Texas' 22nd Congressional District election, 2020

Elections in Texas, 2020

• Election date: Nov. 3
• Registration deadline(s): Oct. 5
• Online registration: No
• Same-day registration: No
• Recount laws

• Early voting starts: Oct. 13
• Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): Nov. 3 (postmarked); Nov. 4 (received)
• Processing, counting, and challenging absentee/mail-in ballots
• Voter ID: Photo ID
• Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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On the ballot: U.S. Senate • U.S. House • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Special state legislative • Supreme court • Appellate courts • Local judges • Local ballot measures • School boards • Municipal • Recalls

2022 → ← 2018
Texas' 22nd Congressional District
Democratic primary Republican primary Republican primary runoff General election
Election details
Filing deadline: December 9, 2019
Primary: March 3, 2020 Primary runoff: July 14, 2020 General: November 3, 2020 Pre-election incumbent: Pete Olson (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Texas
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Toss-up Inside Elections: Toss-up Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020
See also
Texas' 22nd Congressional District U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th • 12th • 13th • 14th • 15th • 16th • 17th • 18th • 19th • 20th • 21st • 22nd • 23rd • 24th • 25th • 26th • 27th • 28th • 29th • 30th • 31st • 32nd • 33rd • 34th • 35th • 36th Texas elections, 2020 U.S. Congress elections, 2020 U.S. Senate elections, 2020 U.S. House elections, 2020 Alabama U.S. House racesAlaska U.S. House racesArizona U.S. House racesArkansas U.S. House racesCalifornia U.S. House racesColorado U.S. House racesConnecticut U.S. House racesDelaware U.S. House racesFlorida U.S. House racesGeorgia U.S. House racesHawaii U.S. House racesIdaho U.S. House racesIllinois U.S. House racesIndiana U.S. House racesIowa U.S. House racesKansas U.S. House racesKentucky U.S. House racesLouisiana U.S. House racesMaine U.S. House racesMaryland U.S. House racesMassachusetts U.S. House racesMichigan U.S. House racesMinnesota U.S. House racesMississippi U.S. House racesMissouri U.S. House racesMontana U.S. House racesNebraska U.S. House racesNevada U.S. House racesNew Hampshire U.S. House racesNew Jersey U.S. House racesNew Mexico U.S. House racesNew York U.S. House racesNorth Carolina U.S. House racesNorth Dakota U.S. House racesOhio U.S. House racesOklahoma U.S. House racesOregon U.S. House racesPennsylvania U.S. House racesRhode Island U.S. House racesSouth Carolina U.S. House racesSouth Dakota U.S. House racesTennessee U.S. House racesTexas U.S. House racesUtah U.S. House racesVermont U.S. House racesVirginia U.S. House racesWashington U.S. House racesWest Virginia U.S. House racesWisconsin U.S. House racesWyoming U.S. House racesSubmit

Troy Nehls (R) defeated Sri Preston Kulkarni (D) and Joseph LeBlanc (L) in the general election for Texas' 22nd Congressional District on November 3, 2020. Incumbent Pete Olson (R), who was first elected in 2008, did not run for re-election.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) named Texas’ 22nd a 2020 target district. Both the DCCC and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) have offered support to their respective candidates.

This was the second time Kulkarni ran as the Democratic nominee in Texas' 22nd. In 2018, Olson was re-elected with 51% of the vote to Kulkarni's 47%. In 2016, Olson garnered 60% of the vote. Mitt Romney (R) won the district in the 2012 presidential election with 62% of the vote to Barack Obama's (D) 37%, and in 2016 Donald Trump (R) won the district with 52% of the vote to Hillary Clinton's (D) 44%.

The outcome of this race affected partisan control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 117th Congress. All 435 seats in the House were up for election. At the time of the election, Democrats had a 232 to 198 majority over Republicans. The Libertarian Party had one seat. Four seats were vacant. Democrats defended 30 districts Donald Trump (R) won in 2016. Republicans defended five districts Hillary Clinton (D) won in 2016.

Texas' 22nd Congressional District is located in the eastern portion of the state and includes part of Ford Bend, Harris, and Brazoria counties.

Joseph LeBlanc completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection Survey. Click here to view his responses.

This race was one of 89 congressional races that were decided by 10 percent or less in 2020.

For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
For more information about the Republican primary, click here.
For more information about the Republican primary runoff, click here.

This election was a battleground race. Other 2020 battlegrounds included:

Mayoral election in Miami-Dade County, Florida (2020) Michigan's 3rd Congressional District election, 2020 United States Senate election in Georgia, 2020

Post-election analysis

The table below compares the vote totals in the 2020 presidential election and 2020 U.S. House election for this district. The presidential election data was compiled by Daily Kos.

Presidential and congressional election results, Texas' 22nd Congressional District, 2020
Race	Presidential	U.S. House
Democratic candidate	48.9	44.6
Republican candidate	49.8	51.5
Difference	0.9	6.9

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

Texas modified its absentee/mail-in voting, candidate filing, and early voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:

• Absentee/mail-in voting: Local election officials could not reject an absentee ballot due to a perceived signature mismatch unless the voter was given a pre-rejection notice of this finding and a "meaningful opportunity to cure his or her ballot's rejection." Return locations for absentee/mail-in ballots were limited to one per county.
• Candidate filing procedures: The petition deadline for independent candidates for non-presidential office was extended to August 13, 2020.
• Early voting: Early voting began on October 13, 2020.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 22

Troy Nehls defeated Sri Preston Kulkarni and Joseph LeBlanc in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 22 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Troy Nehls (R)	51.5	210,259
		Sri Preston Kulkarni (D)	44.6	181,998
		Joseph LeBlanc (L)	3.9	15,791

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 408,048
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary runoff election

Republican primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 22

Troy Nehls defeated Kathaleen Wall in the Republican primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 22 on July 14, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Troy Nehls	69.9	36,132
		Kathaleen Wall	30.1	15,547

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 51,679
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 22

Sri Preston Kulkarni defeated Derrick Reed, Nyanza Moore, and Carmine Petricco III in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 22 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sri Preston Kulkarni	53.1	34,664
		Derrick Reed	24.7	16,126
		Nyanza Moore	14.5	9,449
	Submit photo	Carmine Petricco III	7.8	5,074

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 65,313
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Chris Fernandez (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 22

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 22 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Troy Nehls	40.5	29,583
✔		Kathaleen Wall	19.4	14,201
		Pierce Bush	15.4	11,281
		Greg Hill	14.1	10,315
		Dan Mathews	3.0	2,165
	Submit photo	Bangar Reddy	1.6	1,144
		Joe Walz	1.4	1,039
	Submit photo	Shandon Phan	1.1	773
		Diana Miller	1.1	771
		Jon Camarillo	1.0	718
		Douglas Haggard	0.5	398
		Howard Lynn Steele Jr.	0.4	283
		Matt Hinton	0.4	274
	Submit photo	Brandon Penko	0.1	96
		Aaron Hermes	0.1	92

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 73,133
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Schell Hammel (R)
• Keli Chevalier (R)
• Clint Morgan (R)
• Felicia Harris Hoss (R)

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 22

Joseph LeBlanc advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 22 on March 21, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Joseph LeBlanc (L)

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.

Sri Preston Kulkarni

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography:  Kulkarni received a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas and his M.P.A. from Harvard University. He served in the United States Foreign Service from 2003 to 2017. He also worked as a policy and defense advisor for U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).

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Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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Kulkarni supported decreasing the cost of medical treatment and prescription drugs, guaranteeing that patients with pre-existing conditions do not lose health coverage, and extending health insurance to all individuals.

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Kulkarni said that the biggest challenge facing the country was hyperpartisanship and that he would work with members of both political parties to address issues like the coronavirus.

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Kulkarni said he supported a tax and regulatory environment that encouraged entrepreneurs and prioritized small businesses.

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Show sources

Sources: Sri Preston Kulkarni 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed February 26, 2020; YouTube, "Patriotism," September 14, 2020; Sri Preston Kulkarni 2020 campaign website, "Meet Sri," accessed February 26, 2020

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Texas District 22 in 2020.

Troy Nehls

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

• Fort Bend County Sheriff (Assumed office: 2012)
  

Biography: 

Nehls graduated from Liberty University and received a master’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Houston Downtown. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve for 21 years. At the time of his 2020 campaign, Nehls had worked in law enforcement for over 25 years.

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Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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Nehls said he conducted rescues and prevented looting during the response to Hurricane Harvey and that he would ensure the U.S. is prepared to respond to crises.

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Nehls said that while serving as Fort Bend County Sheriff he arrested 2,500 unauthorized immigrants and supported firearm ownership.

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Nehls said he had reduced crime in his jurisdiction and would support law enforcement in Congress.

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Show sources

Sources: Troy Nehls 2020 campaign website, "Meet Sheriff Nehls," accessed September 28, 2020; Facebook, "Remembering Harvey," August 25, 2020; Facebook, "Defund," September 26, 2020; Troy Nehls 2020 campaign website, "About," accessed March 12, 2020; Katy Magazine, "SHERIFF TROY NEHLS: A Legacy of Public Service," June 2019 

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Texas District 22 in 2020.

Joseph LeBlanc

Party: Libertarian Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "I am a veteran, who grew up in the Katy area. An entrepreneur, with a love for history, cephalopods and the great State of Texas. I am tired of seeing the same faces with the same ideas continuing to encroach on our individual freedoms while engorging an already bloated federal government."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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Congressional term limits are must.

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The Veteran Affairs needs an overhaul.

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The Patriot Act is unconstitutional and needs to be repealed.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Texas District 22 in 2020.

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Texas' 22nd Congressional District election, 2020: General election polls
Poll	Date	Kulkarni	Nehls	Other	Margin of error	Sample size	Sponsor
GBAO	October 8-11, 2020	48%	43%	9%	±4.4	500	Kulkarni campaign
RMG Research	July 27-August 2, 2020	39%	39%	22%	±4.5	500	U.S. Term Limits

Campaign finance

The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
Sri Preston Kulkarni	Democratic Party	$5,781,705	$5,772,742	$36,731	As of December 31, 2020
Troy Nehls	Republican Party	$1,818,077	$1,798,160	$19,207	As of December 31, 2020
Joseph LeBlanc	Libertarian Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2020. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). * According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election. *** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

District analysis

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores

The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+10, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 10 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Texas' 22nd Congressional District the 133rd most Republican nationally.

FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 0.89. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 0.89 points toward that party.

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

• Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
• Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
• Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.
• Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.

Race ratings: Texas' 22nd Congressional District election, 2020
Race tracker	Race ratings
	November 3, 2020	October 27, 2020	October 20, 2020	October 13, 2020
The Cook Political Report	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Lean Republican	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season.

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.

Click the links below to see endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites, if available.

• Sri Preston Kulkarni

Noteworthy endorsements
Endorsement	Kulkarni (D)	Nehls (R)
Newspapers and editorials
Houston Chronicle	✔
Elected officials
Senator Kamala Harris (D)	✔
President Donald Trump (R)		✔
Individuals
Former Vice President Joe Biden (D)	✔
Former President Barack Obama (D)	✔

Timeline

2020

• November 2020 (click to collapse)

  November

  • Nov. 2, 2020: Sabato's Crystal Ball shifted its rating of the race from Toss-up to Leans Republican.

• October 2020 (click to expand)

  October

  • Oct. 31, 2020: President Donald Trump (R) endorsed Nehls.

  • Oct. 13, 2020: A GBAO poll commissioned by the Kulkarni campaign was released, showing Kulkarni at 48%, Nehls at 43%, and 9% registering other responses. The margin of error was ±4.4.

• September 2020 (click to expand)

  September

  • Sept. 29, 2020: Kulkarni was endorsed by the Houston Chronicle editorial board.

  • Sept. 16, 2020: Kulkarni was endorsed by former Vice President Joe Biden (D).

• August 2020 (click to expand)

  August

  • Aug. 12, 2020: A poll of 500 registered voters by RMG Research sponsored by U.S. Term Limits was released showing Kulkarni and Nehls tied at 39% with a ±4.5 margin of error.

Campaign advertisements

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

Sri Preston Kulkarni

Supporting Kulkarni

"Mom" - LASTNAME campaign ad, released October 5, 2020

"Patriotismo" - Kulkarni campaign ad, released September 30, 2020

"Patriotism" - Kulkarni campaign ad, released September 14, 2020

Opposing Nehls

"Riesgo WEB" - Kulkarni campaign ad, released October 26, 2020

"Choose To" - Kulkarni campaign ad, released October 20, 2020

Troy Nehls

Supporting Nehls

• "Remembering Harvey" - Nehls campaign ad, released August 25, 2020
• "A Long History of Keeping Our Communities Safe" - Nehls campaign ad, released September 15, 2020

Opposing Kulkarni

• "Defund" - Nehls campaign ad, released September 26, 2020

Satellite group ads

Opposing Kulkarni

"Sri Kulkarni, Reckless" - Congressional Leadership Fund ad, released September 25, 2020

Campaign themes

See also: Campaign themes

Sri Preston Kulkarni

Kulkarni’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Jobs and Economic Opportunity “My father came to this country because he knew he would have the chance to make something of himself when he got here. Economic opportunity is a core principle of America’s identity. This is a principle we need to protect and expand.” We need to stabilize our economy and ensure it is in a position for growth after we defeat the virus. We must have a tax and regulatory environment that rewards entrepreneurs and prioritizes small businesses. This means helping to facilitate access to early capital, small business loans, and funding programs that invest in innovative businesses, especially for groups who have historically been discriminated against in banking practices. By protecting our small businesses, we can ensure that we keep the backbone of our economy, and our community, intact. In Congress, I will Expand access to capital and loans for small businesses. Push for a start-up tax credit to help small businesses scale up. Advocate for greater COVID-19 business release measures, such as more PPP funding. Oppose tax cuts that favor America’s Billionaires over communities like my own. Protect Social Security. Stand firmly with unions and fight for safer workplace conditions. Creating quality jobs for the digital age. Health Care “When my father was diagnosed with Leukemia, the medical bills nearly bankrupted our family. No individual should face financial ruin—especially when they fall sick.” In the midst of a pandemic, the United States is also in a health care crisis. Americans now pay twice as much as any other developed nation for their health care, but for the first time in a century, life expectancy has declined for 3 straight years. Two thirds of all bankruptcies are caused by medical costs. Before arguing about specific health care proposals, we must all agree on the two basic problems: the cost of health care in America is too high and tens of millions of people still don’t have access. In Congress, I will: Oppose any effort to dismantle, privatize, or undermine Medicaid or Medicare. Texas refused the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion. But now, in this pandemic, we see how important it is that everyone—not just the wealthy few—have access to quality health care. I will push for expanded coverage for our nation’s poor, disabled, and elderly. Stand up against special interests who put profits over people. I will advocate for lower prescription drug costs and hold Big Pharma accountable. Protect coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditions, such as COVID-19. Money in Politics Middle class families’ voices are being left out of the political process. Powerful special interest groups with unlimited amounts of money undermine our democracy. Texans are tired of the partisan dysfunction and the corrupting influence of money in politics. I will work every day to stand up for Texas families. I am refusing corporate PAC money in this campaign, instead I am building a campaign powered by people, and I look forward to fighting for real campaign finance reform in Congress. Veterans “I worked in the U.S. Foreign Service for fourteen years, alongside the bravest Americans I’ve ever known. Our country needs to better support veterans, who put their lives on the line to protect this country and its founding principles.” Our government must make the transition to civilian life as painless as possible for our nation’s heroes. This means expanding access to job training, child care, healthcare, and counseling. In Congress, I will: Fight for reforms to the Transition Assistance Program to better equip our veterans with the tools to enter the workforce and secure their futures. Work to implement solutions to the military’s problems of sexual assault to honor SPC Vanessa Guillen. Reject efforts to privatize the Department of Veterans Affairs. Increase health coverage for veterans. In TX-22, many veterans have to travel over 30 minutes to hospitals that will accept their health insurance. This must change. We need to decrease VA hospital wait times and expand telehealth services. Fight for better mental health services for our veterans by expanding counseling and treatment services for TBIs. Criminal Justice Reform “Growing up, I was frequently exposed to the injustices of the criminal justice system. When I was mugged, police officers tried to pressure me into accusing the wrong person—because they needed more evidence to lock him up for other charges. This is unacceptable. We need accountability.” Our criminal justice system has failed our communities—specifically our communities of color. Justice and reform is long overdue. In Congress, I will: Fight to end the war on drugs and reduce sentencing for nonviolent drug offenders. I will treat drug addiction like a medical issue, not a crime, because it is. Support the rehabilitation and reentry of formerly incarcerated individuals, by supporting job training and prison education programs. Take human and sex trafficking seriously here in TX-22. Fight for greater accountability in county jails and make sure incarcerated individuals are treated with respect and dignity. Work to end the government’s practice of contracting with for-profit detention centers. End discriminatory cash bail programs that disproportionately hurt communities of color Energy and the Environment “Climate change is not a myth. It’s not a hoax. It is real, and it is harming communities like ours, who are facing more severe natural disasters than ever before.” Our energy and environmental policy must be based on scientific evidence and economic realities, not partisan ideology. We need to stop ignoring this crisis and investing in clean energy jobs for our district. In Congress, I will: Expand our energy economy by investing in renewable and nuclear infrastructure. Texas already leads the nation in wind energy, with wind turbine technician listed as the fastest-growing job in the state, and we can be a future leader in solar energy, creating tens of thousands of new green jobs for our economy and ensuring we remain the leader in the energy economy. Work to implement evidence based climate change reforms. Protect TX-22 from floods and hurricanes, which will only become more severe and frequent as climate change worsens. Check out our Flood Protection Issue page here. Gun Violence “Growing up, I was no stranger to gun violence — I witnessed it personally and my neighbors were victims of it. Gun violence tears whole communities apart. We need to pass common sense measures that will protect our community.” Gun violence is a public health crisis. Congress has failed to do its job to keep families safe. We must respect the second amendment and protect law-abiding gun owners’ rights while dealing with the reality that gun violence and mass shootings have created an atmosphere of terror for Texan children and families. In Congress, I will: Fight for universal background checks, which nine out of ten Texans support, including the majority of gun owners. Push for red flag laws, which would prevent firearms from landing in the hands of violent criminals and domestic abusers. Promote gun safety education in Texas public schools, like our own Kempner High School and Pearland High School, to prevent the unspeakable tragedy of school shootings. Push to close the loophole that allows individuals to buy guns without a background check from an unlicensed dealer at a gun show. Promote safe gun storage practices. All firearms must be properly secured for owner protection, and the safety of any children in the home. Retirement Security People who have worked their entire lives and paid in to Medicare and Social Security should be able to retire in dignity, without being forced to pay for the fiscal irresponsibility of Washington. Under the current Administration, the deficit has exploded to over $1 trillion. In order to pay for this unprecedented debt expansion, cuts to Medicare and Social Security for middle class retirees have been proposed. This is an immoral transfer of wealth away from the middle class and should be opposed. Education “My father was a professor. He taught me that there is no gift better than an education.” People live in this community because of the quality education we have. A thriving education system is essential for a competitive economy, and we need to guarantee that every child has access to a quality education, regardless of zip code or socioeconomic background. Relying on virtual learning is a burden on so many families, but we can’t send our children back to school unless we can promise them a safe environment to learn. We should be relying on expert health opinions to make these decisions, not political ideologies. In Congress, I will: Push for investments in community colleges, such as the Houston Community College Southwest, to increase accessibility and quality. Advocate for increased investment in historically black colleges and universities Expand and invest in vocational training programs, such as TX-22’s own Living Word Pharmacy Technician school and the Texas School of Continuing Education. Support student debt relief plans such as the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Sri’s Covid-19 Education Plan Increased PPE and testing for public schools across the country, so our nation’s public educators can stay safe. Push for greater funding for digital learning services to make online learning a possibility for immunocompromised families. POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY PLATFORM While we respect good police officers who are doing their best to protect our communities, our policing system is long overdue for change. Police abuse and systemic racism have plagued communities for far too long. We cannot pretend to be blind to such a flawed system, and the time for change is now. We must develop and implement bold policies that hold the police accountable to the communities they serve, and we must end policies that serve as shields for racism and violence. We cannot lose another Black life because of police brutality. CHANGING THE DEFINITION OF POLICE MISCONDUCT Federal law currently states that to charge and convict police for killing or harming an individual, prosecutors have to prove willful intent on the part of the police officer to kill or harm the victim. But proving willful intent from police officers can be extremely difficult, if not impossible. There are thousands of victims of police brutality who have never received the justice they deserve. We must allow officers to be prosecuted if they kill or harm someone who is acting with “reckless disregard”. We must stop officers from getting away with crimes while doing their job poorly. ENDING QUALIFIED IMMUNITY​ In the past, courts have given police officers broad immunity from being sued if they have violated the constitutional rights of an individual, a phenomenon known as qualified immunity. The moral and legal standard for our nation’s police forces can not be lower than that for the average American. No one in our country should ever be above the law, regardless of holding a badge or title. We must end qualified immunity and make it easier for plaintiffs to recover damages against police officers that violate their rights. MODIFYING NO-KNOCK WARRANTS On March 13, police shot and killed innocent 26-year-old Breonna Taylor after using a battering ram to break down her door and exchanging fire with Taylor’s boyfriend. The police were executing a search warrant for a drug case involving two completely separate individuals but broke down Taylor’s door because they believed the men were receiving packages at her apartment. No-knock warrants violate the rights of innocent Americans to live without fear. We can’t allow more lives, like Breonna Taylor, to be lost due to the negligence of the police. No-knock warrants should only be used if there is a credible threat of imminent harm or death. BAN CHOKEHOLDS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL​ George Floyd died after a police officer placed his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes. Restraint tactics that kill innocent civilians like George Floyd need to be banned from our nation’s police forces. Police chokeholds, which impede victims’ ability to breathe, must be banned immediately. CREATE A NATIONAL REGISTRY FOR MISCONDUCT BY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS​ Right now, there’s currently very little data available to other police departments about misconduct among officers, making it difficult to identify past offenders and ensure that they don’t receive jobs in new departments. We must create a national misconduct registry that would enable local police departments to make informed hiring decisions and prevent dangerous police officers from shifting departments—and brutalizing innocent civilians in other cities. Moreover, there is no transparency regarding how often officers are using force to restrain civilians. States must be required to report the use of force to the Justice Department and law enforcement agencies must be made aware of how often police are using force. This data will allow the federal government to determine which departments are excessively forceful—holding police officers and their departments accountable for their actions. Registries like these are crucial: not just to hold our law enforcement officers accountable, but to make informed policy decisions for the future. PROMOTE INDEPENDENT REVIEW BOARDS​ None of these rules will make a difference if they aren’t enforced. If we allow police departments to police themselves, we create a recipe for corruption. As we’ve seen time and time again, police brutality is often covered up by police departments in an effort to avoid punishment and justice. State attorneys general should be encouraged and offered resources to create an independent review process to investigate misconduct or excessive use of force in their local police departments. DEMAND RACIAL BIAS & DE-ESCALATION TRAINING​ Police brutality affects Black lives the most. That is why we have to institute national standard for racial bias training for police officers. Racial bias training is aimed at forcing law enforcement officers to recognize their own explicit and implicit biases — and how these attitudes affect the way they respond in different situations. In addition to requiring it at the federal level, funding for state and local police should be withheld if police forces refuse to commit to implementing racial bias training programs. We must also train our officers in safer de-escalation techniques and require officers to use deadly force only as a last resort. MAKE LYNCHING A FEDERAL CRIME​ In addition to discussions of police brutality, we must also recognize the rise in modern-day lynchings, such as that of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man killed by two white neighbors while jogging. Even though lynching has taken innocent Black lives for centuries, there remains no law on the books classifying lynchings as a federal crime. EXPAND THE USE OF BODY AND DASHBOARD CAMERAS​ Federal officers must be required to use body cameras and dashboard cameras. Local and state law enforcement should have federal funding withheld if they refuse to implement body and dashboard cameras. To receive federal funding, police departments must be required to have body cameras on at all times and keep footage readily accessible. Officers who refuse to turn their body and dashboard cameras should be punished and dismissed. LIMIT THE TRANSFER OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT TO LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS Military equipment, such as armored vehicles and drones, do not belong on America’s streets. The military should not be able to distribute excess equipment to local law enforcement agencies. Additionally, local law enforcement agencies should not be able to purchase military grade equipment for use on our streets. ANTI-RACISM We are fighting two vicious diseases simultaneously in America right now: COVID-19 and systemic racism. Protests have emerged across the country after the senseless murders of George Floyd, Breona Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless more that were not captured on tape. The nation is crying out for justice. We are crying out with them. We must stand as proud allies of the Black community. We should educate ourselves in the history of systemic racism in this country. We should celebrate Black lives, Black businesses, and Black culture. We should support organizations that fight for racial equality and justice. Resisting Nationalism and Fascism “My path to Congress started while I was serving overseas, when I saw rising bigotry and division at home, exemplified by the Muslim Ban, the Charlottesville Nazi rallies, and Roy Moore’s campaign. I came home to stand up for the America that my parents raised me to believe in. A country that rejects sexism, racism, Islamophobia, or any kind of prejudice, and where anyone can worship and live in peace, regardless of gender, race, or creed.” Sectarian nationalism has no place in a pluralistic democracy. No one should ever face discrimination based on religion, race, or gender. Naturalized citizens should never face bigotry based on country of origin, and all citizens should have an equal right to participate in democracy, especially our elections. At the same time, no foreign governments or organizations should be allowed to interfere with U.S. elections. This campaign has the support of many immigrant communities, including Indian-Americans, Chinese-Americans, and Pakistani-Americans, but it does not accept support from any foreign entities, nor is it connected to or influenced by any foreign organizations, such as RSS, CCP, or their affiliates. This campaign is based on American principles and values, including that all people are created equal with inalienable rights, we support human rights for all people anywhere in the world, and we oppose all terrorism, both foreign and domestic. Our goal is to build the most inclusive grassroots campaign in the country. We are proud to have had more Hindu, Muslim, and AAPI volunteers than any other Congressional campaign in Texas history. We will continue to engage and encourage all communities to become more involved in our elections, so that everyone has a voice in our democracy. COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated many communities—and TX-22 is no exception. This is a scary and uncertain time for our community. We need our leaders to step up and protect us—from this virus and the resulting economic downturn. Our campaign takes COVID-19 very seriously. We’ve suspended all in-person campaign events and we’re now working to turn TX-22 blue from home. Beating this virus takes sacrifice, selflessness and responsibility, but I know we can do it. We wanted to share with you what we know about COVID-19 and what I think needs to be done. What We Know about Beating COVID-19 Masks work. Studies estimate that masks can save up to 70,000 lives. Wear a mask or facial covering when you’re going out and stay 6 feet away from others. We can all help protect our communities by staying home as much as possible, washing our hands often (and for at least 20 seconds!), and contacting health care providers immediately if you have symptoms like fever, cough, or shortness of breath. What Our Community Needs: Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the nation—more than 650k Texans have lost their insurance during COVID-19. We need to protect the Affordable Care Act and expand healthcare programs like medicaid and medicare. No one should forego medical treatment due to the fear of financial ruin. Job-generating small businesses are struggling because of the pandemic. We need to give them access to capital and loans, and a start-up tax credit to help small businesses scale up quickly. By supporting small businesses, we can infuse resources into our local communities and help everyone prosper. This pandemic is affecting low-income communities of color especially hard. Our state and federal governments need to sustain stimulus relief programs and unemployment insurance. Families are suffering now, which means we need to provide them with relief quickly. Personal Protective Equipment, PPE, will be vital to controlling this pandemic. We need to guarantee our frontline workers—such as doctors and nurses—have the protection they need by funding the production and distribution of PPE. We also must increase access to ventilators. Testing must be free and readily accessible to all Texans. Action must be taken to reduce delays in reporting test results. When a vaccine arrives, it must be available for all, not just those who can afford it. Our government should work to make sure at-risk communities and frontline workers receive the vaccine as soon as possible. Nobody should be in the dark about this pandemic due to language barriers. We need to invest in multilingual literature about COVID-19, its symptoms, and how to remain safe. Flooding Platform “My family lost our car, almost lost our lives, and had to sleep on a stranger’s floor when we were stranded by flooding. We need to start acting proactively to prevent these tragedies.” Our community is no stranger to severe weather and flooding. And as climate change makes natural disasters—such as Hurricane Harvey—more frequent and serious, we must protect our community by strengthening infrastructure, expanding relief policies, and implementing smarter detection tools. This plan would include: Hurricane Harvey flooded at least 900 levee-protected homes in Fort Bend. We need to strengthen the 20 levees in Fort Bend, and identify new areas that require drainage infrastructure. Expediting the distribution of Harvey relief funding and streamlining the relief funding process Invest in larger storm sewers and pumps in the Katy area, specifically around the Brazos river Coordinate with local governments to ensure proper implementation of flood mitigation projects, such as Katy’s Patna Drive drainage improvement project and the Pitts Road Detention Pond Revising the floodplain maps Devising and installing a system for coastal surge protection Incentivizing public-private partnerships for flood mitigation projects Expand affordable, quality flood insurance plans; streamline the flood insurance application process	”
—Sri Preston Kulkarni’s campaign website (2020)

Troy Nehls

Nehls' campaign website stated the following:

“	Economy & Jobs COVID-19 has left millions of Americans unemployed and shuttered thousands of small businesses across the state. We must rebuild our economy as quickly as possible and get Americans back to work. We do that by ensuring small businesses have loans and the capital they need to sustain and rebuild in the aftermath of COVID-19, by reducing burdensome regulations, and by strengthening trade deals. I'm proudly endorsed by the US Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Businesses because they know first hand that I have what it takes to bring people together in Congress to deliver jobs and economy opportunity back to our great state. Protecting Texas Energy & Jobs Hundreds of thousands of Texas jobs rely either directly or indirectly on the energy industry. Some in Congress are pushing for a complete ban on fossil fuels. This would be a travesty not only to Texas' economy but the entire country. We can be good stewards of our environment, ensure clear air and water, and protect energy jobs. In Congress, I will stand strong to protect our Texas energy industry and jobs. Mental Illness Mental illness is a serious issue in our country that does not get anywhere near the attention it demands. As Sheriff, I've seen firsthand the devastating impacts of suicides on families and communities. Going to the scenes of children, some as young as 10, who've taken their own lives is heartbreaking. Knowing that 20 US veterans take their lives each and every day is a national travesty. I've used my platform as Sheriff to advocate awareness of mental illness and even held a mental health summit which hundreds of people attended. In Congress, I will work to bring people together around destigmatizing mental illness, ensuring everyone has access to affordable mental health services, and educating our children and communities about the help that help exists. Criminal Justice Reform As Sheriff, I've seen the human and monetary cost of high recidivism rates and our broken criminal justice system. That's why as Sheriff, I took action and instituted cutting edge recidivism reduction programs. At the Fort Bend County Jail, we offer HVAC and welding courses to non-violent inmates, at no cost to taxpayers, so the inmates have job ready skills when they're released. I am the only candidate in this race who's actually taken steps to reform our criminal justice system and I will take this experience to Congress and be a voice for criminal justice reform. Fighting For Veterans Our men and women in uniform risk life and limb in service to our country. We owe it to them to ensure they have adequate healthcare services when returning home. Dozens of veterans are committing suicide every day. That is completely unacceptable. We must provide veterans with access to the best mental and physical health services. We must also ensure the VA Healthcare system is running efficiently and serving all veterans who come through the door. Healthcare COVID-19 has underlined the need to ensure everyone in our country has access to affordable healthcare. As the father of three daughters, I know first hand how costly and confusing healthcare can be. There is no one size fits all approach for our healthcare needs. Americans prefer choices and that's why in Congress, I will work to increase healthcare offerings while protecting those with preexisting conditions, protecting Medicare and Social Security, protecting Medicaid, and protecting private insurance. We need more healthcare options, not less and that's what I'll work to build bipartisan support for. Education I'm married to a 25 year educator and elementary school principal and I have three children who have been educated by public schools. I am a strong supporter of public education and know firsthand how blessed we are to have some of the best schools in the state in our local communities. I also know the struggles educators are facing with COVID-19 and distancing learning, my wife Jill shares stories with me every night. In Congress, I will always be a voice for public education and our educators.	”
—Troy Nehls' campaign website (2020)

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

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%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Texas with 52.2 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 43.2 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Texas cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 66.7 percent of the time. In that same time frame, Texas supported Democratic candidates slightly more often than Republicans, 53.3 to 46.7 percent. The state, however, favored Republicans in every presidential election between 2000 and 2016.

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Texas. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 54 out of 150 state House districts in Texas with an average margin of victory of 37.4 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 65 out of 150 state House districts in Texas with an average margin of victory of 36.4 points. Clinton won 10 districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.

In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 96 out of 150 state House districts in Texas with an average margin of victory of 36.2 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 85 out of 150 state House districts in Texas with an average margin of victory of 34.5 points.

2016 presidential results by state House district
District	Obama	Romney	2012 Margin	Clinton	Trump	2016 Margin	Party Control
1	26.82%	72.17%	R+45.3	22.76%	75.13%	R+52.4	R
2	20.93%	77.91%	R+57	17.59%	79.78%	R+62.2	R
3	22.26%	76.65%	R+54.4	21.37%	75.80%	R+54.4	R
4	25.04%	73.93%	R+48.9	22.70%	74.70%	R+52	R
5	23.75%	75.33%	R+51.6	20.20%	77.72%	R+57.5	R
6	28.44%	70.49%	R+42	28.89%	67.98%	R+39.1	R
7	27.14%	71.97%	R+44.8	24.48%	73.09%	R+48.6	R
8	24.96%	74.07%	R+49.1	21.12%	76.63%	R+55.5	R
9	27.47%	71.73%	R+44.3	22.23%	76.13%	R+53.9	R
10	25.56%	73.21%	R+47.7	25.20%	71.62%	R+46.4	R
11	26.75%	72.23%	R+45.5	24.48%	72.79%	R+48.3	R
12	36.06%	62.67%	R+26.6	32.54%	64.35%	R+31.8	R
13	22.71%	76.25%	R+53.5	20.47%	77.18%	R+56.7	R
14	34.77%	62.91%	R+28.1	38.79%	54.03%	R+15.2	R
15	21.79%	76.77%	R+55	28.86%	66.69%	R+37.8	R
16	18.22%	80.76%	R+62.5	18.80%	78.35%	R+59.5	R
17	37.30%	60.79%	R+23.5	33.92%	62.02%	R+28.1	R
18	27.18%	71.69%	R+44.5	23.96%	73.47%	R+49.5	R
19	22.22%	76.79%	R+54.6	17.21%	81.00%	R+63.8	R
20	26.22%	72.13%	R+45.9	25.81%	70.27%	R+44.5	R
21	23.92%	74.97%	R+51.1	21.50%	76.09%	R+54.6	R
22	66.82%	32.57%	D+34.3	65.95%	31.80%	D+34.1	D
23	44.24%	54.56%	R+10.3	40.89%	55.86%	R+15	R
24	25.11%	73.48%	R+48.4	27.42%	68.20%	R+40.8	R
25	28.74%	69.92%	R+41.2	27.55%	69.14%	R+41.6	R
26	35.86%	62.95%	R+27.1	45.81%	50.71%	R+4.9	R
27	68.80%	30.44%	D+38.4	70.03%	27.23%	D+42.8	D
28	34.81%	64.22%	R+29.4	43.01%	53.21%	R+10.2	R
29	35.44%	63.32%	R+27.9	41.21%	54.83%	R+13.6	R
30	30.24%	68.64%	R+38.4	26.80%	70.36%	R+43.6	R
31	61.89%	37.31%	D+24.6	55.47%	42.31%	D+13.2	D
32	41.43%	56.92%	R+15.5	42.04%	53.45%	R+11.4	R
33	26.49%	72.25%	R+45.8	31.27%	64.67%	R+33.4	R
34	54.64%	44.24%	D+10.4	53.40%	43.18%	D+10.2	D
35	66.43%	32.71%	D+33.7	63.43%	33.59%	D+29.8	D
36	74.73%	24.41%	D+50.3	73.70%	23.21%	D+50.5	D
37	69.28%	29.75%	D+39.5	68.98%	27.77%	D+41.2	D
38	66.13%	32.95%	D+33.2	65.76%	30.74%	D+35	D
39	74.02%	25.10%	D+48.9	70.48%	26.40%	D+44.1	D
40	75.32%	23.68%	D+51.6	70.73%	25.91%	D+44.8	D
41	56.64%	42.35%	D+14.3	59.53%	36.87%	D+22.7	D
42	75.54%	23.57%	D+52	73.73%	23.49%	D+50.2	D
43	46.96%	52.09%	R+5.1	43.79%	53.10%	R+9.3	R
44	30.83%	67.97%	R+37.1	30.22%	65.99%	R+35.8	R
45	41.83%	55.19%	R+13.4	44.53%	49.14%	R+4.6	R
46	76.62%	20.14%	D+56.5	78.16%	16.34%	D+61.8	D
47	39.32%	58.05%	R+18.7	46.98%	47.16%	R+0.2	R
48	56.86%	39.56%	D+17.3	65.17%	28.12%	D+37	D
49	70.19%	24.89%	D+45.3	76.63%	16.65%	D+60	D
50	57.79%	38.81%	D+19	63.38%	30.05%	D+33.3	D
51	78.49%	17.43%	D+61.1	79.52%	14.04%	D+65.5	D
52	42.57%	54.91%	R+12.3	46.12%	47.56%	R+1.4	R
53	22.29%	76.50%	R+54.2	20.74%	76.30%	R+55.6	R
54	45.85%	53.04%	R+7.2	44.07%	51.07%	R+7	R
55	33.08%	65.48%	R+32.4	31.96%	63.28%	R+31.3	R
56	29.70%	69.02%	R+39.3	31.16%	64.82%	R+33.7	R
57	25.97%	73.09%	R+47.1	22.50%	75.69%	R+53.2	R
58	21.12%	77.52%	R+56.4	18.84%	77.90%	R+59.1	R
59	21.36%	77.31%	R+56	19.19%	77.44%	R+58.2	R
60	15.70%	83.09%	R+67.4	13.33%	84.19%	R+70.9	R
61	16.19%	82.54%	R+66.3	14.49%	82.74%	R+68.3	R
62	24.72%	73.77%	R+49.1	20.89%	76.05%	R+55.2	R
63	26.39%	72.13%	R+45.7	30.22%	65.26%	R+35	R
64	37.33%	60.30%	R+23	40.00%	54.49%	R+14.5	R
65	40.84%	57.52%	R+16.7	46.51%	48.62%	R+2.1	R
66	37.46%	61.15%	R+23.7	46.24%	49.45%	R+3.2	R
67	37.26%	61.08%	R+23.8	44.69%	50.41%	R+5.7	R
68	17.78%	81.15%	R+63.4	14.23%	83.37%	R+69.1	R
69	23.27%	75.20%	R+51.9	20.26%	76.12%	R+55.9	R
70	29.25%	69.37%	R+40.1	32.82%	62.78%	R+30	R
71	22.84%	75.76%	R+52.9	21.49%	74.23%	R+52.7	R
72	23.33%	75.26%	R+51.9	21.45%	74.81%	R+53.4	R
73	20.22%	78.37%	R+58.2	21.25%	75.11%	R+53.9	R
74	56.99%	41.57%	D+15.4	56.27%	39.58%	D+16.7	D
75	72.33%	26.62%	D+45.7	73.74%	21.38%	D+52.4	D
76	76.91%	21.86%	D+55.1	77.93%	17.86%	D+60.1	D
77	64.07%	34.29%	D+29.8	68.79%	25.97%	D+42.8	D
78	54.41%	44.15%	D+10.3	59.28%	35.16%	D+24.1	D
79	64.73%	34.12%	D+30.6	68.62%	26.73%	D+41.9	D
80	68.25%	30.91%	D+37.3	65.06%	32.31%	D+32.7	D
81	24.20%	74.66%	R+50.5	26.33%	70.49%	R+44.2	R
82	19.38%	79.31%	R+59.9	20.58%	75.76%	R+55.2	R
83	21.27%	77.50%	R+56.2	19.94%	76.49%	R+56.5	R
84	34.95%	63.28%	R+28.3	35.12%	59.58%	R+24.5	R
85	37.99%	61.03%	R+23	41.09%	56.10%	R+15	R
86	16.18%	82.55%	R+66.4	16.16%	80.17%	R+64	R
87	22.12%	76.56%	R+54.4	21.74%	74.43%	R+52.7	R
88	19.06%	79.89%	R+60.8	16.48%	80.59%	R+64.1	R
89	31.79%	66.67%	R+34.9	36.08%	59.03%	R+23	R
90	73.70%	25.21%	D+48.5	74.97%	21.48%	D+53.5	D
91	30.45%	67.90%	R+37.5	32.14%	63.08%	R+30.9	R
92	37.22%	61.08%	R+23.9	40.54%	54.66%	R+14.1	R
93	38.26%	60.21%	R+21.9	40.40%	54.84%	R+14.4	R
94	38.10%	60.29%	R+22.2	40.87%	54.30%	R+13.4	R
95	76.11%	22.99%	D+53.1	74.24%	22.89%	D+51.4	D
96	40.22%	58.60%	R+18.4	42.55%	53.74%	R+11.2	R
97	38.92%	59.59%	R+20.7	42.59%	52.42%	R+9.8	R
98	23.57%	75.01%	R+51.4	28.91%	66.33%	R+37.4	R
99	30.70%	67.69%	R+37	32.12%	63.36%	R+31.2	R
100	77.89%	21.07%	D+56.8	77.24%	19.30%	D+57.9	D
101	64.01%	34.87%	D+29.1	66.06%	30.36%	D+35.7	D
102	45.32%	53.02%	R+7.7	52.27%	42.74%	D+9.5	R
103	69.87%	28.77%	D+41.1	73.55%	22.33%	D+51.2	D
104	72.70%	26.36%	D+46.3	75.60%	20.85%	D+54.7	D
105	46.48%	52.14%	R+5.7	52.13%	43.60%	D+8.5	R
106	30.86%	67.69%	R+36.8	35.83%	59.70%	R+23.9	R
107	46.89%	51.83%	R+4.9	52.37%	43.40%	D+9	D
108	39.31%	58.99%	R+19.7	50.32%	44.01%	D+6.3	R
109	81.75%	17.68%	D+64.1	81.55%	16.42%	D+65.1	D
110	88.74%	10.77%	D+78	86.76%	11.25%	D+75.5	D
111	77.24%	22.06%	D+55.2	77.40%	20.17%	D+57.2	D
112	43.50%	55.03%	R+11.5	48.28%	47.10%	D+1.2	R
113	46.31%	52.53%	R+6.2	49.13%	47.23%	D+1.9	R
114	43.48%	55.23%	R+11.7	52.14%	43.21%	D+8.9	R
115	43.23%	55.27%	R+12	51.54%	43.64%	D+7.9	R
116	60.53%	37.80%	D+22.7	63.73%	31.10%	D+32.6	D
117	51.99%	46.85%	D+5.1	53.23%	42.14%	D+11.1	D
118	55.33%	43.41%	D+11.9	55.58%	40.41%	D+15.2	D
119	60.26%	38.58%	D+21.7	60.13%	36.08%	D+24.1	D
120	64.75%	34.11%	D+30.6	63.51%	32.10%	D+31.4	D
121	37.61%	60.88%	R+23.3	43.42%	51.69%	R+8.3	R
122	30.87%	67.87%	R+37	37.75%	57.87%	R+20.1	R
123	61.36%	36.80%	D+24.6	65.02%	30.27%	D+34.7	D
124	60.94%	37.65%	D+23.3	62.19%	33.04%	D+29.1	D
125	59.11%	39.59%	D+19.5	61.62%	33.69%	D+27.9	D
126	36.72%	62.08%	R+25.4	43.00%	52.94%	R+9.9	R
127	29.60%	69.21%	R+39.6	34.90%	61.23%	R+26.3	R
128	26.59%	72.37%	R+45.8	28.77%	68.15%	R+39.4	R
129	33.88%	64.47%	R+30.6	40.06%	55.33%	R+15.3	R
130	22.81%	75.91%	R+53.1	27.96%	68.06%	R+40.1	R
131	83.65%	15.69%	D+68	84.29%	13.35%	D+70.9	D
132	39.77%	58.92%	R+19.2	45.68%	50.04%	R+4.4	R
133	30.41%	68.14%	R+37.7	41.12%	54.52%	R+13.4	R
134	41.74%	56.39%	R+14.7	55.09%	39.61%	D+15.5	R
135	39.86%	58.83%	R+19	46.82%	48.89%	R+2.1	R
136	41.43%	55.34%	R+13.9	47.69%	45.16%	D+2.5	R
137	63.91%	34.49%	D+29.4	67.00%	28.92%	D+38.1	D
138	39.30%	59.18%	R+19.9	47.85%	47.78%	D+0.1	R
139	75.62%	23.61%	D+52	76.12%	20.61%	D+55.5	D
140	70.10%	28.98%	D+41.1	75.09%	21.87%	D+53.2	D
141	87.41%	12.07%	D+75.3	85.19%	12.59%	D+72.6	D
142	77.41%	21.97%	D+55.4	76.20%	20.97%	D+55.2	D
143	67.18%	31.86%	D+35.3	71.02%	26.02%	D+45	D
144	50.77%	47.88%	D+2.9	57.75%	38.37%	D+19.4	D
145	60.26%	38.28%	D+22	66.92%	28.72%	D+38.2	D
146	78.82%	20.05%	D+58.8	79.43%	17.32%	D+62.1	D
147	78.07%	20.30%	D+57.8	78.99%	16.78%	D+62.2	D
148	56.59%	41.08%	D+15.5	63.82%	30.50%	D+33.3	D
149	58.76%	40.12%	D+18.6	64.25%	32.50%	D+31.8	D
150	30.28%	68.55%	R+38.3	36.63%	59.18%	R+22.6	R
Total	41.40%	57.19%	R+15.8	43.48%	52.53%	R+9.1	-
Source: Daily Kos

Candidate ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for 22nd Congressional District candidates in Texas in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Texas, click here.

Filing requirements, 2020
State	Office	Party	Signatures required	Signature formula	Filing fee	Filing fee formula	Filing deadline	Source
Texas	22nd Congressional District	Democratic or Republican	N/A	N/A	$3,125.00	Fixed number	12/9/2019	Source
Texas	22nd Congressional District	Unaffiliated	500	5% of all votes cast for governor in the district in the last election; not to exceed 500	N/A	N/A	12/9/2019 (declaration of intent); 8/13/2020 (final filing deadline)	Source

District election history

2018

See also: Texas' 22nd Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 22

Incumbent Peter G. Olson defeated Sri Preston Kulkarni, John McElligott, and Sara Kellen Sweny in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 22 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Peter G. Olson (R)	51.4	152,750
		Sri Preston Kulkarni (D)	46.5	138,153
	Submit photo	John McElligott (L)	1.1	3,261
		Sara Kellen Sweny (Independent)	1.1	3,241

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 297,405
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Stephanie Williams (Independent)

Democratic primary runoff election

Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 22

Sri Preston Kulkarni defeated Letitia Plummer in the Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 22 on May 22, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sri Preston Kulkarni	62.1	9,502
		Letitia Plummer	37.9	5,794

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 15,296
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 22

Sri Preston Kulkarni and Letitia Plummer advanced to a runoff. They defeated Stephen Keith Brown, Margarita Ruiz Johnson, and Mark Gibson in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 22 on March 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sri Preston Kulkarni	31.8	9,466
✔		Letitia Plummer	24.3	7,230
		Stephen Keith Brown	21.0	6,246
		Margarita Ruiz Johnson	12.7	3,767
		Mark Gibson	10.2	3,046

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 29,755
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 22

Incumbent Peter G. Olson defeated Danny Nguyen, James Green, and Eric Zmrhal in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 22 on March 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Peter G. Olson	78.4	35,782
		Danny Nguyen	13.5	6,170
		James Green	5.5	2,521
		Eric Zmrhal	2.6	1,174

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 45,647
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2016

See also: Texas' 22nd Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Pete Olson (R) defeated Mark Gibson (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Olson ran unopposed in the Republican primary on March 1, 2016, while Mark Gibson defeated A.R. Hassan for the Democratic nomination.

U.S. House, Texas District 22 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Pete Olson Incumbent	59.5%	181,864
	Democratic	Mark Gibson	40.5%	123,679
Total Votes				305,543
Source: Texas Secretary of State

U.S. House, Texas District 22 Democratic Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Mark Gibson	76.2%	23,084
A.R. Hassan	23.8%	7,226
Total Votes		30,310
Source: Texas Secretary of State

2014

See also: Texas' 22nd Congressional District elections, 2014

The 22nd Congressional District of Texas held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Pete Olson (R) defeated Frank Briscoe (D) and Rob Lapham (L) in the general election.

U.S. House, Texas District 22 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Pete Olson Incumbent	66.5%	100,861
	Democratic	Frank Briscoe	31.6%	47,844
	Libertarian	Rob Lapham	1.9%	2,861
Total Votes				151,566
Source: Texas Secretary of State

State profile

See also: Texas and Texas elections, 2019

Partisan data

The information in this section was current as of January 22, 2020

Presidential voting pattern

• Texas voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Congressional delegation

• Following the 2018 elections, both U.S. senators from Texas were Republicans.
• Twenty-three of Texas' 36 U.S. representatives were Republicans and 13 were Democrats.

State executives

• Republicans held six of Texas' nine state executive offices. The other three offices were nonpartisan.
• Texas' governor was Republican Greg Abbott.

State legislature

• Republicans controlled the Texas State Senate with a 19-12 majority.
• Republicans controlled the Texas House of Representatives with a 83-67 majority.

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

Texas quick stats

• Became a state in 1845
• 28th state admitted to the United States
• Texas was an independent republic from 1836 to 1845
• Members of the Texas State Senate: 31
• Members of the Texas House of Representatives: 150
• U.S. senators: 2
• U.S. representatives: 36

More Texas coverage on Ballotpedia:

• Texas elections, 2019
• Presidential voting trends in Texas
• United States congressional delegations from Texas
• Public policy in Texas
• Influencers in Texas
• Almanac of American Politics state profile
• More...

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.

See also

• United States House of Representatives elections in Texas, 2020
• United States House of Representatives elections, 2020

External links

• Search Google News for this topic

Footnotes

[show]

Texas' current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

John Cornyn (R)

Ted Cruz (R)

Representatives

District 1

Nathaniel Moran (R)

District 2

Daniel Crenshaw (R)

District 3

Keith Self (R)

District 4

Pat Fallon (R)

District 5

Lance Gooden (R)

District 6

Jake Ellzey (R)

District 7

Lizzie Fletcher (D)

District 8

Morgan Luttrell (R)

District 9

Al Green (D)

District 10

Michael McCaul (R)

District 11

August Pfluger (R)

District 12

Craig Goldman (R)

District 13

Ronny Jackson (R)

District 14

Randy Weber (R)

District 15

Monica De La Cruz (R)

District 16

Veronica Escobar (D)

District 17

Pete Sessions (R)

District 18

Vacant

District 19

Jodey Arrington (R)

District 20

Joaquin Castro (D)

District 21

Chip Roy (R)

District 22

Troy Nehls (R)

District 23

Tony Gonzales (R)

District 24

Beth Van Duyne (R)

District 25

Roger Williams (R)

District 26

Brandon Gill (R)

District 27

Michael Cloud (R)

District 28

Henry Cuellar (D)

District 29

Sylvia Garcia (D)

District 30

Jasmine Crockett (D)

District 31

John Carter (R)

District 32

Julie Johnson (D)

District 33

Marc Veasey (D)

District 34

Vicente Gonzalez (D)

District 35

Greg Casar (D)

District 36

Brian Babin (R)

District 37

Lloyd Doggett (D)

District 38

Wesley Hunt (R)

Republican Party (27)

Democratic Party (12)

Vacancies (1)

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