Texas' 31st Congressional District election, 2016
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← 2014
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November 8, 2016 |
March 1, 2016 |
John Carter  |
John Carter |
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Cook Political Report: Solid R[1] Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe R[2] Rothenberg & Gonzales: Safe R[3] |
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The 31st Congressional District of Texas held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 8, 2016.
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent John Carter (R) defeated Mike Clark (D) and Scott Ballard (L) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Carter defeated Mike Sweeney in the Republican primary on March 1, 2016, while Clark faced no opposition in the Democratic primary.[4][5]
| Candidate Filing Deadline | Primary Election | General Election |
|---|---|---|
Primary: A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Texas utilizes an open primary system. Voters do not have to register with a party in advance in order to participate in that party's primary. The voter must sign a pledge stating the following (the language below is taken directly from state statutes)[6]
| “ | The following pledge shall be placed on the primary election ballot above the listing of candidates' names: 'I am a (insert appropriate political party) and understand that I am ineligible to vote or participate in another political party's primary election or convention during this voting year.'[7] | ” |
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Incumbent: Heading into the election the incumbent was John Carter (R), who was first elected in 2002.
Texas' 31st Congressional District is located in the central portion of the state and includes Williamson County and parts of Bell County.[8]
Election results
General election
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  John Carter Incumbent |
58.4% | 166,060 | |
| Democratic | Mike Clark | 36.5% | 103,852 | |
| Libertarian | Scott Ballard | 5.2% | 14,676 | |
| Total Votes | 284,588 | |||
| Source: Texas Secretary of State | ||||
Primary election
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
John Carter Incumbent |
71.3% | 62,817 | ||
| Mike Sweeney | 28.7% | 25,306 | ||
| Total Votes | 88,123 | |||
| Source: Texas Secretary of State |
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Candidates
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General election candidates: John Carter   Mike Clark Scott Ballard |
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Primary candidates:[9] |
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Democratic |
Republican Mike Sweeney[10] |
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Third Party/Other |
District history
2014
The 31st Congressional District of Texas held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent John Carter (R) defeated Louie Minor (D) and Scott Ballard (L) in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Carter Incumbent |
64% | 91,607 | |
| Democratic | Louie Minor | 32% | 45,715 | |
| Libertarian | Scott Ballard | 4% | 5,706 | |
| Total Votes | 143,028 | |||
| Source: Texas Secretary of State | ||||
2012
The 31st Congressional District of Texas held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012, in which incumbent John Carter (R) won re-election. He defeated Stephen Wyman (D) and Ethan Garofolo (L) in the general election.[12]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John R. Carter Incumbent |
61.3% | 145,348 | |
| Democratic | Stephen M. Wyman | 35% | 82,977 | |
| Libertarian | Ethan Garofalo | 3.7% | 8,862 | |
| Total Votes | 237,187 | |||
| Source: Texas Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
Important dates and deadlines
- See also: Texas elections, 2016
The calendar below lists important dates for political candidates in Texas in 2016.
| Dates and requirements for candidates in 2016 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadline | Event type | Event description | |
| September 15, 2015 | Ballot access | First day to file for a place on the primary ballot for precinct chair candidates | |
| November 14, 2015 | Ballot access | First day to file for all other candidates for offices that are regularly scheduled to be on the primary ballot | |
| December 14, 2015 | Ballot access | Filing deadline for candidates; filing deadline for independent candidates to file intent declaration | |
| January 15, 2016 | Campaign finance | January semi-annual report due | |
| February 1, 2016 | Campaign finance | 30th-day pre-primary report due | |
| February 12, 2016 | Campaign finance | Personal financial statement due | |
| February 22, 2016 | Campaign finance | 8th-day pre-primary report due | |
| March 1, 2016 | Election date | Primary election | |
| May 16, 2016 | Campaign finance | 8th-day pre-runoff report due | |
| July 15, 2016 | Campaign finance | July semi-annual report due | |
| October 11, 2016 | Campaign finance | 30th-day pre-election report due | |
| October 31, 2016 | Campaign finance | 8th-day pre-election report due | |
| November 8, 2016 | Election date | General election | |
| January 17, 2017 | Campaign finance | January semi-annual report due | |
| Sources: Texas Secretary of State, "Important 2016 Election Dates," accessed July 17, 2016 Texas Ethics Commission, "2016 Filing Schedule for Candidates and Officeholders Who File with the Texas Ethics Commission," accessed November 25, 2015 | |||
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in Texas, 2016
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2016
Footnotes
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "2016 House Race Ratings for July 11, 2016," accessed July 19, 2016
- ↑ Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2016 House," accessed July 18, 2016
- ↑ Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report, "House Ratings," accessed July 19, 2016
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "2016 March Primary Election Candidate Filings by County," accessed December 15, 2015
- ↑ The New York Times, "Texas Primary Results," March 1, 2016
- ↑ Texas Statutes, "Section 172.086," accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Texas Redistricting Map, "Map," accessed July 24, 2012
- ↑ Candidates are listed by party and alphabetically within each party.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Texas Secretary of State, "2016 March Primary Election Candidate Filings by County," accessed December 14, 2015
- ↑ The Libertarian Party of Texas, "2016 Candidates," accessed May 4, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "2012 Election Map, Texas," November 6, 2012
For information about public policy issues in the 2016 elections, see: Public policy in the 2016 elections!
