter information
How the primary works
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)[8]
“ | 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.'[9] | ” |
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
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.[10]
Registration requirements
- 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.[11]
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.[12]
Automatic registration
Texas does not practice automatic voter registration.[13]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Texas does not permit online voter registration.[13]
Same-day registration
Texas does not allow same-day voter registration.[13]
Residency requirements
Prospective voters must reside in the county in which they are registering to vote.[14]
Verification of citizenship
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.[9] |
” |
—Section 18.068, Texas Election Code[15] |
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.[16] The review was halted by a federal judge in February 2019, and Secretary of State David Whitley rescinded the advisory in April.[17][18] 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.”[19]
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.[20] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. 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
The Texas Secretary of State’s office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.
Early voting
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.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
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.[21]
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.[22]
State overview
Partisan control
This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Texas heading into the 2018 elections.
Congressional delegation
- Republicans held both U.S. Senate seats in Texas.
- Republicans held 25 of 36 U.S. House seats in Texas, and Democrats held 11.
State executives
- As of May 2018, Republicans held six of 11 state executive positions and five positions were held by nonpartisan officials.
- The governor of Texas was Republican Greg Abbott.
State legislature
- Republicans controlled both chambers of the Texas State Legislature. They had a 93-55 majority in the state House and a 21-10 majority in the state Senate.
Trifecta status
- Texas was a Republican trifecta, meaning that the Republican Party held the governorship, a majority in the state Senate, and a majority in the state House.
2018 elections
- See also: Texas elections, 2018
Texas held elections for the following positions in 2018:
- The Class 1 U.S. Senate seat held by Ted Cruz (R)
- All 36 U.S. House seats
- Governor
- Five lower state executive positions
- 15 of 31 state Senate seats
- All 150 state House seats
- Local judicial offices
- Local school boards
- Municipal elections in Arlington, Austin, Bexar County, Collin County, Corpus Christi, Dallas County, Denton County, El Paso County, Fort Bend County, Garland, Harris County, Irving, Laredo, Lubbock, Lubbock County, Nueces County, Tarrant County, Travis County, Webb County, and Williamson County
Demographics
Demographic data for Texas | ||
---|---|---|
Texas | U.S. | |
Total population: | 27,429,639 | 316,515,021 |
Land area (sq mi): | 261,232 | 3,531,905 |
Race and ethnicity** | ||
White: | 74.9% | 73.6% |
Black/African American: | 11.9% | 12.6% |
Asian: | 4.2% | 5.1% |
Native American: | 0.5% | 0.8% |
Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
Two or more: | 2.5% | 3% |
Hispanic/Latino: | 38.4% | 17.1% |
Education | ||
High school graduation rate: | 81.9% | 86.7% |
College graduation rate: | 27.6% | 29.8% |
Income | ||
Median household income: | $53,207 | $53,889 |
Persons below poverty level: | 19.9% | 11.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Texas. **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. |
As of July 2016, Texas had a population of approximately 27,862,596 people, and its three largest cities were Houston (pop. est. 2.3 million), San Antonio (pop. est. 1.5 million), and Dallas (pop. est. 1.3 million).[23][24]
State election history
This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Texas from 2000 to 2016.
Historical elections
Presidential elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Texas every year from 2000 to 2016.
Election results (President of the United States), Texas 2000-2016[25][26] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
2016 | ![]() |
52.23% | ![]() |
43.24% | 8.99% |
2012 | ![]() |
57.17% | ![]() |
41.38% | 15.79% |
2008 | ![]() |
55.45% | ![]() |
43.68% | 11.77% |
2004 | ![]() |
61.09% | ![]() |
38.22% | 22.87% |
2000 | ![]() |
59.30% | ![]() |
37.98% | 21.32% |
U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Texas from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.
Election results (U.S. Senator), Texas 2000-2016[27] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
2014[28] | ![]() |
61.56% | ![]() |
34.36% | 27.20% |
2012[29] | ![]() |
56.46% | ![]() |
40.62% | 15.84% |
2008[30] | ![]() |
54.82% | ![]() |
42.84% | 11.98% |
2006[31] | ![]() |
61.69% | ![]() |
36.04% | 25.65% |
2002[32] | ![]() |
55.30% | ![]() |
43.33% | 11.97% |
2000[33] | ![]() |
65.04% | ![]() |
32.35% | 32.69% |
Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2014
This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2014. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Texas.
Election results (Governor), Texas 2000-2016[34] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
2014 | ![]() |
59.27% | ![]() |
38.90% | 20.37% |
2010 | ![]() |
54.97% | ![]() |
42.30% | 12.67% |
2006 | ![]() |
39.03% | ![]() |
29.79% | 9.24% |
2002 | ![]() |
57.81% | ![]() |
39.96% | 17.85% |
Congressional delegation, 2000-2016
This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Texas in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.
Trifectas, 1992-2017
A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.
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 |
See also
Federal primaries in Texas | State primaries in Texas | Texas state party apparatus | Texas voter information |
---|---|---|---|
Footnotes
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "Texas poised to send its first two Latinas to Congress," March 6, 2018
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Candidates for Senate," accessed February 7, 2018
- ↑ Texas State Library and Archives Commission, "Governors of Texas, 1846-Present," accessed December 18, 2017
- ↑ The Dallas Morning News, "Ted Cruz raises $2M, with challenger Beto O’Rourke close behind at $1.7M," October 11, 2017
- ↑ The New York Times, "Why Texas Democrats Are Betting on Beto O’Rourke," May 19, 2017
- ↑ The Dallas Morning News, "Well-funded anti-Citizens United group backs O'Rourke in Senate challenge against Cruz," June 26, 2017
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Candidate and Committee Viewer," accessed May 2016 (Search terms Republican Party of Texas and Texas Democratic Party)
- ↑ Texas Statutes, "Section 172.086," accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 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
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 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."
- ↑ VoteTexas.gov, "FAQ," accessed December 16, 2013
- ↑ VoteTexas.gov, "Early Voting," accessed December 16, 2013
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "QuickFacts Texas," accessed December 12, 2017
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "QuickFacts Houston; San Antonio; Dallas," accessed December 13, 2017
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2012 Election Results for the U.S. President, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives," accessed December 13, 2017
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Official 2016 Presidential General Election Results," January 30, 2017
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Federal Elections 2014: Election Results for the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives," accessed December 13, 2017
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2014 Official Election Results for United States Senate," accessed December 13, 2017
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2012 Official Election Results for United States Senate," accessed December 13, 2017
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2008 Official Election Results for United States Senate," accessed December 13, 2017
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2006 Official Election Results for United States Senate," accessed December 13, 2017
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2002 Official Election Results for United States Senate," accessed December 13, 2017
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2000 Official Election Results for United States Senate," accessed December 13, 2017
- ↑ Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections, "Texas Election Results," accessed December 13, 2017