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Texas' 32nd Congressional District election, 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.
Civil rights attorney Colin Allred (D) defeated incumbent Rep. Pete Sessions (R) and Melina Baker (L) in the general election on November 6, 2018, to represent Texas' 32nd Congressional District.
All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives were up for election in 2018. The Democratic Party gained a net total of 40 seats, winning control of the chamber. This race was identified as a 2018 battleground that might have affected partisan control of the U.S. House in the 116th Congress. Heading into the election, the Republican Party was in the majority holding 235 seats to Democrats' 193 seats, with seven vacant seats. Democrats needed to win 23 GOP-held seats in 2018 to win control of the House. From 1918 to 2016, the president’s party lost an average of 29 seats in midterm elections.
Heading into the election, forecasters called the seat a toss-up. It was one of 25 U.S. House districts that voted for a Republican representative and Hillary Clinton (D) for president in 2016. Sessions, who was first elected in 2002, ran without a Democratic opponent in 2016 and won re-election by 26.4 percentage points in 2014.
Texas' 32nd Congressional District is located in the central portion of the state and includes portions of Dallas and Collin counties.[1]
For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
For more information about the Republican primary, click here.
Candidates and election results
General election
General election for U.S. House Texas District 32
Colin Allred defeated incumbent Pete Sessions and Melina Baker in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 32 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Colin Allred (D) | 52.3 | 144,067 |
 | Pete Sessions (R) | 45.8 | 126,101 | |
 | Melina Baker (L) | 2.0 | 5,452 | |
| Total votes: 275,620 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary runoff election
Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 32
Colin Allred defeated Lillian Salerno in the Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 32 on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Colin Allred | 69.5 | 15,658 |
 | Lillian Salerno | 30.5 | 6,874 | |
| Total votes: 22,532 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 32
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 32 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Colin Allred | 38.5 | 15,442 |
| ✔ | | Lillian Salerno | 18.3 | 7,343 |
 | Brett Shipp | 16.3 | 6,550 | |
 | Edward Meier | 13.7 | 5,474 | |
 | George Rodriguez | 7.6 | 3,029 | |
| Ronald William Marshall | 3.2 | 1,301 | ||
 | Todd Maternowski | 2.4 | 945 | |
| Total votes: 40,084 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 32
Incumbent Pete Sessions defeated Paul Brown in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 32 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Pete Sessions | 79.3 | 32,784 |
 | Paul Brown | 20.7 | 8,575 | |
| Total votes: 41,359 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Candidate profiles
Party: Democratic
Incumbent: No
Political office: None
Biography: Allred was born in Dallas, Texas. He received his bachelor's degree from Baylor University and his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. Allred played for the Tennessee Titans in the National Football League. He later worked as an attorney at Perkins Coie law firm and served as a special assistant in the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of General Counsel.[2]
- Allred highlighted his life story, saying he rose out of a tough childhood with the support of his mother and community organizations and hoped to help kids in similar circumstances do the same.[3]
- Allred said he wanted to bring new leadership to Congress. He said he would be an independent voice in Congress and not a party-line politician.[3]
- Allred said he was committed to what he called North Texas values and said he wanted to bring those values to Washington, D.C. by working for a more equitable economy, affordable housing, and quality education for all children.[4]
Party: Republican
Incumbent: Yes
Political office: United States House of Representatives (assumed office: 1997)
Biography: Sessions earned his bachelor's degree from Southwestern University. He worked for Southern Bell Telephone Company and served as chairman of the Northeast Dallas Chamber of Commerce. After becoming a member of Congress, Sessions served as chairman of the House Rules Committee and chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee.[2]
- Sessions emphasized the economy's performance during Donald Trump's administration, crediting Republican policies for lower unemployment and GDP growth.[5]
- Sessions highlighted his role in Republican leadership, particularly his involvement in the 2010 Republican takeover of the U.S. House.[6]
- Sessions said Allred was aligned with Nancy Pelosi and was too liberal to represent the district.[7]
Party: Libertarian
Incumbent: No
Political office: None
Biography: Baker received her B.B.A. in accounting from Stephen F. Austin State University. She has been involved with Boy Scouts of America Council, Coats for Kids, the Literacy Council, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.[8]
- Baker said she ran in order to change the government's leadership and move it closer to the people.[9]
- Baker criticized Sessions, saying that, as the Rules Committee chairman, he blocked a bill that would have increased veterans' access to medicial marijuana and supported a move to allow large farms to receive government subsidies.[10][11]
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
| Texas' 32nd Congressional District, general election | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Poll sponsor | Colin Allred (D) | Pete Sessions (R) | Undecided/Other | Margin of error | Sample size | |||||||||||||
| Siena College (October 29-November 4) | New York Times | 46% | 42% | 12% | +/-4.7 | 477 | |||||||||||||
| GBA Strategies (September 20-23) | End Citizens United | 47% | 46% | 7% | +/-4.0 | 600 | |||||||||||||
| Siena College (September 19-24) | New York Times | 47% | 48% | 5% | +/-4.8 | 500 | |||||||||||||
| Public Policy Polling/Protect Our Care (September 17-18) | Protect Our Care | 47% | 42% | 11% | +/-4.2 | 550 | |||||||||||||
| GBA Strategies (July 31-August 1) | Unspecified Democratic organization[12] | 45% | 47% | 8% | +/-4.4 | 500 | |||||||||||||
| AVERAGES | 46.4% | 45% | 8.6% | +/-4.42 | 525.4 | ||||||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. | |||||||||||||||||||
Campaign finance
The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pete Sessions | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Colin Allred | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Melina Baker | Libertarian Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
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Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," . This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
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Satellite spending
Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[13][14][15]
This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.
- Americans for Limited Government spent $80,000 supporting Sessions on September 11.[18]
- The Communications Workers of America spent $26,500 opposing Sessions in July and August 2018.[18]
- The Congressional Leadership Fund spent more than $880,000 opposing Colin Allred Sept. 25.[19]
- The Credit Union National Association announced it would spend $200,000 supporting Sessions on October 17.[20]
- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spent more than $525,000 opposing Pete Sessions Oct. 2.[19]
- End Citizens United targeted Sessions and four other Republican incumbents as part of a $1.5 million negative ad campaign.[21] The group spent $532,000 opposing Sessions.[22]
- The House Majority PAC launched a $2.3 million ad campaign opposing Sessions on October 9.[23]
- The Humane Society Legislative Fund disclosed more than $300,000 in spending to support Colin Allred on October 27.
- The National Association of Realtors spent nearly $750,000 supporting Pete Sessions from Sept. 26-28.[19]
- Patients for Affordable Drugs spent nearly $450,000 opposing Pete Sessions Sept. 28-30.[19]
- Priorities Action USA spent $35,000 opposing Pete Sessions Sept. 19-28.[19]
Race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[24]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[25][26][27]
| Race ratings: Texas' 32nd Congressional District election, 2018 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| October 30, 2018 | October 23, 2018 | October 16, 2018 | October 9, 2018 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season. | |||||||||
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+5, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 5 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Texas' 32nd Congressional District the 194th most Republican nationally.[28]
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 1.02. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 1.02 points toward that party.[29]
Noteworthy endorsements
This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.
| Noteworthy general election endorsements | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endorsement | Allred (D) | Sessions (R) | ||||
| Elected officials | ||||||
| President Donald Trump (R)[30] | ✔ | |||||
| Former President Barack Obama (D)[31] | ✔ | |||||
| Former President George W. Bush (R)[30] | ✔ | |||||
| Vice President Mike Pence (R)[32] | ✔ | |||||
| Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.)[32] | ✔ | |||||
| Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings (D)[33] | ✔ | |||||
| Dallas Council member Lee Kleinman[33] | ✔ | |||||
Timeline
- November 4, 2018: A New York Times/Siena College poll showed Allred with 46 percent and Sessions with 42 percent. The margin of error was 4.7 percentage points.
- October 27, 2018: The Humane Society Legislative Fund disclosed more than $300,000 in spending to support Colin Allred.
- October 24, 2018: America First Action announced that it would spend another $700,000 supporting Sessions.
- October 17, 2018: The Credit Union National Association announced it was spending $200,000 to support Sessions.
- October 16, 2018: End Citizens United targeted Sessions and four other Republican incumbents as part of a $1.5 million negative ad campaign.
- October 10, 2018: America First Action launched a $2.1 million ad campaign opposing Allred.[32]
- October 9, 2018: House Majority PAC launched a $2.3 million ad campaign opposing Sessions.[23]
- October 2, 2018: The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spent more than $525,000 opposing Pete Sessions.
- October 1, 2018: A GBA Strategies poll commissioned by End Citizens United found Allred leading Sessions 47-46. The margin of error was 4.0 percentage points.
- September 27, 2018: Patients for Affordable Drugs Action launched a $450,000 television ad campaign opposing Pete Sessions.
- September 25, 2018: The Congressional Leadership Fund spent more than $880,000 opposing Colin Allred.
- September 24, 2018: A poll from Siena College and the New York Times showed Sessions leading Allred 48-47. The margin of error was 4.8 percentage points.
- September 21, 2018: A Public Policy Polling survey commissioned by Protect Our Care showed Allred leading Sessions 47-42 percent. The margin of error was 4.2 percentage points.
- September 19, 2018: America First Action announced another $1 million in spending to support Sessions, bringing its total to $2.5 million.
- September 15, 2018: President Donald Trump (R) endorsed Pete Sessions.
- September 11, 2018: Americans for Limited Government spent $80,000 supporting Pete Sessions.
- August 14, 2018: GBA Strategies released an internal Democratic poll showing Sessions leading Allred 47-45 percent. The margin of error was 4.4 percentage points.
Campaign advertisements
This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.
Colin Allred
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Pete Sessions
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Campaign themes
Pete Sessions
Sessions' campaign website stated the following:
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Pete Sessions Plan for Securing Our Border and Strengthening Interior Enforcement Our illegal immigration and border security problems are among the greatest challenges facing our country today. The Obama Administration’s continued refusal to enforce our nation’s current laws has created a crisis on our border, eroded our nation’s rule of law, and put the safety and security of Americans across the nation in jeopardy. I have always adamantly opposed illegal immigration, blanket amnesty, or any other reward to those who have intentionally and knowingly broken our nation’s immigration laws. Since the onset of President Obama’s lawless executive actions, I have tirelessly worked to fight against the administration’s unlawful, unwise, and unconstitutional executive amnesty plan. As a proud Texan, I understand the need to reform our broken immigration system. An effective immigration plan must first secure our borders, strengthen interior enforcement, protect our nation’s rule of law, and prosecute and deport criminal aliens in the United States. In this Congress, I am proud to be working with Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) to introduce the strictest interior enforcement bill in the House that will protect American lives from criminal alien violence. In response to the policies of sanctuary cities such as San Francisco, and the rise of illegal aliens committing criminal activities, on July 31, 2015, I joined Senator Sessions in introducing the House companion to the Protecting American Lives Act. My legislation closes the most dangerous immigration enforcement loopholes by putting an end to sanctuary cities and establishing a mandatory minimum jail time for illegal immigrants. The future of our country depends on the actions we take today and the American people are counting on us to act to protect our country and secure our future. North Texans, and all Americans, deserve nothing less. Pete Sessions Plan to Restore our Nation’s Healthcare System In 2010, Democrats defied the will of the American people and rammed a 2,700 page heath care bill through Congress that sought to take over our entire health care system. From day one, I have led the fight in the House to stop the ObamaCare train wreck, beginning when it came to the House Rules Committee in March of 2010. North Texas families and businesses have been forced to face the damaging effects of ObamaCare. Employers have cut full-time employees to part-time and dropped employees from their preferred healthcare plan. Health insurance premiums are still skyrocketing and out of pocket costs are growing astronomically. In April the largest health insurance provider United Healthcare announced that it was abandoning ObamaCare and now Aetna, the the third-largest health insurer in the US, will also cease to expand its ObamaCare offerings. Additionally, even though the president promised Americans that if they liked their health care plan, they could keep their health care plan, he knew that this was not the case. In short, the Democrats’ empty promises about their massive health care bill have become a frightening reality for the American people. ObamaCare is discriminatory, unaffordable, and unsustainable. That is why for the last 18 months I have been working on a solution with my friend in the Senate, Dr. Bill Cassidy from Louisiana. In May we introduced H.R. 5284, The World’s Greatest Healthcare Plan, a sustainable, non-discriminatory alternative to the President’s onerous law. It empowers all Americans to make their own healthcare decisions, save their hard-earned money in an account that is not use-it-or-lose-it, and ensures that not only single person will ever be coerced onto ObamaCare. The basis of our bill creates a $2,500 tax credit for every American citizen as well as a $1,500 tax credit per dependent minor. This tax credit provides individuals and families with the freedom to use their own dollars to plan and save for their health care futures by assigning their credit to an employer, transferring it to a Roth Health Savings Account, or advancing it for annual distribution. Our plan takes a unique, free-market based approach to healthcare that unleashes doctors, patients, and all individuals from the burdens of ObamaCare, and puts Americans back in charge of their own healthcare. Pete Sessions Plan for Tax Reform Our rapidly growing national debt is one of the most pressing issues facing the future of our great country. The United States cannot continue to run huge federal budget deficits. Financing federal overspending through continued borrowing threatens to drown Americans in high taxes and heavy debt leading to a less prosperous future. Since 1970, the annual federal budget has been balanced during only one four-year period and the federal deficit has climbed from $400 billion in 1970 to over $16 trillion today. If we continue on our current path, in 10 years 95% of all federal tax revenues will be consumed by payments of interest on the national debt and mandatory programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. This will leave only 5% of our annual tax revenue available for funding national defense and other essential functions of the government. Our national debt-to-GDP ratio rivals that of countries like Ireland, Portugal and Greece, which are facing sovereign debt crises. By the end of this decade, the federal deficit will climb to (and remain at) no less than 100% of our GDP. According to economists, once the nation’s debt exceeds 90% of GDP, it begins to stifle economic growth. President Obama has set the wrong kind of new record. The national debt has increased faster under his administration than under any other president in history. This runaway government spending paralyzes the job market, erodes confidence among America’s employers and has caused the worst economic recovery since the Great Depression. Thanks to the insistence of House Republicans, discretionary spending in 2016 has been pushed back all the way to 2008 levels. Consistent with the governing philosophy we shared with the American people when we won back the House in a historic victory in 2010, our spending victories have driven the annual deficit from $1.412 trillion in 2009 to $544 billion in FY2016. And we’ve achieved this significant deficit reduction while at the same time enacting $620 billion in permanent tax relief, including a five year extension to bonus depreciation. Because our current path threatens our economy and is unsustainable, I have joined House Republicans in putting forward a pro-growth tax reform plan that fundamentally changes our tax policy. By lowering rates, increasing the standard deduction, streamlining seven tax brackets into three and eliminating a host of special-interest provisions, our plan simplifies the tax code dramatically for families and individuals. And by providing incentives for savings and investment, it fosters economic growth and job creation while ensuring that Americans spend far less time and money filing their taxes. Under our plan, small businesses will no longer be taxed under the individual side of the code. Instead, they’ll benefit from a critical distinction between wage and business income. This allows for a lower tax rate for small businesses of 25%—the lowest tax rate on pass-through income since before World War II. Job creators of all sizes will also be able to take advantage of full and immediate expensing on investments in new equipment and technology—another historic first. This zero tax rate on new business investment is a vast departure from today’s complex depreciation rules, which direct businesses to write off purchases over long and often arbitrary periods of time. It also cuts America’s 35% corporate income-tax rate—the highest in the industrialized world—to a flat 20%. In a change designed to strengthen our global competitiveness, American job creators will no longer be taxed both abroad and at home on the same dollar of income. There will be a zero tax rate on dividends brought home to America. The current IRS will not exist, but will be redesigned into three distinct service units—one staffed with expertise on business taxation, and another focused on state-of-the art customer service to families and individuals. A third, independent unit will be geared toward helping North Texans quickly resolve their unique tax challenges—in effect, a small-claims court for tax disputes so individuals and small businesses don’t spend thousands of dollars resolving minor tax issues. I am dedicated to delivering a tax code for North Texans that truly works for them—one that is built on the principles of growth, simplicity, fairness. Reducing Regulatory Burdens America’s job creators are being buried under a regulatory burden estimated at over $1.75 trillion. Recent reports indicate that each U.S. household pays a hidden regulatory tax of $15,586 per year. Major rules- those affecting the economy by $100 million or more per year- are at the heart of the problem. This is why I am a strong supporter of the REINS Act. This legislation would require specific congressional approval for any major rule before it can be implemented. While this is an important step in the right direction, there is more than can, and should, be done and I will continue to fight to roll back excessive red tape and get the government out of the free marketplace. We must ensure that the rules governing the way we live and work reflect what is best for our state and country today- not what unaccountable, unelected bureaucrats think is best. And if any regulations aren’t doing right on behalf of the American people, they should be cleared off the books. Pete Sessions Plan for Energy Independence Energy security is a matter of national security. I support an all-of-the-above energy strategy that stimulates innovation, development, and security. Reliable energy sources allow the entrepreneurial spirit of Texans to thrive and promotes freedom from unstable regions often hostile to the values of America. I believe the free market should choose winners and losers in the marketplace, not radical environmentalist who have constructed this Administration’s liberal green energy agenda. There are four key reforms that I’ve tirelessly advocated in the halls of Congress and neighborhoods in North Texas: Lifting the Crude Oil Ban In a historic conservative victory at the end of 2015, House Republicans successfully lifted the 40-year-old ban on crude oil exports. By repealing this antiquated law, we will create an estimated 1 million American jobs in nearly all 50 states and add $170 billion annually to our GDP. This was an important victory for Texas and unleashed the full potential of our already vibrant Texas energy economy. Reining in the EPA The EPA has been relentless in their war against the American job creator. Political agendas have dictated misguided regulatory initiatives and crushed businesses large and small. From abusive “sue and settle” litigation practices to disregard for private property rights, the EPA has proved time and again that they cannot be trusted to act in the best interest of Texas, or the nation. In the past year I have supported measures to gut the EPA by $452 million – holding the agency to its lowest funding levels since 2008 and forcing them to scale back $138 million of onerous regulatory programs. In addition I have also supported and fought for numerous legislative victories that will drive down energy prices, create American jobs, and reinvigorate our energy revolution. Here are a few of those victories: Prohibiting EPA from implementing new greenhouse gas regulations for new or existing power plants; Eliminating funding for greenhouse gas “New Source Performance Standards”; Prohibiting EPA implementation of WOTUS; Prohibiting EPA from changing the definition of “fill materials”; Prohibitions on new methane requirements; Prohibiting the regulation of the lead content of ammunition and fishing tackle; and Prohibitions on harmful changes to the “stream buffer rule” Promoting Energy Efficiency Consumers and taxpayers benefit when our energy use is effective and free of government mandates. Reducing government waste, prioritizing existing energy efficiency programs, and reducing burdensome federal efficiency mandates will unleash private sector technologies and spur innovation. Establishing voluntary programs, improving data gathering, and making the federal government use existing best practices related to energy usage will ultimately benefit Texans and all Americans. We need to replace mandates with incentives and regulation with innovation. Maximizing our Natural Resources Texas is home to a vast array of natural resources. We have the responsibility to be good stewards of these resources and balance environmental concerns with the needs of Texans. Technology has developed far beyond what we ever believed possible, and as a result we can access and develop our resources including coal, nuclear, oil, natural gas, solar, and wind. I support opening the Outer Continental Shelf, the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, and federally owned land for exploration and development. The Keystone XL Pipeline offers the potential of thousands of jobs, many to Texas families, yet this Administration continues to pile on regulatory and permitting barriers. This President would rather subsidize his green energy favorites rather than agree to Republican policies that will bring economic prosperity and independence to our state and nation. Pete Sessions Plan for Restoring America’s Future Washington has a spending problem that has placed our nation on an unsustainable path of trillion dollar deficits and a $17 trillion national debt. That is why I have consistently voted to limit federal spending, reform entitlement programs, and am a co-sponsor of a bill that calls for the passage of the balanced budget amendment. Thanks to the Republican majority in the House, we have been able to hold the line of federal spending, putting total expenditures on a slightly downward path. Declines of total federal expenditures for the past two fiscal years are the first back-to-back annual spending reductions since the Korean War. While these reductions in spending are important, we still have a long way to go. In 2009 and 2010, when Democrats had control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the federal government went on a spending binge. Through an $831 billion stimulus package, ObamaCare, and Dodd-Frank, Democrats dedicated themselves to more federal spending and increased government interference in the private sector. In 2009, the federal government spent $3.77 trillion and ran a $1.5 trillion deficit, both of which were the largest of all time. The federal government spent $3.67 trillion in 2010 and $3.75 trillion in 2011 and added an additional $2.7 trillion to the national debt. In 2010, I led the effort by Republicans to take back the House and halt this spending spree. Under my leadership as Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, Republicans elected 89 freshman Members of Congress and switched 63 Democrat-held seats to the Republican column. Republicans quickly went to work reining in federal spending after removing Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House. To begin, House Republicans forced a virtual freeze in the growth of federal spending. Despite opposition from the Democrat-controlled Senate and the White House, total spending by the federal government is now growing by the slowest amount annually in over sixty years. Since Republicans took back control of the House, I have voted for the Budget Control Act of 2011, which cut nearly one trillion in spending over a decade and led to another $1.2 trillion in sequester cuts, and the “Cut, Cap, and Balance Act,” which would have cut discretionary spending by an additional $111 billion, reduced mandatory spending by $51 billion, and capped federal spending at 20% of GDP. I was also a cosponsor of a proposal for a balance budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States. While our annual spending is still too high, thanks to House Republicans the federal government is spending $317 billion a year less than it was in 2009. In this Congress, I voted for Rep. Paul Ryan’s Path to Prosperity Budget, which would have balanced the budget within 10 years, reformed the tax code, and taken our country off a path of fiscal insolvency and onto a path towards fiscal success. This budget would also take smart and responsible steps to reform our entitlement programs. When the Democrat-controlled Senate refused to pass a budget, I backed “No Budget, No Pay” legislation that forced Senate Democrats to pass a budget or else have their pay withheld. While the new Republican majority has succeeded in capping federal spending, Congress must continue to take even more steps to control unsustainable deficits, which, if left unchecked, will place too much of a burden on future generations of Americans. That is why I remain fully committed to taking the important steps toward fiscal reform and additional spending cuts in order to get our fiscal house in order. Since losing their majority, House Democrats, led by Nancy Pelosi, have argued for alternative spending plans that would have added trillions to the national debt. Their plan is no plan at all. In every situation and in every piece of legislation brought to the House floor (except for national defense), their “solution” is to spend more taxpayer money and move our nation closer to bankruptcy. Nancy Pelosi today makes the absurd claim that “the cupboard is bare” for any additional cuts in federal spending. In the meantime, thanks to House Republicans and the leadership of Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, the General Accounting Office has documented that the federal government could save $125 billion (billion!) if we stopped making public assistance payments to Americans who are not eligible under the law. Food stamp fraud amounts to billions of dollars every year and the Social Security Disability system appears to have been hijacked by trial attorneys who successfully obtain benefits for Americans who are not disabled and do not deserve disability payments. There is a moral component to the Democrats’ constant argument for more government spending which cannot go unaddressed. If we all know that it is wrong to steal, then how can we condone stealing from future generations? If left unchecked, that is exactly what we are doing, led by this generation of Democrats and the Obama administration. The unsustainability of today’s national debt and federal unfunded obligations is reaching a critical tipping point. Financial experts such as Mary Meeker and Stan Druckenmiller have documented that if the United States were a business, we would be broke due to our future obligated payments on the debt. Today’s entitlement programs are so over-committed that in order to meet the current payouts obligated to the Baby-Boomer generation, our children may have to pay as much as 80 percent of their incomes in taxes if the U.S. is ever to balance its budget. What kind of future are we passing on to our children if we have so loaded down their lives to burdensome debt? This scenario of one irresponsible political class obligating future generations to debt, which they cannot afford, has been recently played out in Greece, Spain and, soon, Italy and France. In all of those countries, those younger than 30 are in despair with no real prospects for their most productive years because their countries are bankrupt. Their only option is to be on welfare for the rest of their lives or leave the nation of their birth. The summary of Druckenmiller and Meeker’s analysis are the same as what Republicans, led by Paul Ryan on the budget, have made for years on the House floor. The federal government cannot continue to spend hundreds of billions more than it receives in taxes every year. We cannot burden future generations with trillions of dollars of debt and economic history shows that economies whose central governments owe as much as the economy produces in annual output are destined to permanently slow job growth. In cases where governments never bring their budget deficits into balance, they run the risk of sudden and dramatic currency devaluations, which has occurred in Argentina, Mexico and, likely soon, Venezuela. In all of these cases, savings of working families were obliterated by their governments. I am committed to avoiding this same fate for my children and yours. The only responsible step is to bring federal spending under control by limiting future increases, immediately reforming entitlement programs, and quickly eradicating the federal budget with its current unacceptable levels of waste, fraud, and abuse. |
” |
| —Pete Sessions' campaign website (2018)[35] | ||
Colin Allred
Allred’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Health Care Despite the progress we have made under the ACA, for millions of Texans access to healthcare is still out of reach. And, Pete Sessions and Donald Trump have repeatedly and intentionally worked to sabotage the ACA, worsening out-of-control healthcare costs. As a direct result of their actions, estimates show that premiums in 2019 will increase by almost $3,500 for a North Texan family of four, nearly $3,800 for a North Texan couple over the age of 55, and over $1,000 for an individual 40-year-old. We can, and must, do better in this country. Healthcare isn’t a luxury item you can go without—it’s a matter of life and death. We must address the current healthcare crisis in Texas by expanding coverage through competition and lower costs and tackling the cost of prescription drugs so that no North Texan has to ration their medications.
In Congress, I will work to: Protect and expand our healthcare markets: The ACA was an enormous step forward in expanding access to healthcare and ending abusive practices by insurance companies. No longer can insurers treat you differently because of a pre-existing condition or impose an annual or lifetime cap, and parents can now keep their children on their health insurance plans until they’re 26. Pete Sessions voted to repeal the ACA and go back to the days when insurance companies could deny coverage to the estimated 324,300 North Texans who have a preexisting condition. I will support efforts to expand coverage and protections under the ACA, and oppose attempts to undo these important achievements, including President Trump and Pete Sessions’ efforts to sabotage it.
Lower the cost of prescription drugs by allowing Medicare to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies: Current federal law prohibits Medicare from directly negotiating drug prices. This policy has been good for giant pharmaceutical companies, but it has not served the American people. Medicare is the largest buyer in the prescription drug market, accounting for nearly one third of all pharmaceutical buying. We should allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices directly, which would leverage its enormous purchasing power and lower the costs of prescription drugs for all Americans. Create an option to buy into Medicare: In order to expand coverage and lower costs, we must introduce more competition into the healthcare market by offering every American an option to buy into Medicare. Medicare’s low overhead costs and established provider networks can form the basis for an affordable, quality alternative that will compete with private insurers, driving down costs for everyone. Under this plan, existing sources of health insurance, including employer-provided insurance, will not be disturbed, and North Texans will be able to choose whether they want to keep their current insurance or buy into Medicare. This approach could also expand upon the services that Medicare already provides by covering areas that Medicare currently does not, such as pediatrics and maternity care.
Protect and expand Medicaid: Medicaid provides critical healthcare to children, the disabled, and the elderly. In 2016 alone, Texas received over $23 billion in federal Medicaid funding for these at-risk populations. This funding, which Pete Sessions voted to cut, is a lifeline for many Texas families that I will work to protect in Congress. I will also seek to expand Medicaid, which could result in 2.5 million more Texans with healthcare coverage. Economic Growth and Security Every generation of Americans must rise to the task of protecting and passing on our greatest legacy: the American Dream, the idea that our children will have a better life than we did and that we can retire with dignity.
These uniquely American ideas have spread across the world, but here at home, the path into the middle class is narrowing and the American Dream is disappearing for too many. I have lived my version of the American Dream here in North Texas and am committed to restoring this fundamental promise for future generations by fighting for good paying jobs and an economy that works for everyone.
In Congress, I will fight to:
Protect Medicare and Social Security: Medicare and Social Security are promises we’ve made to our seniors that should be honored. These are earned benefits that our senior citizens count on after they have worked to pay into these programs throughout their lives. I’ll always fight to protect Medicare and Social Security because North Texans should be able to retire with dignity.
Invest in job training programs for the 21st Century: A shrinking world and increasing automation have dramatically changed the workforce needs of the modern American economy, but our workforce development is stuck in the past. Here in North Texas, we have a shortage of skilled labor, which is holding back our economy and raising costs for businesses and consumers. We can provide our businesses with the skilled workforce they need and create good paying jobs by investing in vocational training in our high schools and community colleges, creating and promoting apprenticeship programs, and finally addressing the cost of higher education.
Ensure equal pay for equal work: It is outrageous that in the 21st Century women still make much less than their male counterparts for comparable work. And the pay gap is even wider for women of color. In Congress, I will support passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would make it easier for employees to discover and seek redress for unequal pay, and bolster the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s investigative resources to root out pay discrimination.
Rebuild our crumbling infrastructure: Every year 100,000 people move to North Texas, bringing dynamism but also straining our already aging infrastructure. We need a new national commitment to rebuilding and updating our infrastructure here in North Texas, and across the country, in order to create millions of jobs and provide the foundation for our businesses and workers to thrive.
Empower our small businesses: Small businesses are the drivers of new jobs, innovation, and are the cornerstones of our communities. We must make North Texas that best place in the country to start and grow a small business by cutting red tape holding back business creation, expanding access to capital and early investment, and offering tax breaks and incentives for small businesses instead of huge handouts for the largest corporations.
Raise the minimum wage: We not only need more jobs--we need better paying jobs. Raising the minimum wage puts more spending power in the hands of workers, improving the economy and reducing inequality. I will fight to raise the minimum wage, in graduated steps, and index it to inflation—because if someone works a full week’s work in this country they should be able to take care of their family. Enact paid family leave, and expand child care programs: No family should have to choose between having a family and having a career. Paid family leave would allow Texans to take time off when they have or adopt a new child, when you or a family member gets sick, or when a family member is deployed in the military. Helping to make child care affordable for working families will enable more parents to continue to work full-time. Education I had the chance to follow my NFL career with a career as a civil rights lawyer because of the public education I got in the Dallas Independent School District. For so many other kids like me, a quality education is the first essential building block to ensuring equal opportunity in our country. Every child has the fundamental right to a quality education—regardless of where they grow up, whether their family is rich or poor, or the color of their skin. Education liberates the mind and opens the door to a better life. But today, we are not doing enough to make sure every child has access to the education they deserve.
That is why in Congress I will not only fight efforts to cut back on public education, I will work to expand investment in kids in education—so that every child in America has a shot at the American Dream.
In Congress, I will work to: Provide Universal Pre-K: Every American child should be able to attend pre-K. Investment in early childhood education is one of the best investments we can make as a country. Research shows that access to early learning is critical for the development of a child over their lifetime. Access to pre-K is also important for families looking for affordable, safe childcare. Today, however, just half of 3- and 4-year-olds in America are enrolled in pre-K. Together, we can make sure every child gets the start they deserve.
Support our teachers: We need to recruit, train, and retain the best teachers in the world. The most important factor in a child’s development in class is the quality of their teacher. Teachers are responsible for our most valuable resource, our kids, and we as a nation must do more to support them. That means steering our best and brightest into teaching by offering incentives like scholarships and loan forgiveness, paying them a competitive salary once they are hired, and supporting them throughout their career.
Rebuild the decaying infrastructure of our public school system: Our children deserve better than to go to school in buildings that are falling apart around them. We must provide our schools with the resources they need to bring their buildings into the 21st century, provide up-to-date textbooks to all kids, ensure Internet access in every classroom, and harness the new generation of digital technology to bring the world into our classrooms.
Close the education achievement gap: To ensure we continue to move forward as a nation we must close the education achievement gap for lower income students, students of color, students with disabilities, and students for whom English is not their first language. Too many of our kids are falling through the cracks in schools that are more segregated now than they were 50 years ago. To address these issues we need to identify these underserved populations and direct resources to help them, so that every child has a chance to succeed.
Bolster vocational and apprenticeship programs, and work toward debt-free college: We need to prepare our kids for the jobs of the 21st Century. In our ever-shrinking world that means they need to have access to the skills training they need to be able to compete in the global economy. We can do that by providing every student with an opportunity to learn computer science and coding, reintroducing vocational training into our high schools, and make debt-free college a reality for families earning less than $125,000. Allow for student loan debt refinancing: We must make it easier for students and recent graduates to pay off their student loan debt. Too many young people have student loan debt that holds them back from starting a business, buying a home, and taking part in the economy. We can help by allowing undergraduate borrowers to refinance their debt at the same rates offered to new borrowers in their student loan program—the same way homeowners can refinance a mortgage. Immigration Our current immigration system is broken. Washington politicians have failed to act for too long—preferring to play politics that make the problems we face worse, rather than fixing our broken immigration system. The time has come for a new generation of leadership to find solutions to these problems. I believe in, and will work towards, a bipartisan solution that keeps our communities safe while building ground for compromise, so that we can finally fix the problems in our broken immigration system.
In Congress, I will work to:
Keep our borders and communities secure: I will work to ensure that our law enforcement is equipped with the training and tools they need to keep our communities safe.
Protect DREAMers: I will fight to pass a clean DREAM Act that will ensure those brought to the United States as a children can find a permanent home and citizenship in our country.
Provide a pathway to earned citizenship: Those who are obeying the law, working hard, and contributing to our economy should have a pathway to earned citizenship.
Ensure due process of law: All people seeking entry into the United States must be guaranteed due process of law and families should never be separated at the border.
Hold employers accountable: Employers who knowingly hire and exploit undocumented workers should be held accountable for their actions. LGBTQ Issues So much progress has been made in recent years toward equality for all, both under law and in our society at large, but there is also still so much to do. It is still true that you can be legally married on a Saturday, and then be fired on a Monday for marrying the person you love. As a civil right attorney, I believe we must stand united against all forms of prejudice, and as a member of Congress I will work to continue to erase all barriers to equality in our society. In that fight, I am proud to have the support and endorsement of the Stonewall Democrats of Dallas. Pass the Equality Act: This landmark legislation would amend civil rights laws to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity with regards to employment, housing, credit, education, public spaces and services, federally funded programs, and jury service--so that everyone can participate equally in all aspects of American life. Protect transgender members of our military and recruits: Congress must protect our brave servicemembers, and those seeking to join our military, regardless of their gender identity. Serving in the military and defending your country is a basic right of citizenship, and we should be thanking and supporting all those who are willing to serve. Ban conversion therapy: Programs that purport to be able to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity are not only discredited scams, they perpetuate bigotry. These programs cause real and lasting harm, especially to young people, and must be eliminated entirely. Bolster the fight against HIV/AIDS: We have made tremendous strides in combating HIV/AIDS in recent decades, but there is still work to be done. In Congress, I will fight to fully fund, and expand, programs to educate, prevent, and treat HIV/AIDS. That includes programs that provide vital medical care for those with HIV who are uninsured or underinsured. I will also fight to ensure access to PrEP (also known as Truvada, which has been shown to reduce HIV infection by more than 90%) for every person who needs it. Fight for equality worldwide: Same-sex relationships are still illegal in 72 countries, and punishable by death in 8 countries. In Congress, I will speak out against any and all efforts by foreign countries to enact laws and policies targeting their LGBTQ citizens, and will ensure that American taxpayer funds are never used to perpetuate discrimination abroad. Restoring Our Democracy The most powerful office in our country has always been, and must continue to be, that of the citizen. Today, however, the corrupt influence of money in our democracy, along with efforts to suppress voting, are drowning out the voices of the American people and destroying faith in our government. When a few individuals and giant corporations can spend hundreds of millions of dollars influencing our elections and pushing their personal agendas, they overpower the interests of everyday people. Everyday people are further silenced when they are stripped of their most fundamental right—the right to vote. Without it, we are powerless to exercise any other right our Constitution guarantees. This issue is personal to me: I am a voting rights attorney who has seen the negative impact of voter suppression firsthand. These practices must end. The voices of North Texans must be heard, and our government must return to working for the people that elect them—not the powerful special interests that fund their campaigns. In Congress, I will fight to: Restore the Voting Rights Act: One of my first priorities in Congress will be to restore the Voting Rights Act. The Supreme Court’s decision striking down the heart of the Voting Rights Act triggered a wave of new voter suppression laws that have had a clear impact on voter turnout. I will work to pass legislation reinstating and modernizing the Voting Rights Act.
Make Election Day a national holiday and set a national standard for early voting: We should honor and respect this fundamental act of citizenship by declaring Election Day a national holiday and setting a national standard of at least 20 days of early voting before a federal election.
Refuse corporate PAC money: I have pledged not to accept any corporate PAC money. In Congress, I will be a voice for North Texans, not donors or corporate special interests. Unlike my opponent, who has taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from corporations, I pledge to represent North Texas families.
Overturn Citizens United: I will support legislative efforts, including a constitutional amendment, to overturn Citizens United. This Supreme Court ruling has been used to corrupt our politics with a flood of money from corporations and special interests. In order to reverse the undue influence of money in politics, we must put power back into the hands of the people.
Pass the Disclose Act: The Disclose Act has been introduced several times in Congress since 2010. The Act is a response to Citizens United opening the floodgates to special interest money in our elections and would ban corporations with more than 20% foreign ownership from contributing to campaigns, while increasing transparency for large organizations making political ads.
Enact Automatic voter registration at the age of 18: Every American should be automatically registered to vote when they turn 18.
Restore voting rights for the formerly incarcerated: 4.7 million formerly incarcerated Americans have been stripped of the right to vote by discriminatory state laws across the country. This must end. In Congress, I will support efforts like the Democracy Restoration Act to restore voting rights in federal elections to those who have paid their debts to society.
Eliminate partisan gerrymandering: Voters should pick their representatives—not the other way around. In Congress, I will continue to focus on this issue and encourage Texas, and all other states, to adopt non-partisan redistricting. Eliminate unreasonable and discriminatory voter ID laws: Under the pretext of fighting nonexistent, in-person “voter fraud,” these laws disenfranchise the most vulnerable voters. Congress should fight these efforts to restrict the vote by eliminating discriminatory voter ID laws. Women's Rights and Opportunity Women’s rights are human rights. Even with the progress that has been made expanding opportunity for women, there is still so much work to be done. I will be a champion in Congress for removing the barriers women still face in advancing in our society, from the fight for gender equality to combating violence against women. Ensure equal pay for equal work: It is outrageous that in the 21st Century women still make much less than their male counterparts for comparable work. And the pay gap is even wider for women of color. In Congress, I will support passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would make it easier for employees to discover and seek redress for unequal pay, and bolster the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s investigative resources to root out pay discrimination. Enact paid family leave and expand childcare programs: You shouldn’t have to choose between having a family and having a career. Paid family leave would allow you to take time off when you have or adopt a new child, when you or a family member gets sick, or when a member of your family is deployed in the military--and then come back to work afterward. Helping to make child care affordable for working families would enable more working moms to continue to work full-time. Stand with Planned Parenthood: Planned Parenthood provides lifesaving access to preventative care, including cancer screenings, for millions of women and men, many of whom are low-income and would have no other way to see a doctor. I will fight against any effort to defund Planned Parenthood. Fight attacks on women’s reproductive health and freedom: I will stand up for the rights of women to make their own healthcare choices about their bodies. Those deeply personal decisions should involve a woman, her family, her beliefs, and her doctor, free from any government interference. I will also fight efforts to restrict access to contraception and family planning services that have helped reduce the rate of abortion and teen pregnancy. End violence against women: Too many women in our country have experienced sexual harassment, sexual assault, and domestic violence. The federal government must work to ensure victims of such incidents are provided with access to support services, including counseling and healthcare. I will resist efforts to dismantle Title IX protections for victims of sexual assault on campuses across the nation-- we need to reinforce and expand sexual violence prevention programs in our schools, not roll back protections. In Congress, I will continue to listen to and fight for victims. I will speak out against harassment, assault, and gender-based violence in all its forms. Gun Violence Prevention I grew up in Texas, and I’ve always respected guns and the protecting afforded to individuals’ liberty by the 2nd Amendment. I’m also about to become a father and find the idea that my child will not be safe at school unacceptable. We must reject the idea that random, regular church and school shootings are a part of American life and that our elected officials are powerless to stop them. We can and must do more. In Congress, I will stand up for the rights of responsible gun owners and support common sense approaches to reducing gun violence such as criminal background checks on all gun sales, keeping guns out of the hands of violent criminals, domestic abusers, and those that are a danger to themselves or others.
In Congress, I will work to: Require criminal background checks on every gun sale: Background checks protect the rights of responsible gun owners and save lives. Loopholes in our current laws allow felons, domestic abusers and the severely mentally ill to avoid background checks when buying guns through unlicensed sellers, often online, who are not required by federal law to run background checks. Background checks are the best way to ensure folks who are a danger to themselves or others, cannot buy firearms.
Keep guns out of the hands of violent criminals and domestic abusers: A woman is five times more likely to die if a gun is present in a domestic violence situation. We must close loopholes that allow abusive dating partners, abusive spouses and individuals who have been convicted of misdemeanor stalking to purchase guns.
Keep weapons of war off our streets: There is no reason to allow weapons of war to be sold where folks without the proper training can buy them. We must work to keep these weapons off our streets, out of our schools, and away from those who seek to do harm.
Support Red Flag laws: An individual deemed a risk to themselves or others should not have access to firearms. Guns are only used in 5% of all suicide attempts suicides, but are responsible for over half of all suicide deaths. Additionally, there are multiple examples of warning signs with individuals who have committed mass shootings. Red flag laws give family members and law enforcement officials the ability to temporarily restrict access to firearms to individuals who are at risk. This bipartisan solution can and will save lives.
Support firearm research: In the development of gun violence prevention policies it is critical to research the causes of gun violence. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must be appropriately funded to perform research to solve this public health problem and provide much needed information to develop informed and researched policies and laws that address the problem. Animal Welfare Animal welfare is an issue that crosses party and ideological lines. Through the combined efforts of Americans of all political affiliations we have ended or curtailed many long-standing forms of animal exploitation or cruelty. However, there is still work to do.
In Congress, I will work to: Ban animal fighting, including dogfighting and cockfighting, everywhere in the U.S.: There should be one set of rules against animal fighting that applies in the 50 states as well as all U.S. territories. Pete Sessions, my opponent, was one of fewer than two dozen members of Congress to oppose the adoption of this measure in the House. Expand domestic violence protections to include pets: Many victims of domestic violence fear for the welfare of their pets, and will not leave if they are unable to take their four-legged family members. I support federal legislation to expand existing domestic violence protections to establish a federal grant program designed to assist victims of domestic abuse to safely shelter their pets when they leave their abusers. Ban horse slaughter nationwide: In Congress I will join the bipartisan effort to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption. This brutal and cruel practice should be prohibited permanently as a matter of national policy. Despite the bipartisan consensus and support for this legislation, and the overwhelming support of the American people, Pete Sessions has blocked efforts to pass this ban repeatedly. Upgrade standards of care for puppy mills and other large-scale breeding operations: I support the implementation of common sense animal welfare standards such as forbidding the stacking of cages, requiring solid flooring for any enclosures, allowing the animals outdoor access, and requiring some level of regular socialization and veterinary care. As a dog owner and lover I am committed to combating puppy mills and the exploitation of pets across our country. Ban the sale of dog and cat meat: I support a ban on the sale of dog and cat meat in the United States. I believe the United States should show moral leadership on this issue and pass a federal law to ban this practice, especially since there are 30 million dogs killed annually for the meat trade across the world. |
” |
| —Colin Allred’s campaign website (2018)[36] | ||
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Republican district won by Hillary Clinton
This district was one of 25 Republican-held U.S. House districts that Hillary Clinton (D) won in the 2016 presidential election.[37] Nearly all were expected to be among the House's most competitive elections in 2018.
Click on the table below to see the full list of districts.
Click here to see the 13 Democratic-held U.S. House districts that Donald Trump (R) won.
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
One of 254 Texas counties—0.4 percent—is a Pivot County. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
| Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Trump margin of victory in 2016 | Obama margin of victory in 2012 | Obama margin of victory in 2008 | ||||
| Jefferson County, Texas | 0.48% | 1.61% | 2.25% | ||||
In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Texas with 52.2 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 43.2 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Texas cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 66.7 percent of the time. In that same time frame, Texas supported Democratic candidates slightly more often than Republicans, 53.3 to 46.7 percent. The state, however, favored Republicans in every presidential election between 2000 and 2016.
Presidential results by legislative district
The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Texas. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[42][43]
| In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 54 out of 150 state House districts in Texas with an average margin of victory of 37.4 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 65 out of 150 state House districts in Texas with an average margin of victory of 36.4 points. Clinton won 10 districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections. |
| In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 96 out of 150 state House districts in Texas with an average margin of victory of 36.2 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 85 out of 150 state House districts in Texas with an average margin of victory of 34.5 points. |
| 2016 presidential results by state House district | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
| 1 | 26.82% | 72.17% | R+45.3 | 22.76% | 75.13% | R+52.4 | R |
| 2 | 20.93% | 77.91% | R+57 | 17.59% | 79.78% | R+62.2 | R |
| 3 | 22.26% | 76.65% | R+54.4 | 21.37% | 75.80% | R+54.4 | R |
| 4 | 25.04% | 73.93% | R+48.9 | 22.70% | 74.70% | R+52 | R |
| 5 | 23.75% | 75.33% | R+51.6 | 20.20% | 77.72% | R+57.5 | R |
| 6 | 28.44% | 70.49% | R+42 | 28.89% | 67.98% | R+39.1 | R |
| 7 | 27.14% | 71.97% | R+44.8 | 24.48% | 73.09% | R+48.6 | R |
| 8 | 24.96% | 74.07% | R+49.1 | 21.12% | 76.63% | R+55.5 | R |
| 9 | 27.47% | 71.73% | R+44.3 | 22.23% | 76.13% | R+53.9 | R |
| 10 | 25.56% | 73.21% | R+47.7 | 25.20% | 71.62% | R+46.4 | R |
| 11 | 26.75% | 72.23% | R+45.5 | 24.48% | 72.79% | R+48.3 | R |
| 12 | 36.06% | 62.67% | R+26.6 | 32.54% | 64.35% | R+31.8 | R |
| 13 | 22.71% | 76.25% | R+53.5 | 20.47% | 77.18% | R+56.7 | R |
| 14 | 34.77% | 62.91% | R+28.1 | 38.79% | 54.03% | R+15.2 | R |
| 15 | 21.79% | 76.77% | R+55 | 28.86% | 66.69% | R+37.8 | R |
| 16 | 18.22% | 80.76% | R+62.5 | 18.80% | 78.35% | R+59.5 | R |
| 17 | 37.30% | 60.79% | R+23.5 | 33.92% | 62.02% | R+28.1 | R |
| 18 | 27.18% | 71.69% | R+44.5 | 23.96% | 73.47% | R+49.5 | R |
| 19 | 22.22% | 76.79% | R+54.6 | 17.21% | 81.00% | R+63.8 | R |
| 20 | 26.22% | 72.13% | R+45.9 | 25.81% | 70.27% | R+44.5 | R |
| 21 | 23.92% | 74.97% | R+51.1 | 21.50% | 76.09% | R+54.6 | R |
| 22 | 66.82% | 32.57% | D+34.3 | 65.95% | 31.80% | D+34.1 | D |
| 23 | 44.24% | 54.56% | R+10.3 | 40.89% | 55.86% | R+15 | R |
| 24 | 25.11% | 73.48% | R+48.4 | 27.42% | 68.20% | R+40.8 | R |
| 25 | 28.74% | 69.92% | R+41.2 | 27.55% | 69.14% | R+41.6 | R |
| 26 | 35.86% | 62.95% | R+27.1 | 45.81% | 50.71% | R+4.9 | R |
| 27 | 68.80% | 30.44% | D+38.4 | 70.03% | 27.23% | D+42.8 | D |
| 28 | 34.81% | 64.22% | R+29.4 | 43.01% | 53.21% | R+10.2 | R |
| 29 | 35.44% | 63.32% | R+27.9 | 41.21% | 54.83% | R+13.6 | R |
| 30 | 30.24% | 68.64% | R+38.4 | 26.80% | 70.36% | R+43.6 | R |
| 31 | 61.89% | 37.31% | D+24.6 | 55.47% | 42.31% | D+13.2 | D |
| 32 | 41.43% | 56.92% | R+15.5 | 42.04% | 53.45% | R+11.4 | R |
| 33 | 26.49% | 72.25% | R+45.8 | 31.27% | 64.67% | R+33.4 | R |
| 34 | 54.64% | 44.24% | D+10.4 | 53.40% | 43.18% | D+10.2 | D |
| 35 | 66.43% | 32.71% | D+33.7 | 63.43% | 33.59% | D+29.8 | D |
| 36 | 74.73% | 24.41% | D+50.3 | 73.70% | 23.21% | D+50.5 | D |
| 37 | 69.28% | 29.75% | D+39.5 | 68.98% | 27.77% | D+41.2 | D |
| 38 | 66.13% | 32.95% | D+33.2 | 65.76% | 30.74% | D+35 | D |
| 39 | 74.02% | 25.10% | D+48.9 | 70.48% | 26.40% | D+44.1 | D |
| 40 | 75.32% | 23.68% | D+51.6 | 70.73% | 25.91% | D+44.8 | D |
| 41 | 56.64% | 42.35% | D+14.3 | 59.53% | 36.87% | D+22.7 | D |
| 42 | 75.54% | 23.57% | D+52 | 73.73% | 23.49% | D+50.2 | D |
| 43 | 46.96% | 52.09% | R+5.1 | 43.79% | 53.10% | R+9.3 | R |
| 44 | 30.83% | 67.97% | R+37.1 | 30.22% | 65.99% | R+35.8 | R |
| 45 | 41.83% | 55.19% | R+13.4 | 44.53% | 49.14% | R+4.6 | R |
| 46 | 76.62% | 20.14% | D+56.5 | 78.16% | 16.34% | D+61.8 | D |
| 47 | 39.32% | 58.05% | R+18.7 | 46.98% | 47.16% | R+0.2 | R |
| 48 | 56.86% | 39.56% | D+17.3 | 65.17% | 28.12% | D+37 | D |
| 49 | 70.19% | 24.89% | D+45.3 | 76.63% | 16.65% | D+60 | D |
| 50 | 57.79% | 38.81% | D+19 | 63.38% | 30.05% | D+33.3 | D |
| 51 | 78.49% | 17.43% | D+61.1 | 79.52% | 14.04% | D+65.5 | D |
| 52 | 42.57% | 54.91% | R+12.3 | 46.12% | 47.56% | R+1.4 | R |
| 53 | 22.29% | 76.50% | R+54.2 | 20.74% | 76.30% | R+55.6 | R |
| 54 | 45.85% | 53.04% | R+7.2 | 44.07% | 51.07% | R+7 | R |
| 55 | 33.08% | 65.48% | R+32.4 | 31.96% | 63.28% | R+31.3 | R |
| 56 | 29.70% | 69.02% | R+39.3 | 31.16% | 64.82% | R+33.7 | R |
| 57 | 25.97% | 73.09% | R+47.1 | 22.50% | 75.69% | R+53.2 | R |
| 58 | 21.12% | 77.52% | R+56.4 | 18.84% | 77.90% | R+59.1 | R |
| 59 | 21.36% | 77.31% | R+56 | 19.19% | 77.44% | R+58.2 | R |
| 60 | 15.70% | 83.09% | R+67.4 | 13.33% | 84.19% | R+70.9 | R |
| 61 | 16.19% | 82.54% | R+66.3 | 14.49% | 82.74% | R+68.3 | R |
| 62 | 24.72% | 73.77% | R+49.1 | 20.89% | 76.05% | R+55.2 | R |
| 63 | 26.39% | 72.13% | R+45.7 | 30.22% | 65.26% | R+35 | R |
| 64 | 37.33% | 60.30% | R+23 | 40.00% | 54.49% | R+14.5 | R |
| 65 | 40.84% | 57.52% | R+16.7 | 46.51% | 48.62% | R+2.1 | R |
| 66 | 37.46% | 61.15% | R+23.7 | 46.24% | 49.45% | R+3.2 | R |
| 67 | 37.26% | 61.08% | R+23.8 | 44.69% | 50.41% | R+5.7 | R |
| 68 | 17.78% | 81.15% | R+63.4 | 14.23% | 83.37% | R+69.1 | R |
| 69 | 23.27% | 75.20% | R+51.9 | 20.26% | 76.12% | R+55.9 | R |
| 70 | 29.25% | 69.37% | R+40.1 | 32.82% | 62.78% | R+30 | R |
| 71 | 22.84% | 75.76% | R+52.9 | 21.49% | 74.23% | R+52.7 | R |
| 72 | 23.33% | 75.26% | R+51.9 | 21.45% | 74.81% | R+53.4 | R |
| 73 | 20.22% | 78.37% | R+58.2 | 21.25% | 75.11% | R+53.9 | R |
| 74 | 56.99% | 41.57% | D+15.4 | 56.27% | 39.58% | D+16.7 | D |
| 75 | 72.33% | 26.62% | D+45.7 | 73.74% | 21.38% | D+52.4 | D |
| 76 | 76.91% | 21.86% | D+55.1 | 77.93% | 17.86% | D+60.1 | D |
| 77 | 64.07% | 34.29% | D+29.8 | 68.79% | 25.97% | D+42.8 | D |
| 78 | 54.41% | 44.15% | D+10.3 | 59.28% | 35.16% | D+24.1 | D |
| 79 | 64.73% | 34.12% | D+30.6 | 68.62% | 26.73% | D+41.9 | D |
| 80 | 68.25% | 30.91% | D+37.3 | 65.06% | 32.31% | D+32.7 | D |
| 81 | 24.20% | 74.66% | R+50.5 | 26.33% | 70.49% | R+44.2 | R |
| 82 | 19.38% | 79.31% | R+59.9 | 20.58% | 75.76% | R+55.2 | R |
| 83 | 21.27% | 77.50% | R+56.2 | 19.94% | 76.49% | R+56.5 | R |
| 84 | 34.95% | 63.28% | R+28.3 | 35.12% | 59.58% | R+24.5 | R |
| 85 | 37.99% | 61.03% | R+23 | 41.09% | 56.10% | R+15 | R |
| 86 | 16.18% | 82.55% | R+66.4 | 16.16% | 80.17% | R+64 | R |
| 87 | 22.12% | 76.56% | R+54.4 | 21.74% | 74.43% | R+52.7 | R |
| 88 | 19.06% | 79.89% | R+60.8 | 16.48% | 80.59% | R+64.1 | R |
| 89 | 31.79% | 66.67% | R+34.9 | 36.08% | 59.03% | R+23 | R |
| 90 | 73.70% | 25.21% | D+48.5 | 74.97% | 21.48% | D+53.5 | D |
| 91 | 30.45% | 67.90% | R+37.5 | 32.14% | 63.08% | R+30.9 | R |
| 92 | 37.22% | 61.08% | R+23.9 | 40.54% | 54.66% | R+14.1 | R |
| 93 | 38.26% | 60.21% | R+21.9 | 40.40% | 54.84% | R+14.4 | R |
| 94 | 38.10% | 60.29% | R+22.2 | 40.87% | 54.30% | R+13.4 | R |
| 95 | 76.11% | 22.99% | D+53.1 | 74.24% | 22.89% | D+51.4 | D |
| 96 | 40.22% | 58.60% | R+18.4 | 42.55% | 53.74% | R+11.2 | R |
| 97 | 38.92% | 59.59% | R+20.7 | 42.59% | 52.42% | R+9.8 | R |
| 98 | 23.57% | 75.01% | R+51.4 | 28.91% | 66.33% | R+37.4 | R |
| 99 | 30.70% | 67.69% | R+37 | 32.12% | 63.36% | R+31.2 | R |
| 100 | 77.89% | 21.07% | D+56.8 | 77.24% | 19.30% | D+57.9 | D |
| 101 | 64.01% | 34.87% | D+29.1 | 66.06% | 30.36% | D+35.7 | D |
| 102 | 45.32% | 53.02% | R+7.7 | 52.27% | 42.74% | D+9.5 | R |
| 103 | 69.87% | 28.77% | D+41.1 | 73.55% | 22.33% | D+51.2 | D |
| 104 | 72.70% | 26.36% | D+46.3 | 75.60% | 20.85% | D+54.7 | D |
| 105 | 46.48% | 52.14% | R+5.7 | 52.13% | 43.60% | D+8.5 | R |
| 106 | 30.86% | 67.69% | R+36.8 | 35.83% | 59.70% | R+23.9 | R |
| 107 | 46.89% | 51.83% | R+4.9 | 52.37% | 43.40% | D+9 | D |
| 108 | 39.31% | 58.99% | R+19.7 | 50.32% | 44.01% | D+6.3 | R |
| 109 | 81.75% | 17.68% | D+64.1 | 81.55% | 16.42% | D+65.1 | D |
| 110 | 88.74% | 10.77% | D+78 | 86.76% | 11.25% | D+75.5 | D |
| 111 | 77.24% | 22.06% | D+55.2 | 77.40% | 20.17% | D+57.2 | D |
| 112 | 43.50% | 55.03% | R+11.5 | 48.28% | 47.10% | D+1.2 | R |
| 113 | 46.31% | 52.53% | R+6.2 | 49.13% | 47.23% | D+1.9 | R |
| 114 | 43.48% | 55.23% | R+11.7 | 52.14% | 43.21% | D+8.9 | R |
| 115 | 43.23% | 55.27% | R+12 | 51.54% | 43.64% | D+7.9 | R |
| 116 | 60.53% | 37.80% | D+22.7 | 63.73% | 31.10% | D+32.6 | D |
| 117 | 51.99% | 46.85% | D+5.1 | 53.23% | 42.14% | D+11.1 | D |
| 118 | 55.33% | 43.41% | D+11.9 | 55.58% | 40.41% | D+15.2 | D |
| 119 | 60.26% | 38.58% | D+21.7 | 60.13% | 36.08% | D+24.1 | D |
| 120 | 64.75% | 34.11% | D+30.6 | 63.51% | 32.10% | D+31.4 | D |
| 121 | 37.61% | 60.88% | R+23.3 | 43.42% | 51.69% | R+8.3 | R |
| 122 | 30.87% | 67.87% | R+37 | 37.75% | 57.87% | R+20.1 | R |
| 123 | 61.36% | 36.80% | D+24.6 | 65.02% | 30.27% | D+34.7 | D |
| 124 | 60.94% | 37.65% | D+23.3 | 62.19% | 33.04% | D+29.1 | D |
| 125 | 59.11% | 39.59% | D+19.5 | 61.62% | 33.69% | D+27.9 | D |
| 126 | 36.72% | 62.08% | R+25.4 | 43.00% | 52.94% | R+9.9 | R |
| 127 | 29.60% | 69.21% | R+39.6 | 34.90% | 61.23% | R+26.3 | R |
| 128 | 26.59% | 72.37% | R+45.8 | 28.77% | 68.15% | R+39.4 | R |
| 129 | 33.88% | 64.47% | R+30.6 | 40.06% | 55.33% | R+15.3 | R |
| 130 | 22.81% | 75.91% | R+53.1 | 27.96% | 68.06% | R+40.1 | R |
| 131 | 83.65% | 15.69% | D+68 | 84.29% | 13.35% | D+70.9 | D |
| 132 | 39.77% | 58.92% | R+19.2 | 45.68% | 50.04% | R+4.4 | R |
| 133 | 30.41% | 68.14% | R+37.7 | 41.12% | 54.52% | R+13.4 | R |
| 134 | 41.74% | 56.39% | R+14.7 | 55.09% | 39.61% | D+15.5 | R |
| 135 | 39.86% | 58.83% | R+19 | 46.82% | 48.89% | R+2.1 | R |
| 136 | 41.43% | 55.34% | R+13.9 | 47.69% | 45.16% | D+2.5 | R |
| 137 | 63.91% | 34.49% | D+29.4 | 67.00% | 28.92% | D+38.1 | D |
| 138 | 39.30% | 59.18% | R+19.9 | 47.85% | 47.78% | D+0.1 | R |
| 139 | 75.62% | 23.61% | D+52 | 76.12% | 20.61% | D+55.5 | D |
| 140 | 70.10% | 28.98% | D+41.1 | 75.09% | 21.87% | D+53.2 | D |
| 141 | 87.41% | 12.07% | D+75.3 | 85.19% | 12.59% | D+72.6 | D |
| 142 | 77.41% | 21.97% | D+55.4 | 76.20% | 20.97% | D+55.2 | D |
| 143 | 67.18% | 31.86% | D+35.3 | 71.02% | 26.02% | D+45 | D |
| 144 | 50.77% | 47.88% | D+2.9 | 57.75% | 38.37% | D+19.4 | D |
| 145 | 60.26% | 38.28% | D+22 | 66.92% | 28.72% | D+38.2 | D |
| 146 | 78.82% | 20.05% | D+58.8 | 79.43% | 17.32% | D+62.1 | D |
| 147 | 78.07% | 20.30% | D+57.8 | 78.99% | 16.78% | D+62.2 | D |
| 148 | 56.59% | 41.08% | D+15.5 | 63.82% | 30.50% | D+33.3 | D |
| 149 | 58.76% | 40.12% | D+18.6 | 64.25% | 32.50% | D+31.8 | D |
| 150 | 30.28% | 68.55% | R+38.3 | 36.63% | 59.18% | R+22.6 | R |
| Total | 41.40% | 57.19% | R+15.8 | 43.48% | 52.53% | R+9.1 | - |
| Source: Daily Kos | |||||||
District history
2016
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Pete Sessions (R) defeated Ed Rankin (L) and Gary Stuard (G) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Sessions defeated Paul Brown, Russ Ramsland and Cherie Myint Roughneen in the Republican primary on March 1, 2016. No Democratic candidates filed to run in the race.[44][45]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Pete Sessions Incumbent |
71.1% | 162,868 | |
| Libertarian | Ed Rankin | 19% | 43,490 | |
| Green | Gary Stuard | 10% | 22,813 | |
| Total Votes | 229,171 | |||
| Source: Texas Secretary of State | ||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Pete Sessions Incumbent |
61.4% | 49,813 | ||
| Russ Ramsland | 23.7% | 19,203 | ||
| Paul Brown | 11.7% | 9,488 | ||
| Cherie Myint Roughneen | 3.2% | 2,601 | ||
| Total Votes | 81,105 | |||
| Source: Texas Secretary of State |
||||
2014
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Pete Sessions Incumbent |
61.8% | 96,495 | |
| Democratic | Frank Perez | 35.4% | 55,325 | |
| Libertarian | Ed Rankin | 2.7% | 4,276 | |
| Total Votes | 156,096 | |||
| Source: Texas Secretary of State | ||||
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).[46][47]
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[48][49] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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[50] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2014[51] | John Cornyn |
61.56% | David Alameel |
34.36% | 27.20% |
| 2012[52] | Ted Cruz |
56.46% | Paul Sadler |
40.62% | 15.84% |
| 2008[53] | John Cornyn |
54.82% | Richard Noriega |
42.84% | 11.98% |
| 2006[54] | Kay Bailey Hutchison |
61.69% | Barbara Ann Radnofsky |
36.04% | 25.65% |
| 2002[55] | John Cornyn |
55.30% | Ron Kirk |
43.33% | 11.97% |
| 2000[56] | 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[57] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
- Texas' 32nd Congressional District election (March 6, 2018 Democratic primary)
- Texas' 32nd Congressional District election (March 6, 2018 Republican primary)
- United States House of Representatives elections in Texas, 2018
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2018
Footnotes
- ↑ Texas Redistricting Map, "Map," accessed July 24, 2012
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Colin Allred for Congress, "About Colin Allred," accessed February 3, 2018 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "bio" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 3.0 3.1 YouTube, "Press Team," accessed September 18, 2018
- ↑ Colin Allred for Congress, "It's time for new leadership," accessed September 18, 2018
- ↑ Twitter, "Pete Sessions," accessed September 18, 2018
- ↑ Pete Sessions for Congress, "About Pete," accessed September 18, 2018
- ↑ Politico, "Role reversal: Architect of 2010 GOP House takeover in trouble," July 27, 2017
- ↑ Vote Smart, "Melina Baker's Biography," accessed November 1, 2018
- ↑ Facebook, "Melina Baker, Libertarian for Congressional District 32," September 16, 2018
- ↑ Facebook, "Melina Baker, Libertarian for Congressional District 32," June 6, 2018
- ↑ Facebook, "Melina Baker, Libertarian for Congressional District 32," June 5, 2018
- ↑ Roll Call "Democratic Poll Shows Close Race for Pete Sessions’ Seat in Texas," August 14, 2018
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015
- ↑ Twitter, "America First Action on October 24, 2018"
- ↑ Washington Post, "America First Action supports Sessions," September 19, 2018
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 ProPublica, "TX-32 outside spending," accessed September 17, 2018
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 ProPublica, "TX-32 outside spending," accessed October 3, 2018
- ↑ Credit Union National Association, "CUNA launches first round of IEs for 2018 midterms," October 17, 2018
- ↑ Politico, "Pelosi gives Playbook a preview of the Democratic majority," October 16, 2018
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "End Citizens United enters TX-32 TV battle," October 23, 2018
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 The House Majority PAC, "HMP Launches $20 Million Media Blitz in 13 Districts," October 9, 2018
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 Texas Tribune, "Trump endorses Dallas congressman Pete Sessions for re-election," September 15, 2018
- ↑ Twitter, "Barack Obama on August 1, 2018"
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 Washington Examiner, "Top Trump super PAC rolls out last-minute ad backing Pete Sessions," October 9, 2018
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 Dallas Morning News, "Pete Sessions has soap opera moment after Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings backs Colin Allred for Congress," October 24, 2018
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Pete Sessions for Congress, “Issues,” accessed September 17, 2018
- ↑ Colin Allred for Congress, “Issues,” accessed September 17, 2018
- ↑ This figure includes Pennsylvania districts that were redrawn by the state Supreme Court in early 2018 and districts that flipped in special elections.
- ↑ The new 1st district was created in early 2018 due to court-ordered redistricting and most closely resembles the old 8th District held by Fitzpatrick. Click here to read more.
- ↑ The new 5th district was created in early 2018 due to court-ordered redistricting and most closely resembles the old 7th District held by Meehan. Click here to read more.
- ↑ The new 6th district was created in early 2018 due to court-ordered redistricting and most closely resembles the old 6th District held by Costello. Click here to read more.
- ↑ The new 7th district was created in early 2018 due to court-ordered redistricting and most closely resembles the old 15th District held by Dent. Click here to read more.
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
- ↑ 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
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "QuickFacts Texas," accessed December 12, 2017
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "QuickFacts Houston; San Antonio; Dallas," accessed December 13, 2017
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2012 Election Results for the U.S. President, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives," accessed December 13, 2017
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Official 2016 Presidential General Election Results," January 30, 2017
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Federal Elections 2014: Election Results for the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives," accessed December 13, 2017
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2014 Official Election Results for United States Senate," accessed December 13, 2017
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2012 Official Election Results for United States Senate," accessed December 13, 2017
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2008 Official Election Results for United States Senate," accessed December 13, 2017
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2006 Official Election Results for United States Senate," accessed December 13, 2017
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2002 Official Election Results for United States Senate," accessed December 13, 2017
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2000 Official Election Results for United States Senate," accessed December 13, 2017
- ↑ Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections, "Texas Election Results," accessed December 13, 2017
