Republican Party primaries in Texas, 2018

Republican Party primaries, 2018

Primary Date

March 6, 2018

Federal elections

Republican primary for U.S. Senate

Republican primaries for U.S. House

State elections

Republican primaries for Texas legislature

Republican primary for governor

Republican primary for lieutenant governor

Republican primary for attorney general

State party

Republican Party of Texas

State political party revenue

Voting on March 6? Polls are open from 7:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST.

He’s not on any Texas primary ballot this year, but President Donald Trump was a factor in every one of them, Republican and Democrat alike. But the President wasn't the only political figure, or story, dominating the Texas headlines this election season.

For Texas Republicans, the 2018 primaries were a test of competing visions, agendas, and personalities. The primaries here took on added significance because the GOP held the majority of the state’s elected offices.

Some of the state’s biggest political personalities made their presences felt. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who had a primary race of his own this year, backed candidates for Congress and the state house. Gov. Greg Abbott took made a number of state house and congressional endorsements, as did his predecessor, former governor, and current U.S. Energy Secretary, Rick Perry.

Outside organizations played a major role in the primaries through endorsements, ads, and financial support. The major players included Empower Texans, the Texas Association of Business, and the Texas Association of Realtors.

While their agendas might have differed, their aims were the same: To help their chosen candidates – and themselves – win on March 6.

Six congressional primaries demonstrated the GOP’s new dynamics, and the challenges it faces in the mid-terms.

These six races were in open congressional seats previously held by a Republican incumbent. Open seats typically draw a large number of candidates, and this year is no exception. Open seat races also attract something else: Controversy.

Particularly contentious primary fights took place in the 2nd, 5th, and 21st congressional districts, where multiple, high-profile candidates ran.

Sen. Ted Cruz endorsed candidates in all three of these races, as well as in the 3rd Congressional District. While that seat was also open, the primary was not expected to be competitive.

In the 2nd and 5th Districts, the top contenders were both women whom Cruz had endorsed. Currently, Kay Granger is the sole woman among Texas' 25 Republican U.S. House members.

The 6th and 27th congressional districts, are open seats this year because the incumbents, Reps. Joe Barton (R) and Blake Farenthold (R) faced sexual misconduct allegations, and chose not to run again.

See the U.S. House Republican primaries we are watching below.

The political drama extended down ballot to the Republican state legislative primaries.

In a number of those contests, allies of outgoing House Speaker Joe Straus (R) battled anti-Straus Republicans. At stake was which faction will have the influence necessary to elect Straus’ successor as speaker in 2019.

Elsewhere, the race for Texas Agriculture Commissioner between incumbent Sid Miller (R) and challenger Trey Blocker generated headlines, too, with both candidates having more than $400,000 in their war chests at the end of 2017.

Republicans currently hold 25 of the state's 36 congressional districts. In the legislature, they have a 20-11 majority in the Texas State Senate, and a 95-56 majority in the Texas House of Representatives. Republicans also hold all of the elected state executive offices.

This statewide Republican dominance makes Texas both a state government trifecta, and a state government triplex, meaning Republicans hold both state legislature chambers, and the offices of governor, attorney general, and secretary of state.

Ballotpedia’s coverage of the 2018 primary season includes Republican primaries for U.S. Senate, governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and state legislative seats. Click here to learn more about those races.

The Texas Republican Party's 2018 convention will be held June 14 -16.

This page focuses on the Republican primary elections that took place in Texas on March 6, 2018. In addition, the page provides context for understanding the state party apparatus.

The filing deadline for candidates these primaries was December 11, 2017.

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Federal elections

U.S. Senate

See also: United States Senate election in Texas (March 6, 2018 Republican primary)

Republicans

• Ted Cruz - Incumbent
• Stefano de Stefano
• Bruce Jacobson Jr.
• Mary Miller
• Geraldine Sam

Withdrew

• Dan McQueen

U.S. House

See also: United States House elections in Texas (March 6, 2018 Republican primaries)

Candidate ballot access
Find detailed information on ballot access requirements in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

District 1

Republicans

• Louie Gohmert - Incumbent
• Anthony Culler
• Roshin Rowjee

District 2

Republicans

• David Balat
• Daniel Crenshaw
• Jonny Havens
• Justin Lurie
• Kevin Roberts - State Rep.
• Jon Spiers
• Rick Walker
• Kathaleen Wall
• Malcolm Whittaker

Did not make ballot

• Michael Palmer

District 3

Republicans

• Alex Donkervoet
• David Niederkorn
• Van Taylor - State Sen.

Withdrew

• Cyrus Sajna

District 4

Republicans

• John Ratcliffe - Incumbent
• John Cooper

Withdrew

• Sheldon Daniels

District 5

Republicans

• Danny Campbell
• Sam Deen
• Lance Gooden - State Rep.
• Charles Lingerfelt
• Bunni Pounds
• Kenneth Sheets - Former state Rep.
• David Williams
• Jason Wright

Withdrew

• Earl Brunner

District 6

Republicans

• Ken Cope
• Shawn Dandridge
• Thomas Dillingham
• Shannon Dubberly
• Jake Ellzey
• Deborah Gagliardi
• Kevin Harrison
• Mel Hassell
• Mark Mitchell
• Troy Ratterree
• Ronald Wright - Tarrant County tax assessor

Disqualified

• Adrian Mizher
• Craig Walker

District 7

Republicans

• John Culberson - Incumbent
• Edward Ziegler

District 8

Republicans

• Kevin Brady - Incumbent

Withdrew

• James Cantu
• Sean Ricker

District 9

Republicans

• No Republican candidates have formally declared yet.

Withdrew

• William Hayward

District 10

Republicans

• Michael McCaul - Incumbent
• John Cook

District 11

Republicans

• Mike Conaway - Incumbent
• Paul Myers

District 12

Republicans

• Kay Granger - Incumbent

District 13

Republicans

• Mac Thornberry - Incumbent

District 14

Republicans

• Randy Weber - Incumbent
• Keith Casey
• Bill Sargent

District 15

Republicans

• Tim Westley

Withdrew

• Dale Brueggemann

District 16

Republicans

• Alia Garcia-Ureste
• Rick Seeberger

District 17

Republicans

• Bill Flores - Incumbent

District 18

Republicans

• Ava Pate

District 19

Republicans

• Jodey Arrington - Incumbent

District 20

Republicans

• No Republican candidates filed.

District 21

Republicans

• Ivan Andarza
• Eric Burkhart
• Francisco Canseco - Former U.S. Rep.
• Mauro Garza
• Foster Hagen
• Jason Isaac - State Rep.
• Ryan Krause
• Matt McCall
• Susan Narvaiz
• William Negley
• Al Poteet
• Autry Pruitt
• Chip Roy - Former chief of staff to Sen. Ted Cruz
• Jenifer Sarver
• Robert Stovall - Bexar County Republican Party Chairman
• Samuel Temple
• Peggy Wardlaw
• Anthony White

Not running

• Lamar Smith - Incumbent

District 22

Republicans

• Pete Olson - Incumbent
• James Green
• Danny Nguyen
• Eric Zmrhal

Withdrew

• Harry Bowers

District 23

Republicans

• Will Hurd - Incumbent
• Alma Arredondo-Lynch

District 24

Republicans

• Kenny Marchant - Incumbent
• Johnathan Davidson

District 25

Republicans

• Roger Williams - Incumbent

District 26

Republicans

• Michael Burgess - Incumbent
• Veronica Birkenstock

District 27

Republicans

• Bech Bruun - Former Texas Water Development Board Chair
• Michael Cloud - State Republican executive committee member
• Eddie Gassman
• John Grunwald
• Jerry Hall
• Chris Mapp

Withdrew

• Blake Farenthold - Incumbent

District 28

Republicans

• No Republican candidates filed.

District 29

Republicans

• Phillip Aronoff
• Jaimy Blanco
• Carmen Maria Montiel
• Robert Schafranek

District 30

Republicans

• No Republican candidates filed.

District 31

Republicans

• John Carter - Incumbent
• Mike Sweeney

District 32

Republicans

• Pete Sessions - Incumbent
• Paul Brown

District 33

Republicans

• Willie Billups

Withdrew

• Kurt Schwab

District 34

Republicans

• Rey Gonzalez

District 35

Republicans

• SK Alexander
• David Smalling

District 36

Republicans

• Brian Babin - Incumbent

State elections

Texas Party Control: 1992-2017
Three years of Democratic trifectas  •  15 years of Republican trifectas

	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
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
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
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

Gubernatorial election

See also: Texas gubernatorial election, 2018 (March 6 Republican primary)

Note: The following list of potential and declared candidates is not official. It will be updated after the candidate filing deadline has passed and the official list of candidates becomes available. If you notice a candidate who has declared for this office missing from the list or a candidate who has withdrawn still present on it, please let us know. Incumbents are assumed to be running for re-election until they say otherwise.

Declared

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See also: Texas gubernatorial election, 2018 (March 6 Republican primary)

Republicans

• See also: Texas gubernatorial election, 2018 (March 6 Republican primary)

• Greg Abbott - Incumbent
• Larry SECEDE Kilgore
• Barbara Krueger

Declined to run

• State Rep. Joe Straus

Lieutenant gubernatorial election

See also: Texas lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (March 6 Republican primary)

Note: The following list of potential and declared candidates is not official. It will be updated after the candidate filing deadline has passed and the official list of candidates becomes available. If you notice a candidate who has declared for this office missing from the list or a candidate who has withdrawn still present on it, please let us know. Incumbents are assumed to be running for re-election until they say otherwise.

Declared

Republicans

• Dan Patrick - Incumbent
• Scott Milder

Attorney general election

See also: Texas Attorney General election, 2018 (March 6 Republican primary)

Note: The following list of potential and declared candidates is not official. It will be updated after the candidate filing deadline has passed and the official list of candidates becomes available. If you notice a candidate who has declared for this office missing from the list or a candidate who has withdrawn still present on it, please let us know. Incumbents are assumed to be running for re-election until they say otherwise.

Declared

Republicans

• Ken Paxton - Incumbent

Agriculture commissioner election

See also: Texas Agriculture Commissioner election, 2018 (March 6 Republican primary)

Republicans

• Sid Miller - Incumbent
• Trey Blocker
• Jim Hogan

State legislative elections

The 2018 primaries feature factional conflict among Texas Republicans. Generally, the conflict is between Republicans allied with outgoing House Speaker Joe Straus (R) and those opposed to him. Pro-Straus Republicans include a number of state House incumbents facing primary challenges in 2018 and organizations like the Texas Association of Business and the Associated Republicans of Texas. Anti-Straus Republicans include members of the Texas Freedom Caucus, many of the primary challengers facing incumbents, and organizations like Empower Texans and Texas Right to Life.

Visit our page on factional conflict to see how the different wings of the party define themselves, which issues divide them, and how political observers characterize their differences.

Early voting in Texas primaries, 2018

The chart below shows early voting turnout for both parties from the 14 Texas counties for which data was publicly available in 2014 and 2018. Both election years included the same seats and did not coincide with a presidential election.

There are 11 days of early voting in Texas, starting on the Tuesday two weeks before Election Day and running until the Friday before Election Day. In 2018, the final day of early voting was March 2, 2018.

There were 13,601,324 registered voters at the time of the March 2014 primaries, meaning the counties used in this analysis contained 62.4 percent of all registered voters in 2014.

Voter registration				Democratic turnout				Republican turnout
County	2014	2018	% change	2014	2018	% change		2014	2018	% change
Bexar	915,839	1,062,051	16.0%	27,544	49,532	79.8%		40,549	39,533	-2.5%
Cameron	181,802	201,020	10.6%	10,626	10,155	-4.4%		2,110	2,138	1.3%
Collin	466,533	551,400	18.2%	5,331	19,895	273.2%		27,669	40,621	46.8%
Dallas	1,170,598	1,284,089	9.7%	34,815	69,844	100.6%		43,745	40,487	-7.4%
Denton	388,608	475,203	22.3%	4,079	15,033	268.5%		23,210	27,986	20.6%
El Paso	390,949	439,943	12.5%	17,382	29,394	69.1%		5,238	5,779	10.3%
Fort Bend	349,550	414,668	18.6%	4,529	16,542	265.2%		16,293	20,134	23.6%
Galveston	185,850	207,821	11.8%	2,892	5,848	102.2%		11,953	15,744	31.7%
Harris	2,006,270	2,257,546	12.5%	30,108	87,916	192.0%		75,400	81,537	8.1%
Hidalgo	307,426	349,202	13.6%	33,688	34,778	3.2%		3,923	4,259	8.6%
Montgomery	270,019	320,083	18.5%	1427	5,090	256.7%		25,078	27,902	11.3%
Tarrant	969,434	1,095,458	13.0%	22,621	38,731	71.2%		52,719	55,711	5.7%
Travis	627,040	736,112	17.4%	23,088	61,772	167.6%		17,149	21,483	25.3%
Williamson	259,878	315,917	21.6%	4,044	14,894	268.3%		13,728	20,826	51.7%
Totals	8,489,796	9,710,513	+14.4%	222,174	459,424	+106.8%		358,764	404,140	+12.6%

State party overview

See also: Republican Party of Texas

The first convention of the Republican Party of Texas met on July 4, 1867. Following the Civil War, the party lost political strength due to local backlash to Reconstruction policies enforced by the administration of Ulysses Grant (R). Republicans did not regain influence in Texas until the second half of the 20th century. In 1960, Republican Senator John G. Tower became the first Republican to hold a statewide office since Reconstruction. The party gained seats in the Texas Legislature in 1972 and helped elect Republican Governor William P. Clements Jr. in 1978. The state became reliably Republican in presidential elections starting with the election of Ronald Reagan (R) in 1980 and voted for Republican presidential candidates in every election between 1980 and 2016. The party continued to achieve gains in local elections, the state legislature, the judiciary, and statewide offices. In 1996, Republicans won a majority of seats in the Texas Senate, an achievement not seen since Reconstruction. In 2002, Republicans won a majority of seats in the Texas House of Representatives for the first time in 130 years.

As of June 2017, Republicans held the governor's office and held majorities in both chambers of the Texas Legislature, making Texas a Republican state government trifecta. Republicans in Texas also occupied all statewide elected offices and held a majority of seats in the congressional delegation.

State party leadership

Entering the 2018 election, the chair of the Republican Party of Texas is James Dickey. He was elected to the position by delegates at the party's convention in June 2017.

State political party revenue

See also: State political party revenue and State political party revenue per capita

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:

Republican Party of Texas revenue, 2011 to 2016
Year	Federal account	State account(s)	Total
2011	$1,525,594.22	$692,059.80	$2,217,654.02
2012	$3,123,788.46	$2,901,244.35	$6,025,032.81
2013	$1,780,170.14	$847,960.61	$2,628,130.75
2014	$3,528,178.28	$3,265,012.13	$6,793,190.41
2015	$1,381,891.43	$841,232.59	$2,223,124.02
2016	$3,505,701.75	$1,753,242.23	$5,258,943.98

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

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 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):

“

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.'

”

Poll times

In Texas, all polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central Time. Texas is divided between Central and Mountain time zones.

Registration requirements

To vote in Texas, one must be a United States citizen, a resident of the county in which one registers, and at least 18 years of age.

Registration must be completed 28 days prior to the election. An applicant can obtain a voter registration application at a library, any government office, or online. The voter will then be mailed a voter registration certificate or card with his or her name, address, and precinct number.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Texas does not permit online voter registration.

Voter ID requirements

Texas requires voters to present a form of photo identification at the polls. If a voter does not possess the required form of identification, poll workers must ask the voter whether he or she "cannot obtain an acceptable form of photo ID." If the voter answers "yes" to this question, he or she can present a non-photo form of identification and complete a "Reasonable Impediment Declaration." Upon doing so, the voter may cast a regular ballot. For complete details, including a list of acceptable forms of photo and non-photo identification, see here.

Texas' voter ID law is the subject of ongoing litigation. For further information, click "[Show more]" below.

Show more

Before Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act was overturned on June 25, 2013, Texas' voter identification law, SB 14, required preclearance by the United States Department of Justice before taking effect. SB 14 required that every voter must present one of the following at his or her polling place: a Texas driver's license, a Texas Election Identification Certificate, a Texas personal identification card, a Texas concealed handgun license, a United States military identification card containing the person’s photograph, a United States citizenship certificate containing the person’s photograph, or a United States passport. Preclearance was denied on March 13, 2012, and a lawsuit was subsequently filed by the state. On August 30, 2012, a three-judge panel in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia unanimously struck down the voter ID law. The court ruled that the law would negatively impact minority voter turnout and impose strict burdens upon the poor.

The state filed a lawsuit against the ruling, and on December 17, 2012, a federal court deferred those proceedings until the United States Supreme Court ruled on the constitutionality of parts of the Voting Rights Act. The Supreme Court overturned portions of the Voting Rights Act in June 2013, allowing the state's voter ID law to take immediate effect, as the state was no longer required to obtain preclearance for changes to election laws. On August 22, 2013, the United States Department of Justice sued Texas over its voter ID law, using a different section of the 1965 Voting Rights Act to claim that the law would result in "denying or abridging the right to vote on account of race, color, or membership in a language minority group.” On October 9, 2014, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas struck down the law, ruling that it had been enacted "with an unconstitutional discriminatory purpose." An emergency application was filed with the United States Supreme Court, which ruled on October 20, 2014, that Texas could implement its voter ID law for the 2014 general election. This decision applied only to the 2014 general election.

On August 5, 2015, a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that Texas' voter identification law violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, affirming in part the October 2014 decision of the district court. However, the Fifth Circuit panel did not find sufficient evidence to prove discriminatory intent on the part of the state legislature in passing the law. The appeals court remandedWhen a court remands a case, it is returning the case to a lower court for reconsideration. the case to the district court, ordering it to "re-examine its conclusion that Texas acted with discriminatory purpose." The appeals court panel wrote the following in its ruling:

“	Accordingly, if on remand the district court finds that SB 14 has only violated Section 2 through its discriminatory effects, it should refer to the policies underlying SB 14 in fashioning a remedy. Clearly, the Legislature wished to reduce the risk of in-person voter fraud by strengthening the forms of identification presented for voting. Simply reverting to the system in place before SB 14's passage would not fully respect these policy choices.	”
—United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

On August 28, 2015, Texas filed a petition requesting review by the full Fifth Circuit. On March 9, 2016, the full Fifth Circuit court agreed to re-hear the case. State Attorney General Ken Paxton applauded the decision, saying, "Today's decision is a strong step forward in our efforts to defend the state's voter ID laws. Safeguarding the integrity of our elections is a primary function of state government and is essential to preserving our democratic process." In announcing its decision to hear the case, the court did not indicate when oral arguments would occur. Of the 15 judges on the Fifth Circuit, 10 were appointed by Republican presidents.

On April 29, 2016, the United States Supreme Court issued an unsigned order, declining to interfere with the state's photo ID requirement. However, recognizing "the time constraints the parties confront in light of the scheduled elections in November 2016," the court did suggest it would be willing to intervene if the appeals court failed to rule on the matter by July 20, 2016.

On July 20, 2016, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that Texas' voter identification law violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Nine of the court's 15 members joined in the majority opinion. The court determined that the state's voter identification law had a discriminatory effect on minority voters who sometimes lack the required forms of identification. The court stopped short of striking down the law as a whole. Instead, the court ordered that election officials must "ensure that any remedy enacted ameliorates [the law's] discriminatory effect, while respecting the [Texas State Legislature's] stated objective to safeguard the integrity of elections by requiring more secure forms of voter identification." The appeals court also stopped short of saying whether the requirement was enacted with discriminatory intent, remanding that question to the lower court for further consideration. Texas Democrats applauded the court's decision. State Representative Trey Martinez Fischer (D) said, "The court got it right, recognizing the stink of discrimination." Meanwhile, Republicans, who controlled the state legislature at the time the requirement was enacted, defended the law. Governor Greg Abbott (R) said, "Voter fraud is real, and it undermines the integrity of the election process. Texas will continue to make sure there is no illegal voting at the ballot box."

On August 3, 2016, state officials and opponents of the state's voter ID requirement reached an agreement on how best to remedy the law in light of the Fifth Circuit's ruling. Under this agreement, voters are permitted to use the following forms of identification at the polls, provided their names appear on voter registration rolls:

1. A form of identification specified in the original voter ID law (SB 14), including a Texas driver's license, a Texas identification certificate, a Texas personal identification card, a Texas concealed handgun license, a United States military identification card containing the person’s photograph, a United States citizenship certificate containing the person’s photograph, or a United States passport
2. A "valid voter registration certificate, a certified birth certificate, a current utility bill, a bank statement, a government check, a paycheck, or any other government document that displays the voter’s name and an address"

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) said that the state would appeal the decision. On September 6, 2016, the United States government filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas a motion to enforce the temporary remedy described above. The motion read, in part, as follows:

“

Despite the Remedial Order’s clarity, Texas’s voter education and poll worker training documents depart from it. Rather than educating voters and poll officials about opportunities tocast a regular ballot for those who 'do not possess SB 14 ID and cannot reasonably obtain it,' the State has recast that language to limit the opportunity to cast a regular ballot solely to those voters who present SB 14 ID or who 'have not obtained' and 'cannot obtain' SB 14 ID. That standard is incorrect and far harsher than the Court-ordered standard it would displace. By recasting the Court’s language, Texas has narrowed dramatically the scope of voters protected by the Court’s Order.

”

On September 19, 2016, federal Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos sided with federal government, finding that state officials had violated the terms of the interim remedy. Danielle Lang, an attorney representing opponents of Texas' voter ID law, summarized Ramos' order as follows: "Going forward, the state of Texas is required to change important documents that were, in the court’s words, ‘misleading,’ including language on VoteTexas.gov, in the secretary of state’s press release, and in the poster that will go at the polling place locations."

On September 23, 2016, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton petitioned the United States Supreme Court to restore Texas' voter ID law. Paxton said, "Safeguarding the integrity of our elections is essential to preserving our democracy. Voter ID laws both prevent fraud and increase the public’s confidence in our elections. Texas enacted a common-sense voter ID law and I am confident that the U.S. Supreme Court will ultimately reinstate it."

On February 27, 2017, the United States Department of Justice filed a motion in federal court seeking to dismiss the department's earlier claim that Texas' voter ID law had been enacted with racially discriminatory intent. The Justice Department did not seek to reverse its position that the law had a racially discriminatory impact. Opponents of Texas' voter ID criticized the move. Danielle Lang, an attorney for the Campaign Legal Center (one group that sued Texas over its voter ID law), said, "It's a complete 180. We can't make heads or tails of any factual reason for the change. There has been no evidence that's come to light." Lang characterized the development as an "extraordinary disappointment." Meanwhile, proponents of the state's voter ID law praised the Justice Department's decision. J. Christian Adams, president and general counsel of the Public Interest Legal Foundation (a self-described "public interest law firm dedicated entirely to election integrity"), said, "We are seeing early reminders of what a Justice Department looks like when it drops the ideological pet projects and follows the law." On April 3, 2017, The United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas granted the Justice Department's motion. However, the court indicated that it would still address the question of discriminatory intent in its ruling: "The Court intends to issue its new opinion on whether SB 14 was passed with discriminatory intent in violation of the Voting Rights Act at its earliest convenience and in due course."\

On April 10, 2017, Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas ruled that the state's voter ID law had been enacted with discriminatory intent. Ramos wrote the following in her ruling:

“	Upon reconsideration and a re-weighting of the evidence in conformity with the Fifth Circuit's opinion, the Court holds that the evidence found 'infirm' did not tip the scales. Plaintiffs' probative evidence–that which was left intact after the Fifth Circuit's review–establishes that a discriminatory purpose was at least one of the substantial or motivating factors behind passage of SB 14. Consequently, the burden shifted to the State to demonstrate that the law would have been enacted without its discriminatory purpose. ... The State has not met its burden. Therefore, this Court holds, again, that SB 14 was passed with a discriminatory purpose in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.	”
—Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos

According to The New York Times, "lawyers involved in the case said the ruling effectively strikes down the law, although the judge did not issue a separate order doing so." Marc Rylander, a spokesman for Texas attorney general Ken Paxton, said, "We're disappointed and will seek review of this ruling at the appropriate time."

On June 1, 2017, Governor Greg Abbott (R) signed SB 5 into law, amending the state's voter identification requirements. For those voters lacking the requisite photo ID, the law established an affidavit option requiring voters to sign a form stating that he or she was unable to obtain photo identification for one of the following reasons:

1. lack of transportation
2. lack of birth certificate or other documents needed to obtain identification
3. work schedule
4. lost or stolen identification
5. family responsibilities
6. required identification has been applied for but not received

These provisions were scheduled to take effect January 1, 2018. However, on August 23, 2017, federal Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos issued an order barring implementation of SB 5, finding that the revised legislation was not "an adequate remedy for the findings of [racially] discriminatory purpose and discriminatory effect in SB 14." Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) said that he would appeal Ramos' decision: "Today's ruling is outrageous. Senate Bill 5 was passed by the people's representatives and includes all the changes to the Texas voter ID law requested by the Fifth Circuit. The U.S. Department of Justice is satisfied that the amended voter ID law has no discriminatory purpose or effect. Safeguarding the integrity of elections in Texas is essential to preserving our democracy. The 5th Circuit should reverse the entirety of the District Court’s ruling." On August 25, 2017, Paxton petitioned the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to grant a stay of Ramos' ruling pending appeal proceedings.

On September 5, 2017, a panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit voted 2-1 to stay Ramos' ruling, authorizing Texas to enforce the provisions of its voter ID law for elections taking place in November 2017. Judges Jerry Smith and Jennifer Elrod formed the panel's majority and wrote the following in the court's order:

“	The State has made a strong showing that it is likely to succeed on the merits. SB 5 allows voters without qualifying photo ID to cast regular ballots by executing a declaration that they face a reasonable impediment to obtaining qualifying photo ID. This declaration is made under the penalty of perjury. As the State explains, each of the 27 voters identified—whose testimony the plaintiffs used to support their discriminatory—effect chain–can vote without impediment under SB 5.	”
—Judges Jerry Smith and Jennifer Elrod

Judge James Gray dissented, arguing that it was not clear that the state was likely to succeed on the merits and that, therefore, the request for a stay should have been denied. On September 8, 2017, opponents of Texas' voter ID law filed a motion requesting en banc review of both the September 5 stay order and the full case. On September 11, 2017, the Fifth Circuit denied the request for a stay of the September 5 order. On October 10, 2017, the Fifth Circuit denied the request for en banc review. The court voted 4-10 on the matter, with four judges favoring en banc review and 10 judges opposing it.

As of March 1, 2018, 34 states enforced (or were scheduled to begin enforcing) voter identification requirements. A total of 18 states required voters to present photo identification, while 16 accepted other forms of identification. In some states, a voter who is unable to present valid identification may still be permitted to vote without casting a provisional ballot; this is known as a non-strict requirement. In 10 of the 18 states that require a photo ID, the requirement is non-strict. In 13 of the 16 states that require non-photo identification, the requirement is non-strict. In the remaining states, voters without valid forms of identification are required to cast provisional ballots; this is known as a strict requirement. Valid forms of identification differ by state. Commonly accepted forms of ID include driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, and military identification cards.

Early voting

Texas permits no-excuse 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 do not permit no-excuse early voting may still permit some citizens to vote early, provided that they have valid reasons for doing so; this practice is known as in-person absentee voting. As of January 30, 2018, 34 states and the District of Columbia permitted 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.

To vote absentee, a request must be received by county election officials no earlier than 30 days prior to the election and no later than the close of business seven days prior to the election. The completed ballot must then be returned by the close of polls on Election Day.

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 hold both U.S. Senate seats in Texas.
• Republicans hold 25 of 36 U.S. House seats in Texas, and Democrats hold 11.

State executives

• Republicans hold 10 of 19 state executive positions, eight positions are held by nonpartisan officials, and one position is vacant.
• The governor of Texas is Republican Greg Abbott.

State legislature

• Republicans control both chambers of the Texas State Legislature. They have a 95-55 majority in the state House and a 20-11 majority in the state Senate.

Trifecta status

• Texas is a Republican trifecta, meaning that the Republican Party holds the governorship, a majority in the state Senate, and a majority in the state House.

2018 elections

See also: Texas elections, 2018

Texas is holding 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
Gender
Female:	50.4%	50.8%
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) **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). The chart on the right shows demographic information for Texas from 2010 to 2015. The graphs below show racial demographics and levels of educational attainment in Texas compared to the rest of the country.

Pivot Counties

One of 254 Texas counties—0.4 percent—is a Pivot County. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties Won By Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County	Trump Margin of Victory in 2016	Obama Margin of Victory in 2012	Obama Margin of Victory in 2008
Jefferson County, Texas	0.48%	1.61%	2.25%

State 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
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2016	Donald Trump	52.23%	Hillary Clinton	43.24%	8.99%
2012	Mitt Romney	57.17%	Barack Obama	41.38%	15.79%
2008	John McCain	55.45%	Barack Obama	43.68%	11.77%
2004	George W. Bush	61.09%	John Kerry	38.22%	22.87%
2000	George W. Bush	59.30%	Al Gore	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
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2014	John Cornyn	61.56%	David Alameel	34.36%	27.20%
2012	Ted Cruz	56.46%	Paul Sadler	40.62%	15.84%
2008	John Cornyn	54.82%	Richard Noriega	42.84%	11.98%
2006	Kay Bailey Hutchison	61.69%	Barbara Ann Radnofsky	36.04%	25.65%
2002	John Cornyn	55.30%	Ron Kirk	43.33%	11.97%
2000	Kay Bailey Hutchison	65.04%	Gene Kelly	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
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2014	Greg Abbott	59.27%	Wendy Davis	38.90%	20.37%
2010	Rick Perry	54.97%	Bill White	42.30%	12.67%
2006	Rick Perry	39.03%	Chris Bell	29.79%	9.24%
2002	Rick Perry	57.81%	Tony Sanchez	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.

Congressional delegation, Texas 2000-2016
Year	Republicans	Republicans (%)	Democrats	Democrats (%)	Balance of power
2016	25	69.4%	11	30.6%	R+14
2014	25	69.4%	11	30.6%	R+14
2012	24	66.7%	12	33.3%	R+12
2010	23	71.9%	9	28.1%	R+14
2008	20	62.5%	12	37.5%	R+8
2006	19	59.4%	13	40.6%	R+6
2004	21	65.6%	11	34.4%	R+10
2002	15	46.9%	17	53.1%	D+2
2000	13	43.3%	17	56.7%	D+4

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: 1992-2017
Three years of Democratic trifectas  •  15 years of Republican trifectas

	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
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
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
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

See also

Federal primaries in Texas	State primaries in Texas	Texas state party apparatus	Texas voter information
Republican primaries for U.S. House Republican primary for U.S. Senate	State government trifectas Republican primary for governor Republican primary for lieutenant governor Republican primary for attorney general Republican primaries for Texas legislature	Democratic Party of Texas Republican Party of Texas State political party revenue	Voting in Texas Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Texas Redistricting in Texas