Texas' 2nd Congressional District election (March 6, 2018 Republican primary)

Elections in Texas, 2018

• General election: Nov. 6
• Voter registration deadline: Oct. 9
• Early voting: Oct. 22 - Nov. 2
• Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 7

• Online registration: No
• Same-day registration: No
• Voter ID: Photo ID required
• Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

---

On the ballot: U.S. Senate • U.S. House • Congressional special elections • Governor • Lt. Gov • Attorney General • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Special state legislative • Supreme court • Appellate courts • Local judges • Local ballot measures • School boards • Municipal • Recalls • Democratic primaries • Republican primaries

2020 → ← 2016
Texas' 2nd Congressional District
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: December 11, 2017
Primary: March 6, 2018 Primary runoff: May 22, 2018 (if needed) General: November 6, 2018 Pre-election incumbent: Ted Poe (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Texas
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Likely Republican Inside Elections: Solid Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Likely Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
See also
Texas' 2nd 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 • 27th (special) Texas elections, 2018 U.S. Congress elections, 2018 U.S. Senate elections, 2018 U.S. House elections, 2018 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

This page covers the March 6, 2018 primary election. Click here for coverage of the May 22, 2018 primary election runoff.

Former Navy SEAL Daniel Crenshaw defeated State Rep. Kevin Roberts in the runoff for Ted Poe's (R) congressional seat.

Roberts and Crenshaw were the top two vote-getters in the March 6 primary election. Both advanced to a runoff election on May 22 since neither received more than 50 percent of the vote. For more information about the primary runoff election, click here.

After representing the 2nd District in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2005, Poe announced that he would not seek re-election on November 7, 2017.

Nine total candidates ran in the March 6 election. GOP activist Kathaleen Wall raised more than $5.9 million, with all but $32,000 of her campaign contributions being self-funded. She also had endorsements from national figures such as U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and state figures like U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), and Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) backed her campaign. She reported having about $1.6 million in cash on hand entering the final weeks of the campaign.

Second in fundraising was state Rep. Kevin Roberts, who brought in about $660,000. $320,000 of his contributions were self-funded and he had almost $290,000 in cash on hand. Roberts received endorsements from local figures in the Houston area, including Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, and the National Rifle Association. He argued that Wall was not prepared to be in Congress, pointing to what he called her poor performances in debates and public forums.

Businessman Rick Walker also self-funded the bulk of his campaign, with $373,000 of his almost $480,000 in contributions coming from his own funds. He had about $50,000 in cash on hand as of February 14.

Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL endorsed by U.S. Reps. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) and Scott Taylor (R-Va.), raised over $171,000 and had about $80,000 in cash on hand as of February 14.

This seat was rated Safe Republican by three outlets as of January 25, 2018, making the primary the major barrier for candidates seeking election to the seat.

Texas voter? Dates you need to know.
Primary election	March 6, 2018
Candidate filing deadline	December 11, 2017
Registration deadline	February 5, 2018
Absentee application deadline	February 23, 2018
General election	November 6, 2018
Voting information
Primary type	Open
Early voting deadline	March 2, 2018
Polling locations: Go to this page to find early voting locations and your assigned precinct for election day.

For more on related elections, please see:

• Texas' 2nd Congressional District election (March 6, 2018 Democratic primary)
• Texas' 2nd Congressional District election, 2018
• United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2018
• United States House Republican Party primaries, 2018
• Democratic Party primaries in Texas, 2018
• Republican Party primaries in Texas, 2018

Candidates and election results

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 2 on March 6, 2018.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 2

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kevin Roberts	33.0	15,273
✔		Daniel Crenshaw	27.4	12,679
		Kathaleen Wall	27.1	12,524
		Rick Walker	7.2	3,320
	Submit photo	Jonny Havens	2.0	936
		Justin Lurie	0.9	425
		Jon Spiers	0.9	418
	Submit photo	David Balat	0.8	348
	Submit photo	Malcolm Whittaker	0.7	322

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 46,245
= 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.

Election updates

Campaign finance

• February 26, 2018: Campaign finance reports for January 1 through February 14 showed Kathaleen Wall raising $3.2 million and spending $3.9 million. Kevin Roberts raised almost $132,000 and spent almost $290,000. Rick Walker raised about $110,000 and spent almost $315,000. Daniel Crenshaw raised about $89,000 and spent about $84,000. Wall had $1.6 million in cash on hand, Roberts had about $290,000, Walker had about $50,000, and Crenshaw had almost $80,000.
• January 31, 2018: After the filing deadline for the fourth quarter of 2017 passed, Kathaleen Wall had a fundraising lead with $2.3 million in the bank. She was trailed by Kevin Roberts with $450,000 and Rick Walker with about $250,000.

Satellite spending

• March 1, 2018: A super PAC called the American Patriots PAC disclosed $100,000 in spending on Daniel Crenshaw's candidacy. The $100,000 included $30,000 in TV ads and $70,000 in radio ads.

Campaign advertisements

• March 1, 2018: Kathaleen Wall released an ad highlighting her endorsement from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on March 1. See the video here.
• February 21, 2018: Kathaleen Wall released an ad highlighting her opposition to unauthorized immigration and her support for constructing a border wall. See the video here.
• February 20, 2018: Kevin Roberts released an ad on February 20 criticizing Wall's performance in candidate debates and questioning her ability to work in Congress. See the video here.

On the campaign trail

• February 20, 2018: Daniel Crenshaw began a 100-mile run through the 2nd Congressional District to raise money for Hurricane Harvey rebuilding efforts.

Endorsements

• February 8, 2018: The National Rifle Association endorsed Kevin Roberts (R) in the race.
• February 5, 2018: U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) endorsed Kathaleen Wall (R) in the race.
• January 23, 2018: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) endorsed Kathaleen Wall (R) in the race.

Top candidates

The candidates included below have either been mentioned as leading candidates by local media or received support from elected officials in the state. They are listed in alphabetical order.

Daniel Crenshaw (R)

A retired lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy, Crenshaw served in the Navy SEALs for ten years. Prior to running in 2018, Crenshaw had not previously served in elected office.

In his November 2017 candidacy announcement, Crenshaw referred to his experience as a Navy SEAL: "I am running because our country needs leaders, not politicians. I fought and bled for ten years as a Navy SEAL in Iraq, Afghanistan, and South Korea, because I know the importance of service before self." While deployed in Afghanistan, Crenshaw was hit by an IED blast, causing him to lose his right eye. Crenshaw's campaign website described his campaign as an effort to "continue to build a stronger, more secure America." The website listed Crenshaw's top policy priorities as national security, the economy, and enforcing current firearm regulations without adding new laws.

Crenshaw expressed a desire for a younger and more diverse Republican Party. He told the Weekly Standard, “You keep electing old, rich, white people to the seat—you can expect the Republican party to be gone in 50 years. We can’t keep doing that. We have to make conservatism cool and exciting again.” While he said he supported President Trump's policy agenda, he added, “we’ve got to think long-term too because I don’t think Trump speaks to a lot of young people.”

Crenshaw's candidacy received media attention, including an appearance on Fox and Friends. U.S. Reps. Pete Sessions (R-Tex.), whom he previously worked for as a military legislative assistant, and Scott Taylor (R-Virg.) endorsed Crenshaw's candidacy.

Kevin Roberts (R)

A businessman who served as executive director and chief operating officer of the Lanier Law Firm, Roberts was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2016. At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, Roberts served on the House Appropriations Committee and House County Affairs Committee.

In his November 2017 announcement speech, Roberts referred to his experience in the state legislature: "I have a proven record of delivering conservative results that seek to make our government more effective, while limiting its powers to intervene in our lives." On his campaign website, Roberts described his candidacy as an effort to "ensure we have a voice in Congress who understands the Texas model of success: fewer regulations and taxes coupled with pro-growth policies are necessary to create more freedom, opportunity, and prosperity for our families and small businesses." The website identified three of Roberts' most important national issues as healthcare, military preparedness, and national security. On January 15, 2018, the Texas Tribune reported that the response to Hurricane Harvey was Roberts' signature issue.

Roberts received endorsements from Conservative Republicans of Texas PAC President Steven Hotze, Link Letter host Terry Lowry, and Texas Conservative Review publisher Gary Polland. He was also backed by the National Rifle Association.

Rick Walker (R)

Businessman Rick Walker founded and has served as the CEO of GreenEfficient. He previously founded a website design and data-hosting company. He received a degree in music business from Southern Nazarene University. Walker and his family were affected by Hurricane Harvey's impact on the Houston area.

Walker's campaign slogan is "Our Values." According to his campaign website, "The values of Faith, Family and Country are the rock upon which Rick will fight to create more good-paying jobs here at home, promote family values and the right to life, all while cutting government and bureaucratic waste through increased efficiency. Rick Walker shares our values and will put them to work for us in Congress."

Kathaleen Wall (R)

A Republican activist and fundraiser, Kathaleen Wall and her husband Holloway Frost, the founder of the Houston-based tech company Texas Memory Systems, have both donated to Republican candidates in Texas, contributing over $1 million in the 2016 election cycle. Wall previously worked in business and has also been a member of the Texas Conservative View.

Wall received endorsements from U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), U.S. Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas), and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R). Her website emphasized her positions on gun policy, healthcare, abortion, immigration, taxes, and the response to Hurricane Harvey.

Other candidates

David Balat (R)

A healthcare executive who had not previously sought elected office, Balat began his career working in hospital administration before founding a healthcare consulting firm.

Balat initially filed to challenge Rep. John Culberson (R) of Texas' 7th congressional district, but the destruction of his home in Hurricane Harvey led to his relocation to the nearby 2nd District. In his July 2017 announcement that he would run for Congress, Balat emphasized his discontent with sitting members of the U.S. Congress: "Elected leaders are more concerned with their own longevity than they are with the people they represent." Balat's official campaign website calls on voters to "vote for a true representative of District 2 and stand up to Washington insiders. Join with me and let D.C. hear our voice from District 2." Balat's website identified his policy priorities as government management, healthcare, and economic and infrastructure development of the Houston region.

Candidate list

See also: Statistics on U.S. Congress candidates, 2018

 Republican primary candidates

• David Balat
• Daniel Crenshaw ✔
• Jonny Havens
• Justin Lurie
• Kevin Roberts ✔
• Jon Spiers
• Rick Walker
• Kathaleen Wall
• Malcolm Whittaker

Political analysis

In the aftermath of the March 6 primary, much of the reaction focused on Dan Crenshaw making the May 22 runoff election over Kathaleen Wall, who was widely expected to advance based on her fundraising and endorsements.

• The Daily Kos: "...there were at least some signs that Wall's campaign didn't really have their finger on the pulse of the GOP electorate. Abbott appeared in an ad for Wall late in the race calling her 'a behind the scenes mover and shaker in Houston politics for years.' In this era where almost every candidate is tripping over each other to portray themselves as the real enemy of the establishment whether they actually are or not, it was quite jarring to hear someone embracing a label like that. By contrast, Crenshaw looked like a candidate with a strong biography but few resources. Crenshaw lost an eye in Afghanistan after being hit by an IED blast in 2012, and he returned to service overseas after surgeries restored his vision. Crenshaw also had an endorsement from none other than Buzz Aldrin. Crenshaw only spent $84,000 during the pre-primary period, so it looked like he'd have a tough time getting his story out to primary voters, but he pulled it off."

• The Houston Chronicle: "Wall’s defeat is another stunning blow for wealthy self-financers who have consistently lost campaigns for Congress in Texas even while heavily out spending their opponents...What often happens is that self funders are often political novices who try to use their money to overcome their inexperience, said Larry Sabato, the director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. In Wall’s case that inexperience showed up in her speaking engagements where she struggled to remember talking points during forums. Her campaign also avoided interviews with the media, turning down repeated interview requests with the Houston Chronicle."

• The Houston Chronicle: "Big self-funding candidates in Texas may want to think twice about committing their own money to run for Congress. Since 2000, 21 candidates have now put at least $1 million of their own money into their races. And 18 now have lost."

• Brendan Steinhauser, political consultant for Crenshaw: "[Wall's focus on television and radio advertising] allowed us to spend our dollars and time efficiently and effectively and help us win the margin of victory in the end. Dan ran a campaign that was very transparent and created many opportunities for voters to get to meet him face-to-face. He handed out his cellphone number to anyone who wanted to talk to him about the race or about issues they care about. He had a story to tell about his life experience, being a warrior, being a hero, and being called to serve, and it resonated with people because it was genuine."

• Rick Walker: Walker posted an analysis of the election on his website. He said that strategic decisions made by his campaign led to the unexpected result of Wall not making the runoff.

He said, "In the 10 days leading up to election day, we purchased 900 TV spots and radio ads, contrasting myself with Kathaleen Wall, using a version of [a quote from Wall saying she had voted for Hillary Clinton at some point in the past]. We augmented that with a dedicated website and heavy social media messaging. This caused her polling to decline from over 51% down to 27%."

He also said, "We were successful in this primary objective, but unsuccessful in that the votes leaving Mrs. Wall did not fall to us. Nearly all the 24% of votes she lost fell to Dan Crenshaw (or didn’t vote), as he went from 3% to 27% over 2 weeks. Michael Berry endorsing Dan around that same time also helped those votes fall to Dan. There were essentially little-to-no undecided voters left, so someone had to take them away from Mrs. Wall."

He added, "We projected [Kevin Roberts] to finish around 11%. When the elections were over, Kevin Roberts had won 33% of the vote. He had far less TV time, less radio time and less social media presence than either Kathaleen Wall or Rick Walker during that time. Kevin Roberts received the endorsements from all 3 of the pay-to-play slate mailers. I witnessed approximately 65% of early voters carrying these faux sample ballots into voting centers some days. (Kevin didn’t pay them with his campaign dollars, but his brother-in-law essentially owns 2 of the men who run them. Kevin didn’t technically pay-to-play.) Kevin did a fantastic job going after Mrs. Wall’s voters as well via social media and TV."

Endorsements

See also: Endorsements in the Texas congressional primaries, 2018

Republican candidate endorsements
Endorsement	Balat	Crenshaw	Roberts	Walker	Wall
Federal officials
U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.)					✔
U.S. Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas)					✔
U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas)		✔
U.S. Rep. Scott Taylor (R-Virg.)		✔
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.)					✔
State officials
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R)					✔
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R)					✔
State Sen. Joan Huffman (R)					✔
State Rep. Gary Elkins (R)			✔
Local officials
Harris County District Clerk Chris Daniel					✔
Houston City Councilman Mike Know					✔
Houston City Councilman Greg Travis					✔
Harris County Judge Ed Emmett			✔
Harris County Commissioner Jack Cagle			✔
Harris County Constable Mark Herman			✔
Houston City Councilman Steve Le	✔
Hunters Creek Mayor Jim Pappas	✔
Spring Valley Mayor Tom Ramsey	✔
Organizations
Texas Right to Life PAC					✔
Concerned Women PAC					✔
Texas Conservative View PAC					✔
Spring Branch Republicans					✔
Kingwood Tea Party					✔
The With Honor Fund		✔
Defend Our Nation PAC		✔
Houston Metro Police Union F.O.P.			✔
P.O.L.I.C.E. Inc.			✔
Texas Fraternal Order of Police			✔
Susan B. Anthony List					✔
National Rifle Association			✔
Texas Alliance for Life			✔
State political figures
Michael Berry		✔
Dr. Steven Hotze, Conservative Republicans of Texas PAC			✔
Terry Lowry, LinkLetter			✔
Gary Polland, Texas Conservative Review			✔
Former federal officials
U.S. Rep. Mary Bono (R-Calif.)		✔
Media figures
Hugh Hewitt		✔
Former astronaut Buzz Aldrin		✔
News organizations
Houston Chronicle			✔

Campaign finance

This table contains data from FEC February 2018 reports. It shows candidates' total contributions, total spending, and cash on hand, as well as their contributions and disbursements in the first 45 days of 2018 (Jan. 1 through Feb. 14).

Republicans

Satellite spending

• American Patriots PAC: This super PAC disclosed $100,000 in spending on Daniel Crenshaw's candidacy on March 1. The $100,000 included $30,000 in TV ads and $70,000 in radio ads.

How did the candidates differ?

Policies

Below are the top candidates' policy positions, taken from their campaign websites as well as media and campaign appearances. Policy positions are sorted by issue but do not necessarily match up one-to-one and may not represent differences between candidates as much as they show different messaging in their campaigns.

If a candidate is not listed under a policy area, it is because their position on the issue could not be discerned from their website or a public statement.

Abortion

All four candidates indicated that they oppose abortion. The following candidates gave more details on that position.

• Daniel Crenshaw (R): Crenshaw's campaign website highlights his opposition to late-term abortions.

• Kevin Roberts (R): Roberts' campaign website highlights his support for defunding Planned Parenthood and banning abortion after 20 weeks.

• Rick Walker (R): Walker's campaign website highlights his support for adoption policies, including splitting the adoption tax credit between the birth mother and the adopting parents.

Budget

• Daniel Crenshaw (R): Crenshaw's campaign website highlights his support for decreasing discretionary and mandatory spending programs, such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, in order to address the national debt. About Social Security, he says, "It is vital to implement a solution that does not unexpectedly cut seniors’ benefits, but also does not place an unnecessary tax burden on today’s workers."

• Rick Walker (R): Walker's campaign website highlights his support for achieving a balanced budget through cutting government spending, including changes to Social Security.

• Kathaleen Wall (R): Wall's campaign website indicates her support for decreasing government spending by decreasing the budgets of federal agencies and sometimes eliminating the agencies altogether.

Defense

• Daniel Crenshaw (R): Crenshaw's campaign website highlights his support for a variety of policies including expanding military operations against the Islamic State militant group in the Middle East and Africa, working with the Mexican authorities to combat drug cartels, opposing some activities of the Russian government while looking for areas to cooperate, building an international coalition against North Korea but shying away from a pre-emptive strike, and putting more resources into the military, particularly the navy and cybersecurity.

• Kevin Roberts (R): Roberts' campaign website highlights his support for increasing the military's resources by investing in military personnel, equipment, and weapons, specifically missile defense technology. It also indicates his support for ending the Iranian nuclear deal that was struck by the Obama administration and imposing sanctions on Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, and businesses that support terrorism or hostile activities.

• Kathaleen Wall (R): Wall's campaign website indicates her support for decreasing government spending by decreasing the budgets of federal agencies and sometimes eliminating the agencies altogether.

Economy and trade

• Daniel Crenshaw (R): Crenshaw's campaign website highlights his support for decreasing barriers to international trade and reducing regulations and taxation rates for businesses.

• Rick Walker (R): Walker's campaign website highlights his support for eliminating tariffs on imported goods.

Education

• Daniel Crenshaw (R): Crenshaw's campaign website highlights his support for school choice policies, increased investment in teachers, and vocational training and apprenticeship programs.

• Kevin Roberts (R): Roberts' campaign website highlights his support for eliminating the Department of Education

• Rick Walker (R): Walker's campaign website highlights his support for more localized control of education policy, limiting the scope of the Department of Education, and adopting a population-based funding formula for federal education spending.

Guns

All four candidates indicated that they support gun ownership. The following candidates gave more details on that position.

• Daniel Crenshaw (R): Crenshaw's campaign website highlights his support for improving the enforcement of current gun laws, including laws related to background checks.

• Kevin Roberts (R): Roberts' campaign website highlights his support for reciprocity across state lines for gun owners who are licensed to carry and improving the enforcement of current gun laws.

• Rick Walker (R): Walker's campaign website highlights his support for "broader responsible gun ownership, along with proper training..."

Healthcare

• Daniel Crenshaw (R): Crenshaw's campaign website highlights his support for repealing the Affordable Care Act, giving states more flexibility on healthcare policy, turning Medicaid into a block grant program, allowing Medicare to negotiate the prices for prescription drugs, and reducing licensing requirements for telemedicine.

• Kevin Roberts (R): Roberts' campaign website highlights his support for repealing the Affordable Care Act.

• Rick Walker (R): Walker's campaign website highlights his support for eliminating the Affordable Care Act's employer mandate, removing state restrictions on health insurance, and limiting medical malpractice lawsuits. He also indicated supported for healthcare savings accounts and decreasing the costs of prescription drugs.

• Kathaleen Wall (R): Wall's campaign website highlights her support for repealing the Affordable Care Act.

Hurricane Harvey response

• Daniel Crenshaw (R): Crenshaw's campaign website highlights his support for updating infrastructure to prepare for future flooding.

• Kevin Roberts (R): The Texas Tribune reported the following about Roberts' position on the hurricane response: "To differentiate himself, [Roberts] is using his perch to speak with fluency about state and government bureaucracies on the issue of flooding. 'I’m going to be on FEMA’s doorstep everyday' if he wins his race, he told the Tribune. 'We’re going to do checks on constituents in Congressional District 2, who are still waiting for them to act and to push the paperwork through.'"

• Rick Walker (R): Walker's campaign website contains a section on the response to Hurricane Harvey. It also says, "Hurricane Harvey left a trail of destruction. Rick, like thousands in the greater Houston area, is still rebuilding his home left damaged from the flood waters. As part of his congressional duties, if elected, Rick will fight for families, taxpayers, seniors and young adults against poorly performing and dishonest contractors, insurance companies and slow government agencies whose Harvey reconstruction efforts are causing unnecessary pain and hardships. This will help families get the resources and information they need to rebuild. This “Families First” effort is imperative, so our community and local economy have every chance to recover and thrive."

• Kathaleen Wall (R): Wall's campaign website indicates her support for streamlining the recovery and prevention efforts of federal, state, and local governments.

Immigration

• Daniel Crenshaw (R): Crenshaw's campaign website highlights his support for increasing border security by building a border wall and using drones to monitor crossings. He also indicated support for addressing the immigration system after border security measures were taken, including adopting a merit-based system. He indicated his opposition to sanctuary jurisdictions.

• Kevin Roberts (R): Roberts' campaign website highlights his opposition to sanctuary jurisdictions, the Diversity Immigrant Visa program, family-based immigration, and citizenship for individuals who arrived in the country without legal permission as minors. He also highlights his support for Kate's Law, increased border security, and the executive order signed by President Trump that limited travel with a select group of countries.

• Rick Walker (R): Walker's campaign website highlights his support for a range of immigration policies including constructing a border wall funded by the Mexican government, instituting a mandatory national E-verify program, defunding sanctuary jurisdictions, and mandating that individuals comings to the United States with visas know English. He also notes his opposition to the Diversity Immigrant Visa program, family-based immigration, and citizenship for individuals who arrived in the country without legal permission as minors. He supports an increase in the number of HB-1 visas for highly skilled workers from 85,000 to 250,000.

• Kathaleen Wall (R): Wall's campaign website indicates her support for increasing deportations of individuals living in the country without legal permission, constructing a border wall in areas where it would be needed, eliminating the Diversity Immigrant Visa program, and ending family-based immigration.

Regulations and government administration

• Daniel Crenshaw (R): Crenshaw's campaign website highlights his support for reducing regulations on businesses.

• Kevin Roberts (R): Roberts' campaign website highlights his support for reducing the number of government agencies (including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Department of Education), reducing the number of government employees, and passing a law that would require congressional approval for new regulations that would cost more than a certain amount.

• Rick Walker (R): Walker's campaign website highlights his support for eliminating federal agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Export-Import Bank, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

• Kathaleen Wall (R): Wall's campaign website indicates her support for decreasing the budgets of federal agencies, encouraging agencies to use new technology, and eliminating departments deemed to be no longer necessary.

Taxes

• Daniel Crenshaw (R): Crenshaw's campaign website highlights his support for reducing the corporate tax rate, incentivizing corporations to repatriate their overseas earnings, simplifying the individual tax code, and eliminating some deductions in the tax code to increase revenue.

• Rick Walker (R): Walker's campaign website highlights his support for a nine percent flat tax rate and simplifying the tax code.

Veterans

• Daniel Crenshaw (R): Crenshaw's campaign website highlights his support for decreasing government benefits for higher earning veterans in order to increase benefits for lower earning veterans.

• Kevin Roberts (R): Roberts' campaign website highlights his support for allowing veterans to receive treatment outside of the veterans' healthcare system.

• Rick Walker (R): Walker's campaign website highlights his support for improving veterans' access to healthcare and shifting more resources into decreasing instances of post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide.

Campaign tactics and strategies

Potential runoff election with Kathaleen Wall

With a nine-candidate race, a runoff between the top two candidates looked likely. Rick Walker said that in the event of a runoff involving top-spending candidate Kathaleen Wall, most of the candidates in the field would support the candidate opposing Wall.

"We all want to win, but we understand we've got to live with each other in the long run," said Walker about the candidates' tendency to not target one another. "And with a nine-person race, there's going to be a runoff, and so the runoff is probably going to be against the one person trying to buy the race."

Criticisms of Kathaleen Wall at candidate forums

Opponents of Kathaleen Wall, particularly Rick Walker and Kevin Roberts, and political observers drew attention to what they called Wall's poor attendance record and performance at candidate forums.

On February 8, Wall left a candidate forum hosted by a number of Republican organizations, including the Harris County Republican Party, after giving her opening speech. She said had another engagement to attend, which was disputed by David Jennings of Big Jolly Times. After Jennings' article was shared online, Walker tweeted the following message:

.@JudgeTedPoe, @JeremySWallace, @GrooganFox26, @PatrickSvitek, @tedcruz, and @GovAbbott would enjoy seeing this. If she won't fight for herself, she won't fight for you. #wallwalkout #CD2 https://t.co/JGLSlr6dZm

— Rick Walker (@RickWalkerTX) February 12, 2018

On February 14, the Texas Tribune reported on the following video of Wall at a candidate forum. Reporter Patrick Svitek commented, "Her opponents have increasingly criticized her as hiding from voters while relying on TV ads backed by her personal fortune —she's spent over $2.7 million on the race — and this video is unlikely to quell the perception she's not ready for prime time."

"Kathaleen Wall is not ready for Congress," released February 13, 2018

On February 15, Kevin Roberts' campaign set up a campaign website called www.iskathaleencapable.com. It featured three videos of her performing at campaign events and said "Watch these three videos, 6 minutes or less and judge for yourself. Is this someone capable of fighting for the victims of Hurricane Harvey, against the bureaucracy of the swamp, and getting results for Texans?"

After FEC filings on February 23 revealed that Wall had put $5.9 million of her own money into her campaign, Roberts said that she was "desperate to buy this seat without a runoff because she doesn't want more people to see how badly she struggles to speak in complete sentences."

Roberts has also faced criticisms for his alleged avoidance of candidate forums. In its endorsement of Roberts, the Houston Chronicle said, [Wall and Roberts] have developed a reputation for avoiding panels and other public events where they'll stand alongside the seven other challengers. That tactic may be politically clever, but we get a sense that it frustrates voters."

Campaign advertisements

David Balat

Support

"#HoustonStrong," released September 7, 2017

"Getting to Know David Balat," released July 10, 2017

Daniel Crenshaw

Support

"Freedom is Never More than One Generation Away from Extinction," released February 14, 2018

Rick Walker

Support

"Values," released January 30, 2018

"Our Jobs," released January 25, 2018

"Border Security," released January 15, 2018

Kathaleen Wall

Support

"Kathaleen Wall for Congress 2018 Television Ad 3," released January 23, 2018

"Kathaleen Wall for Congress 2018 Television Ad 2," released January 17, 2018

"Kathaleen Wall for Congress 1st Commercial 2018," released December 29, 2017

• Kathaleen Wall released an ad highlighting her endorsement from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on March 1. See the video here.

• Kathaleen Wall released an ad highlighting her opposition to unauthorized immigration and her support for constructing a border wall on February 21. See the video here.

• Kathaleen Wall released an ad highlighting her experience with firearms on her position on gun policy on February 14. It drew criticism from media outlets for airing the same day that a school shooting in Parkland, Florida, resulted in the deaths of 17 students. See the video here.

Oppose

• Kevin Roberts released an ad on February 20 criticizing Wall's performance in candidate debates and questioning her ability to work in Congress. See the video here.

Online presence

The following social media statistics were compiled on February 8, 2018.

	Facebook		Twitter
Candidate	Facebook followers	Facebook likes	Twitter followers	Twitter following	Tweets
Crenshaw	3,551	3,450	1,884	134	68
Roberts	3,659	2,661	1,451	653	1,099
Walker	12,074	12,059	2,176	246	10,300
Wall	4,777	4,687	273	80	113

Tweets by Daniel Crenshaw Tweets by Kevin Roberts Tweets by Rick Walker Tweets by Kathaleen Wall

Campaign themes and policy stances

These are the policy positions listed on the candidates' websites, if available.

David Balat

“	Protecting Our Constitutional Rights We must uphold the Constitution as it is written. It is not a living and breathing document, it is the law of the land. We must protect our Constitutional liberties. As a Constitutional Conservative, I believe in national rights. The proper role of government is to preserve protect and defend those natural rights. Reconstructing Healthcare Healthcare is an intricate and complicated issue that needs to be addressed by an expert in the field. There are too many people trying to fix a system they do not understand. My plan, FreedomCare, has the support of many in the industry and is a free-market solution that gets government out of the business of healthcare. Improving Houston’s Economy and Infrastructure For too long Houston has been neglected and the key industries of Oil and Gas, Health Care, and Business have been ignored. We need a comprehensive plan in order to strengthen our economy and infrastructure in Houston and the U.S. Strengthening Our National Defense Our national defense is weak along the boarder, and our soldiers are not given the proper resources they need. We must continue to strengthen our national defense as a deterrent to other countries and groups that wish to do us harm, and protect Americans here at home. Returning to a Limited Government I plan on going to DC and deregulating government. Career politicians maintain their power and influence as legislators by increasing the size of government and consequently their role within it. Limited government is the ideal of the conservative base and of those that love liberty and that is what I will fight for to preserve. The last of my concerns will be my longevity in Congress.	”
—David Balat’s campaign website (2018)

Daniel Crenshaw

“	National Security, Foreign Policy, and Defense: America is the leader of the free world, and should not back down from this responsibility. We can never forget the atrocities of September 11th, and what occurs when you allow terrorists to operate freely in ungoverned areas. We must continue to take the fight to ISIS, not only in Syria and Iraq, but also in Afghanistan and Africa. The threat of radical Islam is real, and we must do a better job fighting on all fronts. I have been doing that for my entire adult life. We also cannot forget the threat right across the border: the Mexican drug cartels. In many areas right across the border, the Mexican government has no control whatsoever. We need to do a better job working with the Mexican authorities to thwart this threat, and prevent weapons and drug trafficking across the border, in both directions. This threat has been largely forgotten by American politicians. That must change. Russia continues to test our will and our NATO allies. Vladimir Putin operates as a dictator, unaccountable to his own people. This allows him complete freedom to disrupt American interests and attack our country. A strong stance must be taken against Russian active measures, while also cooperating in areas of mutual interest. Putin understands realpolitik and political warfare, and we must too. North Korea cannot be tolerated as a belligerent rogue regime for much longer. We must stand behind the president as he builds a coalition against North Korea. However, we should be exceptionally wary of pre-emptive action against North Korea. The consequences could be catastrophic for both American service-members and the South Koreans. No one knows the costs of war better than I do. We need to follow the president’s lead in rebuilding the U.S. military. I have seen first-hand the toll that 16 years of warfare has taken on our soldiers, sailors, and airmen. Our ships are barely operational and the ones that are deployed are colliding and running aground. We need policy changes, and strong leadership to set us back on the right course. We need better cyber defenses, and we need to do better at keeping talented people in the military. We need to invest in new technology to maintain our edge, as China and Russia quickly catch up. Economy Fundamental tax reform is long overdue. As the debate in Congress rages on and Democrats make false accusations about Republican ideas, we must stick to free-market principles. We must lower the corporate rate while also removing unnecessary special-interest deductions. We have to give corporations the incentives to repatriate their profits so we can grow our tax base, and encourage investments in THIS country. Corporations are not evil, they create jobs, employ Americans, and grow our economy. We must simplify the individual income tax, and remove deductions that distort our economy and reduce revenue unnecessarily. We must stand for pro-growth policies, because we cannot lift the poor out of poverty or raise middle class wages without a strong and growing economy. This is common sense economics, and we must show leadership to make it happen. We must embrace free trade, and seek to give our businesses advantages by reducing regulatory burdens and lowering corporate tax rates. Small businesses are the primary driver of growth in this country and we need to ensure their success. It should be easy for entrepreneurs to start up their business and contribute to our strong economy. We have to protect the business owners that cannot afford to pay teams of lawyers to comply with tax law and regulations. Social Security is on its way to complete collapse, and no one is talking about it. The CBO projects the Social Security OASDI trust fund to become insolvent by 2029. Without more revenue, benefits will be cut by approximately 29% in 2029. Until recently, the trust fund balance was growing steadily. But as the population continues aging and the ratio of workers to retirees decreases, the trust fund will eventually be depleted. It is vital to implement a solution that does not unexpectedly cut seniors’ benefits, but also does not place an unnecessary tax burden on today’s workers. We must gradually transition to a mixed pay-as-you-go and investment-based system. Current workers will contribute an additional percentage of their taxable income into a personal retirement account (PRA) invested in a limited number of approved investment funds, which offer higher growth. These contributions should be small enough so as not to invite unnecessary risk, but large enough so that future retirement benefits can be maintained without greatly increasing the payroll tax. Our national debt has doubled in the past ten years. We cannot keep borrowing from our children. We can’t just cut discretionary spending, we have to attack the hard stuff: mandatory spending to include Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. If our debt continues to increase, we face increased interest rates that will reduce investment and become a drag on economic growth. We will be less flexible if we need to inject a trillion tax dollars into the economy, as we did during the financial crisis of 2008. Our credit will eventually suffer, and foreign investors will be less likely to buy up our debt, causing the U.S. dollar to collapse. It’s time we started making common sense decisions about spending before it is too late. 2nd Amendment I will always fight for 2nd Amendment rights. Democrats who don’t understand how guns even work continue to propose frivolous and ineffective gun-control legislation in Congress. We cannot allow the Leftists to set the terms of the gun rights debate in this country. Many states have borderline unconstitutional gun laws. We cannot allow this to happen in Texas. We must do a better job of enforcing current laws, especially background checks, so that guns stay out of the wrong hands. But I will never allow the government to prevent law-abiding citizens from defending themselves. Abortion As a country, we must place more value on LIFE. I believe that each life is created by God for a special, unique purpose, and that every life has inherent value. Being pro-life goes beyond politics. It is a foundational, moral position on the side of humanity. We must stop late-term abortions in this country. I believe our country is on very shaky moral ground by allowing the abortion of a human being with ten fingers, ten toes, and heartbeat. This is not an attack on women, it is a question of our humanity. Not even far-left European countries like France allow abortions past 12 weeks, and yet we do? Immigration Border security, border security, border security. Border security must come first, before we have any other conversation. Enough is enough, let’s enforce our laws. We should not only build the wall but also ramp up tech-savvy ways to secure our border, like drones and sensors. My background in national security makes me uniquely qualified to assess different proposals and find the right solution. Furthermore, border security leads to better legal immigration laws. When we finally secure the border – a proposal that used to be bipartisan – we can then talk about next steps for immigration reform. America is still the shining city on the hill and we need good, legal immigrants with skills, a hard work ethic, and conservative values to come into this country. But they should do it legally, and we should welcome them. We should move to a merit based immigration system, so that we get the best of the best in our country. Sanctuary cities are an affront to our law enforcement and national security. When illegal immigrants commit crimes, we should enforce both criminal law AND immigration law. Encouraging law enforcement agencies to cooperate with one another is common sense, and good policy. Religious Liberty I will never let the government force a private citizen or business to actively participate in an activity that directly violates their religious beliefs. Period. We are simply protecting the freedom of individuals to abstain from something that violates their religious beliefs. This is common sense. The original Americans who came over from Europe and founded this country came here for religious and economic liberty. They were people of conscience who wanted to be able to worship freely, build their communities, work hard, and live their lives free of unwarranted government intrusion into their lives. Religious liberty and pluralism have always been bedrock principles of the American republic, and I will fight every day in Congress to preserve this legacy. Education Our education system is not preparing our students for the future or for the current work force. We have to encourage competition and dynamism in our schools. I believe in school choice policies, and putting the student first. We should allow families to choose the school that works best for their student: whether it be traditional public schools, public charter schools, virtual schools, private schools, or home schooling. School choice is about freedom, competition, and improving education for all children. We also need to encourage policies that professionalize our teacher workforce. Study after study shows that the primary driver of good educational outcomes is good teachers. Not new iPads, or fancy stadiums, but good teachers. We need to focus on the basics. Our teachers are true patriots, and our hard-earned tax dollars should go towards improving teacher quality and rewarding good teachers, not endless federal bureaucracy in the Department of Education. College is becoming too expensive for working class families, and not giving students the skills they need to succeed. Government subsidies have caused education costs to sky rocket, and it is only getting more expensive. A 4-year degree is the right choice for a lot of people, but it should not be the only choice. We need to encourage vocational training and apprenticeship programs that give workers the skills that industries actually need. There are an estimated 5-7 million job openings in medium-skilled sectors that are not being filled, because we do not have the workers with the right skills. They don’t need English majors, they need technicians, data analysts, and manufacturing specialists. These skills are obtained through on-the-job training, apprenticeships, and trade schools. We need to start those paths in high school, and make it easier for laid off workers to obtain those skills when looking for new work. Federalism & the 10th Amendment I am a strong advocate for the idea of federalism, and the wisdom of the 10th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Political power should be taken out of Washington and sent back to state capitals and local communities. I believe that policy is best made at the local level, where voters can reach out and touch their representatives. This is common sense policy, because different regions and communities face different challenges and preferences. One-size-fits-all policies are counter to our Founding Fathers’ vision of the Republic, and we need to adhere to the greatest legal document in the world: the U.S. Constitution. Federal overreach causes inefficient and confusing policy, and it allows unelected bureaucrats to create de facto laws and regulations. As your congressman, I will fight to restore federalism and the 10th amendment. Free Speech Our country is frighteningly close to violating our Constitution by allowing the left to shout down and shame anyone who disagrees with them. This is happening regularly on college campuses all over the country. From Berkeley to Boston, leftist agitators are trying to “enforce” political correctness by shutting down speeches that they disagree with. Even some liberal commentators are finding this problematic and have called them out for their anti-American ways. College should be a place for the free and open exchange of ideas, not a place where groupthink and political correctness are enforced, and anti-conservative thugs reign supreme. We need to encourage and inspire young conservatives to stand up to this leftist bullying. I do not back down from fights, and I am not about to back down from this one. The future of our country is at stake. Healthcare We need a free market, patient-centered health care system. Unfortunately, ObamaCare was a massive government takeover of the health care system, and it has been an unmitigated disaster. Congress needs to immediately repeal this horrible law, and the president needs to sign it. ObamaCare has caused health care costs to go up, has kicked millions of Americans off of their health insurance plans, and has increased taxes, all of which have been detrimental to the health care system. We need to replace it with a health care system that puts patients first, encourages competition, allows consumers to buy health insurance across state lines, and expands health savings accounts. I understand all too well the experience of being a patient in socialized medicine, both in the military and the VA. When no one is held accountable, and there’s no competition, quality of care suffers and prices skyrocket. We must give states the flexibility to experiment with solutions that deliver the cheapest and highest quality care to the most people. As Americans, we should all agree on this common-sense goal. We have to look at the insurance market differently. When we force insurance to cover routine visits or treatments, the costs of those treatments naturally skyrocket and premiums follow suit. The employer-based health insurance deduction lowers wages and hides the actual costs of healthcare. As a result, health care is overused without any measurable improvement in health outcomes. Medicaid continues to grow without actually improving Americans’ health. When Medicaid enrollees increase drastically, as they did under Obamacare, we reduce the quality of care for our poorest and neediest patients. We need to block grant Medicaid payments to states so they can experiment effectively. I have faith that Texas will use that money effectively and efficiently, and ensure that the neediest Texans get the health care they need. The federal government may mean well, but it isn’t doing well. It is time for Congress to take on out-of-control drug prices, and beat back the pharmaceutical lobby. We must change the incentives for hospitals, doctors, and pharmaceutical companies so that free market forces can effectively reduce drug prices. We need more transparency in research and development costs, and we need the FDA to assess the effectiveness of new drugs compared to existing drugs, so that consumers are not tricked into buying more expensive, but less effective medicine. We need to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices and establish common formularies, much like the VA does. This encourages free market forces to drive down costs. One of the most promising areas of medical innovation is the expansion of telemedicine, where medical professionals treat patients across great distances using electronic communications. A significant barrier to telemedicine is the requirement that physicians obtain licenses from each state in which their current or potential patients are, or may be, located. We must fix this. It is easy to do, and it is common-sense policy. If elected I will immediately call together a Houston-based healthcare commission to tackle these problems. Fix the VA The VA has made improvements, but is still far from where it needs to be. I know, because I live with it every day. Our veterans are hurting, with suicide rates that are catastrophic at around 20 per day. Furthermore, excessive benefits for veterans that do not need them are costing the taxpayers billions while crowding out veterans who truly do need the care. We have to fix this. If elected, I will keep going to the VA for my appointments, so that I continue to understand the patient experience at VA hospitals in Texas. American Energy Texas is an energy leader in the world, and I will always support the Texas energy industry. Our natural resources power our homes, businesses, and millions of other infrastructures around the country. Energy jobs are critical to our economy, and must be a priority when considering any type of regulation or law coming out of Washington. We have to unleash the power of the Texas energy sector, and become the world leader in energy that we are meant to be. There is no good reason to rely on Middle Eastern oil anymore. We should be drilling for even more clean natural gas and allowing exports around the world, so that the everyone can enjoy cleaner and cheaper energy. Cheap energy has brought billions of people from the grips of poverty over the last century. Why stop now? We should be updating our infrastructure to prepare for future heavy rains and flooding. We cannot afford another broken reservoir in a future Hurricane Harvey. The President was right to pull out of the costly and meaningless Paris Climate Agreement. That agreement was merely value signaling, not good policy. We must use our money to develop better infrastructure, not engage in hopeless attacks on our energy industry. We must invest in new and cleaner technologies that can compete in the marketplace without expensive and distortionary government subsidies. Protecting our energy industry and protecting the environment are NOT mutually exclusive. Our country has led the world in reduced CO2 emissions while also growing our economy at three percent. We have been able to do this because the energy sector has revolutionized natural gas exploration, allowing cleaner energy to be used and reducing emissions drastically. We should all agree that we need to protect our natural treasures, lakes, rivers, forests, and oceans. “Don’t Mess With Texas” should mean something to all of us, as it certainly does for me. We have to keep Texas beautiful. Local Projects Elected office isn’t just about passing legislation, or having 1 out of 435 votes, it is about leadership. It is about using your power and influence for the good of the people in Houston. If elected, I will immediately begin two outreach programs for our children and teenagers. The first will be focused on children’s nutrition and physical fitness, the second will be focused on teens who may be susceptible to gang activity. I am uniquely qualified to do both, so please allow me to explain: Children’s Health: Growing up in Katy, my mother was a nutritionist for the local school district. As a kid, I thought it was so exciting when she would come sit with me during lunch in the cafeteria. It made me feel special, and I knew she not only cared about me, but all the kids and what they were eating. She knew the importance of a good diet for growing bodies. She passed away when I was only 10 years old, after fighting breast cancer for 5 years. It was devastating. Before she died, she told me that she knew I would soar to great heights. For me, that meant I needed to help other people, the way she did. As a SEAL, I was constantly taught the value of physical fitness and good nutrition. Keeping our bodies fit and healthy is the building block for our success. If our health suffers, we cannot do the basic things necessary to be successful. We must teach our kids these lessons at an early age. I will not only be an advocate for healthier school lunches, but I will be on the ground working with kids on their physical fitness. I will encourage my fellow Navy SEALs to travel to Texas and do the same. We will show kids what is possible when you start building a strong foundation early on in life. Gang Violence: Houston continues to have a serious gang problem. It is absolutely poisonous to our young teens, resulting in criminal records, school drop-outs, and even deaths. Leading a successful life after being in a gang is extremely difficult. We need people who can relate to the choices teens are facing with respect to gang membership, and we need someone who can show them a better path. But we can’t just scare kids into making the right choices, we also have to show them a different path. I want to be able to show them what it really means to be part of a team, have camaraderie, and be truly tough. We will show them what life is like in the greatest and most elite team there is: the U.S. Navy SEALs. We must show teens that their choices now affect them forever; that they are capable of amazing things if they start on the right path now. There is no time to waste. We must reach them now.	”
—Daniel Crenshaw’s campaign website (2018)

Kevin Roberts

“	Limited Government Kevin delivered conservative reforms allowing the Texas economy to flourish Eliminate one regulation for every new one issued – SIGNED INTO LAW by Gov. Abbott. Reduced regulations on small businesses and local communities. Passed a BALANCED BUDGET with no tax increases. As OUR NEW VOICE in Congress, Kevin will fight for these priorities to limit the federal government and empower growth for our nation Get rid of the “Deep State” in Washington by ending unneeded agencies and removing thousands of bureaucrats. Continue to remove job-killing, Obama-era, regulations and programs, like Obamacare and the CFPB. Eliminate the Department of Education. Pass conservative reform that REQUIRES Congressional approval for any costly new regulation – the REINS Act reasserts the power of the Legislative Branch to check the power of the Executive. “I have successfully fought for and helped deliver the Texas-model of growth and opportunity. We need lower taxes, fewer regulations, and a more limited role of the federal government so we can truly liberate our economy and expand opportunities for our hard-working families.” Stopping Illegal Immigration Kevin put Texans first, securing policies that protect our communities and enforce our laws Banned Sanctuary Cities whose policies put our families in danger and encourage illegal immigration. Passed funding for more DPS patrols to catch illegal immigrants, drug smugglers, and bust up criminal alien gangs. As OUR NEW VOICE in Congress, Kevin will fight for these priorities to protect our nation and secure our borders Pass a federal ban on Sanctuary Cities and enact “Kate’s Law” to deliver harsh punishment to criminals who illegally enter the U.S. multiple times. End the VISA lottery, chain migration, and support President Trump’s travel restrictions from dangerous countries. Strengthen our border security with walls, thousands of more border agents, and equipment to detect and apprehend those crossing illegally. No citizenship for DACA individuals as this would only ENCOURAGE more illegal immigration. “If you can’t secure your borders, you can’t protect your people. Whether it is terrorists or criminal alien gangs that traffic drugs, smuggle humans, launder money, poison our children, and bring their violence to our communities – we need the federal government to understand that border security is a critical national security priority.” Recovering from Hurricane Harvey Kevin is working to ensure Texans get the help they need and to prevent this devastation from happening again Pass legislation to build a third reservoir for flood control and to protect our neighborhoods Coordinating with state and federal officials to help our families get the support they need Supporting Judge Ed Emmett’s flood mitigation plan Supporting the Lake Houston Area Chamber of Commerce’s Plea for Three initiatives As YOUR VOICE in Congress, Kevin will lead the effort to help our families recover and build the infrastructure we need to prevent massive flood damage in the future Work with President Trump to deliver the major infrastructure projects necessary to support the families of America’s fourth largest city. Relentlessly demand action, funding, and support from federal and state agencies. “Our families need support NOW! Our communities are strong, resilient, and undeterred in our efforts to recover but we deserve to see action and progress that has been promised. I will fight every day to make sure we receive the help we need to recover and build the infrastructure we need to prevent this kind of tragedy from ever happening again.” Revitalizing America's Armed Forces Kevin recognizes the dangers facing our nation and will fight to revitalize our military and care for our veterans The War on Terror continues to this day. Our nation faces ever more sophisticated threats from hostile regimes, radical Islamic jihadists, and foreign dictators who would like nothing more than the destruction of our nation. The brave men and women who have selflessly put themselves in harm’s way to preserve our freedoms deserve to have our grateful nation deliver the care they have earned in service to America. As YOUR VOICE in Congress, Kevin will stand for policies that help us achieve Peace Through Strength and take care of the heroes who have served in defense of our nation. Reinvest in more military personnel, training, advanced equipment, and modernize our weapons platforms to meet the emerging threats of our time. Develop next generation missile defense technology to stop rogue regimes like North Korea. Scrap Obama’s Iran nuclear deal that is only leading to nuclear weapons in the hands of Islamic radicals. Demand sanctions on Russia, China, Iran, North Korea and any businesses that help them foster terrorism and hostile actions against free people. Preserve aspects of the VA System that are delivering quality and advanced care for our veterans while allowing veterans the flexibility to receive medical treatment and therapy outside of the VA system when care is unavailable or delayed. The Right to Bear Arms In Texas, Kevin is preserving our 2nd Amendment rights Slashed the License to Carry Fee from $140 to $40 As OUR NEW VOICE in Congress, Kevin will fight for these priorities to preserve the 2nd Amendment Reciprocity across state lines to protect License to Carry holders from prosecution. Fully enforce federal gun crimes so criminals are taken off the streets. Stop liberal attempts to infringe on law-abiding gun ownership. Protecting the Unborn PROTECTING THE UNBORN 100% Pro-Life Record Kevin fought for the most innocent Texans by passing pro-life reforms Defunded Planned Parenthood in TX Banned partial-birth abortions in TX Stopped the gruesome practice of selling fetal tissue and organs As OUR NEW VOICE in Congress, Kevin will fight for these priorities to protect our unborn children End federal taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers. Pass the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act to ban abortions after 20 weeks. “I believe life begins at conception, every life has a soul, and we must protect these gifts from God. I proudly stood for pro-Life protections during this past legislative session when I helped pass new restrictions and bans on abortions in TX. I’m the only candidate who has this kind of proven commitment to protecting the lives of our unborn.”	”
—Kevin Roberts' campaign website (2018)

Jan. 15 Texas Tribune article

On January 15, 2018, the Texas Tribune reported that the response to Hurricane Harvey, a storm that caused $125 billion in property damage in the Houston area in August 2017, was a key issue in Texas' 2nd Congressional District Republican primary. It said the following about Roberts:

“	Republican Kevin Roberts, a first-term state representative, is running in the crowded GOP primary. To differentiate himself, he is using his perch to speak with fluency about state and government bureaucracies on the issue of flooding. “I’m going to be on FEMA’s doorstep everyday” if he wins his race, he told the Tribune. “We’re going to do checks on constituents in Congressional District 2, who are still waiting for them to act and to push the paperwork through.”	”
—Texas Tribune,

Rick Walker

“	FAITH, FAMILY, COUNTRY, RECOVERY, JOBS AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY Traditional American values are the bedrock of the American Dream. Our country is tied together by our love of God and the strength of our families. FAITH, FAMILY AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY I will be unwavering in my defense of these basic freedoms upheld by the First Amendment. Religious liberty is being threatened by weak politicians and lawyers who buy into the politically correct agenda. Religious freedom and the freedom of expression is not only our right but an American tradition. We must invoke the same strength and conviction the Founding Fathers practiced to stand against religious persecution. The American family is under assault and must be defended. I am 100% pro-life. Persecution of the unborn must stop; we must offer a future and hope through adoption. By sharing the adoption tax credit with the birth mother and the adopting parents we can encourage life and better equip families for success. RECOVERY Hurricane Harvey left a trail of destruction in our area. Like thousands in the greater Houston area, my family and I are still rebuilding our home left damaged by the floodwaters. Dishonest contractors, predatory trial lawyers, insurance companies and slow government agencies are causing unnecessary pain and ongoing hardships in our communities. I will fight for families, taxpayers, and seniors to get relief and improve flood mitigation. Along with the $15 billion in aid authorized in September, we must learn from our failures and adjust. We will pressure the state to fix the San Jacinto River Authority to save Kingwood, Atascocita and Humble from flooding. Additionally, dredging both the Addicks and Barker reservoirs, while adding a third reservoir in the Cypress Creek watershed, will save Braeswood, Bellaire, Meyerland, West University, Rice Village, Tanglewood, the Memorial Drive area, The Heights and other core areas of Houston from future flooding. I will be your voice in Washington, to help protect our homes from future flooding and devastation. JOB CREATION We must fight to keep jobs in America. Great paying jobs are critical to stable, successful families. For decades we have steadily encouraged businesses to leave the United States through burdensome regulations, robbing Americans of opportunity for their families. This must stop. It is essential that we are competitive in a global economy. Regulatory burdens need to be eased for exporters and job creators so they actually want to create jobs here instead of overseas. We cannot continue strapping the hands of our job-creating businesses behind their backs. Furthermore, we must make Houston the site of choice for major capital and employment efforts. We need to continue to compete with the other major US and global markets to promote our city as the best place to raise families, build commercial real estate projects and grow the next generation of bioscience, technological and educational leaders. STRONG NATIONAL DEFENSE STARTS WITH SECURING OUR BORDERS Our safety from threats both foreign and domestic must be the primary concern of the United States. A robust defense starts by securing our borders, continues through an unwavering support for our troops and ends with a no-nonsense approach to foreign policy. We cannot incentivize illegal immigration through sanctuary cities and states. This disregards our nation’s laws and sends the wrong message to those who wish to enter our country legally. We must foster a more efficient immigration system to encourage only legal immigration and penalize those who disrespect our laws. HEALTHCARE Obamacare is an unmitigated disaster that has left many of us frustrated. The quality of medical care has not improved, doctors are discouraged and most importantly, we the people are frustrated. We must improve healthcare by removing state-by-state restrictions and encouraging competition. Free market solutions along with tort reform and improved healthcare savings accounts are the meaningful changes that will improve our broken system. I will join efforts to bring safe, affordable prescription drugs to every American. We should not allow the Federal Government’s burdensome regulations to cause our seniors and families to pay more than anyone else in the world for common prescription drugs. MAKING GOVERNMENT LIVE WITHIN ITS MEANS The national debt has risen above $20 trillion and continues to rise. We can’t keep going on like this. As Ronald Reagan said, “Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.” This needs to stop. With record tax revenues in 2016 and an ever-growing national debt, it is clear that more taxes are not the answer. As a successful business owner, I understand how to budget and promote growth. Our nation has not passed a balanced budget in 16 years. We must produce a balanced budget, lower taxes, simplify the tax code and slash away out-of-control government programs to reduce our national debt. Instead of passing more taxes, I will fight to stop the government from wasting our hard-earned money. ENSURING ENERGY INDEPENDENCE We will create jobs and lower energy prices. While we allow other countries to take advantage of our wallets, the United States sits on large amounts of oil and the largest natural gas reserves in the world. We must ease regulations on energy producers, open domestic drilling and encourage an expanded network of pipelines. This would lower gas prices, save you money and create thousands of jobs. These common-sense solutions can remain while we continue to explore new sources of renewable energy. PROTECTING OUR RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS Our right to bear arms is a sacred right in our Constitution. All Americans should have the ability to protect their families through responsible and comprehensive gun ownership, just as I protect my family by owning firearms. I believe broader responsible gun ownership, along with proper training, could save countless lives here in Texas. SOCIAL SECURITY Social Security is a crucial support system for our Seniors who have paid into this system their entire lives, but there are many things wrong with the way it works now. Social Security is a train headed for a dead end with no brakes. It is Congress’s responsibility to ensure Social Security switches tracks before it is too late. CARING FOR OUR VETERANS Our armed forces and veterans have risked everything to fight for family and country. These brave men and women deserve all the respect and gratitude we can afford instead of the mistreatment and neglect they are often shown today. Our military men and women should not have to travel hours and wait months for medical treatment. Our nation’s heroes deserve easily accessible care of the highest quality. Additionally, we need to provide the resources necessary to assist our heroes in dealing with PTSD and suicide prevention. EDUCATION As a dad of children currently thriving in the public school system, I am a believer in an educational system where the schools and parents work together as a team. I believe the out of control teachers unions should work for the parents. An investment in our children’s education is an investment in our country’s future. Parents, teachers and local school districts should be the driving force behind our children’s education, not federal government bureaucrats. Higher standards and increased parental involvement are absolutely key to success in the classroom, but we can go further. By significantly limiting the scope of the Department of Education to administering population-based funding to states, we will give power back to states, independent school districts and parents.	”
—Rick Walker’s campaign website (2018)

Kathaleen Wall

“	Defend Second Amendment Kathaleen Wall grew up on a Texas ranch in a family that used guns responsibly. Defending the 2nd Amendment is about heritage, strong Constitutional protections, and individual American liberty. You can count on Kathaleen Wall, a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association (NRA), to stand up, protect, and defend our constitutional right to own a firearm. Advocate of Life Kathaleen Wall has been a longtime advocate of pro-life causes, defending the right to life from conception to natural death. Kathaleen is endorsed by the Texas Right to Life PAC. She participated in conducting candidate interviews on behalf of Texas Right to Life and testified for pro-life legislation in the Texas Legislature. Kathaleen has fought for our pro-life values and will be a reliable proponent in Congress for pro-life legislation. Repeal and Replace Obamacare Kathaleen Wall will work to repeal and replace Obamacare with a system that provides the right coverage for all Americans - at an affordable price. With the repeal of the individual mandate, a major step forward was taken toward full repeal of Obamacare, but there is much more to be done to achieve full repeal. Kathaleen supports healthcare that lowers costs and premiums, allows for more competition, and provides more choices for patients. Cut Regulation for Working Family Tax Relief Loosening regulation on Americans and on America's businesses will strengthen the economy and provide real tax relief for our working families. The federal government hampers oil and gas companies and our agricultural providers - two of Texas' largest industries - with overregulation that makes product more expensive for the consumer. Kathaleen will support legislation that stops government interference with both business and individuals, and enables businesses to compete and succeed. With a strong economy and less regulation, real tax relief can be felt by our working families. Reduce Illegal Immigration To reduce illegal immigration, Kathaleen Wall supports the building of a wall along the Texas-Mexico border. Like many Texans and Americans, she would like to stop people coming into this country illegally and committing crimes; and will support laws that will better prosecute and deport those who violate immigration laws. Kathaleen will fight to seal our border and stop illegal immigration from undermining U.S. law and sapping Texas resources. Support Harvey Recovery Efforts and Preventative Flooding Measures Kathaleen Wall will work to overhaul the efforts of federal, state, and local governments to ensure the risk of flooding from storms, like Hurricane Harvey, are prevented; and Kathaleen Wall will streamline recovery efforts to make certain Houstonians will receive the help they need and deserve.	”
—Kathaleen Wall’s campaign website (2018)

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Race ratings: Texas' 2nd Congressional District election, 2018
Race tracker	Race ratings
	October 30, 2018	October 23, 2018	October 16, 2018	October 9, 2018
The Cook Political Report	Likely Republican	Likely Republican	Likely Republican	Likely Republican
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Likely Republican	Likely Republican	Likely Republican	Likely Republican
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season.

Early voting in Texas primaries, 2018

Click here to learn about historic early voting turnout for both parties in Texas in 2014 and 2018.

District history

2016

See also: Texas' 2nd Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Ted Poe (R) defeated Pat Bryan (D), James Veasaw (L) and Joshua Darr (G) in the general election on November 8, 2016. No candidates in the race faced a primary opponent on March 1, 2016.

U.S. House, Texas District 2 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Ted Poe Incumbent	60.6%	168,692
	Democratic	Pat Bryan	36%	100,231
	Libertarian	James Veasaw	2.3%	6,429
	Green	Joshua Darr	1%	2,884
Total Votes				278,236
Source: Texas Secretary of State

2014

See also: Texas' 2nd Congressional District elections, 2014

The 2nd Congressional District of Texas held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Ted Poe (R) defeated Niko Letsos (D) and James Veasaw (L) in the general election.

U.S. House, Texas District 2 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Ted Poe Incumbent	67.9%	101,936
	Democratic	Niko Letsos	29.6%	44,462
	Libertarian	James Veasaw	1.5%	2,316
	Green	Mark Roberts	0.9%	1,312
Total Votes				150,026
Source: Texas Secretary of State

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+11, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 11 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Texas' 2nd Congressional District the 124th 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 1.15. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 1.15 points toward that party.

State overview

Partisan control

This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Texas heading into the 2018 elections.

Congressional delegation

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

State executives

• As of May 2018, Republicans held six of 11 state executive positions and five positions were held by nonpartisan officials.
• The governor of Texas was Republican Greg Abbott.

State legislature

• Republicans controlled both chambers of the Texas State Legislature. They had a 93-55 majority in the state House and a 21-10 majority in the state Senate.

Trifecta status

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

2018 elections

See also: Texas elections, 2018

Texas held elections for the following positions in 2018:

• The Class 1 U.S. Senate seat held by Ted Cruz (R)
• All 36 U.S. House seats
• Governor
• Five lower state executive positions
• 15 of 31 state Senate seats
• All 150 state House seats
• Local judicial offices
• Local school boards
• Municipal elections in Arlington, Austin, Bexar County, Collin County, Corpus Christi, Dallas County, Denton County, El Paso County, Fort Bend County, Garland, Harris County, Irving, Laredo, Lubbock, Lubbock County, Nueces County, Tarrant County, Travis County, Webb County, and Williamson County

Demographics

Demographic data for Texas
	Texas	U.S.
Total population:	27,429,639	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	261,232	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	74.9%	73.6%
Black/African American:	11.9%	12.6%
Asian:	4.2%	5.1%
Native American:	0.5%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0.1%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.5%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	38.4%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	81.9%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	27.6%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$53,207	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	19.9%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Texas. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

As of July 2016, Texas had a population of approximately 27,862,596 people, and its three largest cities were Houston (pop. est. 2.3 million), San Antonio (pop. est. 1.5 million), and Dallas (pop. est. 1.3 million).

State election history

This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Texas from 2000 to 2016.

Historical elections

Presidential elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Texas every year from 2000 to 2016.

Election results (President of the United States), Texas 2000-2016
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: 1992-2025
Three years of Democratic trifectas  •  Twenty-three years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25
Governor	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
Senate	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
House	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

See also

• United States House of Representatives elections in Texas, 2018
• United States House elections in Texas (March 6, 2018 Republican primaries)
• Texas' 2nd Congressional District election (March 6, 2018 Democratic primary)
• United States House of Representatives elections, 2018
• Texas' 2nd Congressional District

External links

Suggest a link

• Search Google News for this topic
• U.S. House of Representatives
• Texas Secretary of State - Elections Division
• David Balat:
  • Campaign finance
  • Campaign website
  • Campaign Facebook page
  • Campaign Twitter page
  • Youtube
• Daniel Crenshaw:
  • Campaign finance
  • Campaign website
  • Campaign Facebook page
  • Campaign Twitter page
• Kevin Roberts:
  • Campaign finance
  • Campaign website
  • Campaign Facebook page
  • Campaign Twitter page
• Rick Walker
  • Campaign website
  • Campaign Facebook page
  • Campaign Twitter page
  • Campaign Instagram page
  • Campaign YouTube page
• Kathaleen Wall:
  • Official campaign website
  • Campaign finance
  • YouTube channel
  • Campaign Facebook page
  • Campaign Twitter page
  • Campaign Instagram page

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)

Ballotpedia

About

Overview • What people are saying • Support Ballotpedia • Contact • Contribute • Job opportunities

---

Executive: Leslie Graves, Founder and CEO • Gwen Beattie, Chief Operating Officer

Communications: Alison Graves, Director of Communications • Carley Allensworth • Abigail Campbell • Frank Festa • Sarah Groat • Nathaniel Harwood • Dillon Redmond • Erica Shumaker
External Relations: Geoff Pallay, Director of External Relations • Ken Carbullido, Vice President of Election Product and Technology Strategy • Ashley Fleming • Thomas Mardik • Hannah Nelson
Operations: Meghann Olshefski, Director of Operations • Amanda Herbert • Mandy Morris • Caroline Presnell • Kelly Rindfleisch
Tech: Matt Latourelle, Director of Technology Operations • Ryan Burch • Kirsten Corrao • Beth Dellea • Travis Eden • Tate Kamish • Margaret Kearney • Eric Lotto • Joseph Sanchez • Mary Susmitha

Contributors: Scott Rasmussen

---

Editorial Content

Josh Altic, Director of Content • Daniel Anderson, Associate Director of Elections & Data • Cory Eucalitto, Associate Director of Features • Ryan Byrne, Managing Editor of Ballot Measures • Mandy McConnell, Managing Editor of News • Doug Kronaizl, Managing Editor of Local Expansion • Abbey Smith, Managing Editor of Elections • Janie Valentine, Managing Editor of Law • Joel Williams. Managing Editor of Events • Andrew Bahl • Jaclyn Beran • Marielle Bricker • Joseph Brusgard • Emma Burlingame • Kelly Coyle • Jon Dunn • Thomas Ellis • Nicole Fisher • Joseph Greaney • Thomas Grobben • Jaime Healy-Plotkin • Brianna Hosea • Molly Kehoe • Tyler King • Glorie Martinez • Norm Leahy, Senior Editor • Nathan Maxwell • Jimmy McAllister • Brandon McCauley • Ellie Mikus • Ellen Morrissey • Mackenzie Murphy • Kaley Platek • Samantha Post • Adam Powell • Annelise Reinwald • Ethan Rice • Spencer Richardson • Victoria Rose • Briana Ryan • Myj Saintyl • Maddy Salucka • Emma Soukup • Alexis Thacker • Mina Vogel • Samuel Wonacott • Trenton Woodcox