Texas' 5th Congressional District election (March 6, 2018 Republican primary)

Elections in Texas, 2018

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

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

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2020 → ← 2016
Texas' 5th Congressional District
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: December 11, 2017
Primary: March 6, 2018 Primary runoff: May 22, 2018 (if needed) General: November 6, 2018 Pre-election incumbent: Jeb Hensarling (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Texas
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican Inside Elections: Solid Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
See also
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This page covers the March 6, 2018 primary election. Click here for coverage of the May 22, 2018 primary election runoff.

State Rep. Lance Gooden defeated political consultant Bunni Pounds in the runoff for Jeb Hensarling's (R) congressional seat.

Gooden and Pounds were the top two finishers in the March 6 primary. Gooden received 30 percent of the vote to Pounds' 22 percent. Since no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff election was held on May 22, 2018. For more information about the primary runoff election, click here.

Hensarling announced in October 2017 that he would not be seeking a ninth term after first being elected in 2002, leaving the seat open to a newcomer.

In the days before the primary, Pounds, a Republican activist and Hensarling's former campaign manager, led the field in high-profile endorsements and fundraising. She received the support of Hensarling, House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), Congresswoman Mia Love (R-Utah), and organizations like Texas Right to Life and Maggie's List. She raised about $330,000, the most of any candidate, and had about $72,000 in cash on hand entering the final weeks of the campaign.

The only candidate who could match her endorsements was former Ted Cruz staffer Jason Wright, who was backed by Cruz and State Rep. Matt Schaefer (R), the chairman of the Texas Freedom Caucus. Despite his endorsements, Wright finished fourth in fundraising, bringing in $126,000 and having about $77,000 in cash on hand.

Sheets and Gooden were veterans of the Texas state House who both outraised Jason Wright. Sheets, who was backed by U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), finished second in fundraising with nearly $185,000 in contributions and led the field in cash on hand in the weeks before the primary with about $85,000. He also received the support of the veteran-focused super PAC With Honor. Gooden, whose campaign was backed by local officials in the district, raised about $160,000 and had about $45,000 in cash on hand. They were both targeted by the Club for Growth--which has previously allied with Hensarling and Cruz-- in a February 2018 ad that drew attention to votes they had cast on tax legislation while serving in the state House.

This page focuses on the Republican primary. For an overview of the election in general, click here. This seat was rated Safe Republican by three outlets as of January 22, 2018.

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

For more on related elections, please see:

• Texas' 5th Congressional District election (March 6, 2018 Democratic primary)
• Texas' 5th Congressional District election, 2018
• United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2018
• United States House Republican Party primaries, 2018
• Democratic Party primaries in Texas, 2018
• Republican Party primaries in Texas, 2018

Candidates and election results

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 5 on March 6, 2018.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 5

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lance Gooden	30.0	17,551
✔		Bunni Pounds	21.9	12,851
		Sam Deen	17.2	10,051
		Kenneth Sheets	12.0	7,024
		Jason Wright	11.4	6,690
	Submit photo	Danny Campbell	3.0	1,770
		David Williams	2.7	1,601
		Charles Lingerfelt	1.7	1,022

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 58,560
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Election updates

Campaign finance

• February 22, 2018: The deadline for candidates to report campaign finance figures for the first 45 days of 2018 was February 22. Bunni Pounds reported raising almost $116,000, spending over $240,000, and having about $72,000 in cash on hand. Kenneth Sheets raised over $76,000, spent about $74,000, and had about $85,000 in cash on hand. Lance Gooden raised over $47,000, spent over $85,000, and had about $45,000 in cash on hand. Jason Wright raised almost $30,000, spent about $47,000, and had about $77,000 in cash on hand.
• January 31, 2018: The campaign finance deadline for the fourth quarter of 2017 passed. Bunni Pounds led the field in cash on hand with nearly $200,000. Wright had about $94,000 while Gooden had about $86,000 and Sheets had around $82,000.

Satellite spending

• March 1, 2018: The super PAC Our Conservative Texas Future released a campaign ad claiming that Bunni Pounds is a political insider who recently moved to the 5th Congressional District and opposed Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. Our Conservative Texas Future was formed to support Lance Gooden according to Patrick Svitek of the Texas Tribune.

On the campaign trail

• February 22, 2018: Bunni Pounds described a private meeting she had with Vice President Mike Pence (R) in an email to supporters.
• February 3, 2018: Ted Cruz campaigned for Jason Wright in Dallas and Forney.
• January 25, 2018: The Texas Tribune reported on the campaigning plans of Ted Cruz and Jeb Hensarling. Cruz was set to appear at a Tea Party rally on January 27 and a meet-and-greet on January 29 to promote Jason Wright. Hensarling appeared at a fundraiser for Bunni Pounds on January 24 and was set to appear at another on February 8.

Endorsements

• March 5, 2018: U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, endorsed Bunni Pounds.

Top candidates

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

Lance Gooden (R)

The Texas state representative from District 4, Gooden was first elected in 2010 and served until 2014, when he was defeated in the Republican primary by Stuart Spitzer. In 2016, he ran again and defeated then-incumbent Spitzer in the Republican primary. State House District 4 intersects with the 5th Congressional District and, according to Gooden's website, "Nearly 40% of GOP Voters in CD5 are [his] Current Constituents." Aside from his service in the state House, his professional experience includes working as an insurance and risk-management consultant.

Gooden was endorsed in the race by local officials in the district, including 12 mayors, two sheriffs, and a district attorney. In the press release announcing his run, Gooden said, "We need a new Congressman of East Texas, by East Texas and for East Texas who understands the traditional values that we share, and who knows that our churches and our schools and our shops on Main Street are the lifeblood of our communities. Our way of life is sacred, and it is worth fighting to protect and defend for our children and our children’s children."

Bunni Pounds (R)

A Republican activist, Pounds was previously involved in Jeb Hensarling's political network. Her professional experience includes founding and operating a Republican consulting and fundraising firm called Bunni Pounds & Associates and working as Hensarling's campaign manager. Hensarling endorsed Pounds to replace him in the U.S. House. She also received endorsements from House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), Texas Right to Life, Congresswoman Mia Love (R-Utah), and former Texas Senator Phil Gramm (R).

According to her website, "Bunni is running a grassroots campaign focused on faith, freedom, and fiscal responsibility. She has a decades-long record of service to the conservative movement which started with her position as a Garland precinct chair. By background she is a small business owner and conservative Republican known as a woman of integrity strongly anchored in her Christian faith, deeply devoted to her family, and firmly committed to the founding principles of our nation."

Kenneth Sheets (R)

A former Texas state representative, Sheets was first elected in 2010 to represent District 107. He was re-elected by close margins in 2012 and 2014 before being defeated by Democrat Victoria Neave Criado in 2016. Sheets previously served in the U.S. Marine Corps and received his law degree from Southern Methodist University.

On his campaign website, he mentioned his military service as well as his positions on border security, firearms policy, government regulations, and tax policy. U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) endorsed Sheets in the race. He also received the support of the With Honor PAC, which aimed to elect veterans to Congress.

Jason Wright (R)

A former staffer for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Wright's professional experience includes working in business and serving on the Tyler City Council. He was a founding member and board member of Grassroots America-We the People. He attended Stephen F. Austin State University and received an M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University.

On his website, Wright said, "I’m running for Congress because I want to be able to look my children and grandchildren in the eyes and honestly say I used every bit of my God-given talent and ability to do all I could to protect and preserve their liberty. I will do everything I can to keep the the destiny of America in their hands and not in the hands of those in Washington D.C."

Wright's candidacy was endorsed by Sen. Ted Cruz in December 2017. In January 2018, Wright was endorsed by Republican activist Kaye T. Goolsby, who worked on Cruz's 2016 presidential campaign. Goolsby was announced as a grassroots co-chair of his campaign.

List of all Republican candidates

 Republican primary candidates

• Danny Campbell
• Sam Deen
• Lance Gooden ✔
• Charles Lingerfelt
• Bunni Pounds ✔
• Kenneth Sheets
• David Williams
• Jason Wright

Republican Party factional conflict

See also: Republican Party factional conflict in U.S. House primaries, 2018

Disputes between potential members of the House Freedom Caucus and other members of the Republican Party occurred in U.S. House primaries in 2018.

In 2015, conservative Republicans formed the Freedom Caucus and began opposing House Republican leaders on fiscal policy, chamber procedures, and caucus leadership, among other things. Members of the Freedom Caucus broke away from the Republican Study Committee, which, along with the Republican Main Street Partnership, was more closely aligned with House Republican leaders.

In this primary, Bunni Pounds affiliated with the Freedom Caucus.

The chart below shows a scorecard for how the Freedom Caucus performed in competitive Republican primaries that featured at least one Freedom Caucus candidate and one Republican opponent not affiliated with the group.

U.S. House Republican factions
Faction	Primary victories in 2018	Seats held prior to primaries	Performance
Affiliated with the House Freedom Caucus	8	6	+2
Not affiliated with the House Freedom Caucus	10	12	-2

Political analysis

In the aftermath of the March 6 primary, political observers focused on whether Lance Gooden or Bunni Pounds would win the runoff election:

• The Daily Kos: "[After the primary,] Pounds immediately picked up an endorsement from the anti-tax Club for Growth, which hadn't supported anyone in the primary but had run ads against Gooden and Sheets. However, it's possible that geography will give Gooden a lift in May. While this seat is often described as a suburban Dallas district, Dallas County only made up 21 percent of the GOP primary vote on Tuesday, with the rest coming from rural East Texas. Gooden represents a rural seat, while Pounds is from the Dallas area. Gooden notably took a majority of the vote in both the counties that make up his state House district, even though he actually narrowly lost renomination in 2014 and only barely won the primary in 2016."

Endorsements

See also: Endorsements in the Texas congressional primaries, 2018

Republican candidate endorsements
Endorsement	Date	Gooden	Pounds	Sheets	Wright
Federal officials
U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.)	March 5, 2018		✔
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas)	December 13, 2017				✔
U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas)	November 29, 2017		✔
U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas)	November 29, 2017			✔
U.S. Rep. Mia Love (R-Utah)	Unknown		✔
Former federal officials
Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Texas)	Unknown		✔
Congressman Allen West (R-Fla.)	Unknown		✔
State officials
Texas Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian (R)	Unknown				✔
State Rep. and Texas Freedom Caucus Chairman Matt Schaefer (R)	Unknown				✔
State Rep. Matt Rinaldi (R)	Unknown		✔
Former state officials
State Rep. Scott Turner (R)	Unknown		✔
Local officials
Athens Mayor Monte Montgomery	Unknown	✔
Chandler Mayor Libby Fulgham	Unknown	✔
Coffee City Mayor Pam Drost	Unknown	✔
Crandall Mayor Mike Parker	Unknown	✔
Kaufman County Sheriff Bryan Beavers	Unknown	✔
Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse	Unknown	✔
Kaufman County District Attorney Erleigh Wiley	Unknown	✔
Organizations
Club for Growth	March 7, 2018		✔
The With Honor Fund	January 25, 2018			✔
Texas Right to Life	Unknown		✔
Maggie's List	Unknown		✔
Susan B. Anthony List	Unknown		✔
Texas Home School Coalition Association	Unknown		✔
Texas Values	Unknown		✔
Party activists
Kaye T. Goolsby	January 22, 2018				✔
JoAnn Fleming, executive director of Grassroots America-We The People	Unknown				✔
Ray Myers, Kaufman County Tea Party chairman	Unknown				✔
Dwayne Collins, Edom County Tea Party founder	Unknown				✔
News organizations
Dallas Morning News	February 8, 2018			✔

Satellite spending

As of March 8, 2018, four satellite groups had weighed in on this race.

• Our Conservative Texas Future: This super PAC released a campaign ad claiming that Bunni Pounds is a political insider who recently moved to the 5th Congressional District and opposed Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. Our Conservative Texas Future was formed to support Lance Gooden according to Patrick Svitek of the Texas Tribune.
• With Honor: On February 22, the super PAC With Honor, which founded to support veterans for Congress, launched a five-figure digital ad buy in favor of Kenneth Sheets.
• Club for Growth: On February 8, the Club for Growth came out with a campaign ad called "Bad Bet" that criticized Gooden and Sheets for their positions on tax legislation while serving in the Texas Legislature. The ad highlighted bills that the Club for Growth said would have made it easier for municipalities to raise property taxes (Gooden) and tax internet purchases (Gooden and Sheets). The Texas Tribune noted that the organization was close to both Jeb Hensarling and Ted Cruz, who backed Pounds and Wright, respectively. The group spent $251,000 on the ad buy.
• Jobs, Freedom, and Security PAC: On February 5, Ted Cruz's Jobs, Freedom, and Security PAC revealed over $67,000 in spending on Wright's candidacy.

Campaign finance

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

Republicans

Timeline

Below are listed the most noteworthy events in this election. As more events occur, Ballotpedia will update this section.

Campaign tactics and strategies

Campaign advertisements

Our Conservative Texas Future

The super PAC Our Texas Texas Future, formed in support of Lance Gooden, released this campaign ad in opposition to Bunni Pounds on March 1, 2018.

With Honor

The super PAC With Honor, which was founded to support veterans running for Congress, released the following ad in favor of Kenneth Sheets on February 22, 2018.

"Texas Values," released February 22, 2018

Club for Growth

The Club for Growth released the following ad that opposed Lance Gooden and Kenneth Sheets on February 8, 2018.

"Bad Bet," released February 8, 2018

Relationships

U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas)

After endorsing her candidacy, U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) campaigned for Bunni Pounds and appeared at fundraisers for her. Pounds previously served as Hensarling's campaign manager.

In his statement endorsing her, Hensarling said, “For over a decade, Bunni Pounds has served as one of my most able and trusted confidantes in serving the people of the 5th Congressional District so I know her well. She is committed to the conservative cause like few others I have ever met and her integrity is unmatched. I trust her not only with my liberty but the liberty of our great nation as well. I am excited she has chosen to run for the Congressional seat I hold and I proudly endorse her candidacy.”

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas)

After endorsing his candidacy, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) campaigned for Jason Wright, attending Tea Party events and fundraisers with him. Wright previously worked as a staffer and regional director for Cruz.

In his statement endorsing Wright, Cruz said, I’m proud to endorse Jason Wright for Congress. Jason is a friend–and a strong, principled conservative–who, since I was first elected, has served on my team as a tremendously effective regional director in both Dallas and East Texas. We desperately need principled reinforcements in Congress, and I know that Texans can trust Jason to keep his word and fight tirelessly to defend our conservative values. His business experience, common sense, and passionate love of liberty will make him a terrific Member of Congress. I urge Texans to send Jason to Washington to help us defend the Lone Star State.”

Vice President Mike Pence (R)

In an email to supporters on February 21, Bunni Pounds described a meeting she had with Vice President Mike Pence (R). She said she had known Pence since he was a congressman from Indiana and that they had discussed "the future of our country and the momentum of my campaign."

Online presence

Tweets by Lance Gooden Tweets by Bunni Pounds Tweets by Kenneth Sheets Tweets by Jason Wright

Campaign themes and policy stances

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

Lance Gooden

“	Border Security and immigration Our borders and our immigration system are broken. The federal government has failed time and time again to secure our borders, which is our greatest national security risk today. We must know who is coming into our country in order to keep Americans safe, particularly at a time when terrorist organizations are growing more sophisticated and brazen. Healthcare Obamacare has been a miserable failure. It has not reduced costs. It has not increased access to quality, affordable health insurance, and for many the result has been skyrocketing premiums. 2nd Amendment Rep. Gooden is a consistent and unwavering supporter of the 2nd Amendment and the right to keep and bear arms. He has been endorsed multiple times by the National Rifle Association and the Texas State Rifle Association for his work to strengthen the rights of Texans. Pro-life Rep. Lance Gooden was adopted at birth and understands, more than most, the importance of the sanctity of life. In the Texas Legislature his 100% pro-life voting record is one of the major reasons why Texas is on the front lines in the battle to protect innocent life in America. Our Veterans It is unconscionable that we are spending taxpayer dollars to secretly settle sexual harassment claims against members of Congress, yet we cannot find the funds to adequately care for our military veterans. One of Rep. Gooden’s highest priorities will be ensuring that those who sacrificed so much for our freedoms get the care they deserve from the Department of Veterans Affairs, an entity that has been plagued by bureaucracy and mismanagement for decades. We need to overhaul the V.A. and bring transparency, accountability, and improved service to benefit our veterans and every American taxpayer who finances the department. Education The best thing the federal government can do to make public education a top priority is get out of the way and stop trying to use one-size-fits-all policies to educate our children. Taxes and Spending Throughout his tenure in the Texas Legislature, Rep. Gooden has been committed to low taxes and responsible budgets. In 2011, during his first session in the Texas House, Rep. Lance Gooden worked with Governor Perry and addressed the state’s $27-billion shortfall by passing one of the most fiscally conservative budgets in Texas history that slashed wasteful spending, excluded new taxes and protected the Rainy Day Fund. In 2017, Lance Gooden and Governor Abbott worked together to ensure our state continued to budget responsibly, and despite a substantial revenue shortfall, produced another balanced budget that keeps state spending increases under population growth plus inflation, while staying well below all constitutional spending limits. In Congress, Rep. Gooden will work to reduce the size of the IRS, create a more streamlined and simplified tax code, and free small business owners across the nation from excessive government interference. National Debt The national debt in our country is out of control. At present, our federal government spends approximately $7 million a minute, and we face a debt of nearly $19 trillion. This is one of the defining issues of our time.	”
—Lance Gooden’s campaign website (2018)

Bunni Pounds

“	MY CORE CONVICTIONS My issue positions on key issues are outlined below, but I believe one of the most important things for you to know about me is the foundation by which I approach life and the worldview I will take to Congress. I am a Christian conservative who believes wholeheartedly in the Bible as the inspired Word of God and I believe that the Constitution of the United States is the most incredible document ever authored to establish a nation. From our simple foundations, we, the people of the United States, have spearheaded freedom in the form of inspiration all over the world. “We the People” have a responsibly to “keep” our republic free and it is the responsibility of every citizen to participate in the process. It is the honor of my life to do my part to maintain liberty and freedom for my future grandchildren. NATIONAL DEFENSE With threats from ISIS, North Korea and Iran, we live in a dangerous and complex world. Our Constitution lays out the most important tenet of our federal government’s responsibility – to protect the people of the United States. It is critical that our national defense be our top priority, and our troops must be the most well equipped fighting force in the world. As the daughter of a military veteran, I understand the importance of our military and our national heroes, our veterans. These men and women – and their families – deserve our highest level of admiration and support. We have enemies around the world that would love America to be weaker and less effective, but thankfully we have a strong Commander in Chief who is defending America to the world. I will work in Congress to strengthen our military power to keep our country safe. Our young men and women who serve in the military must be properly equipped for success. We must properly fund a missile defense system as well as pay more attention to cyber security and protecting our nation’s critical infrastructure systems like our water supplies and the electrical grid. Finally, it is imperative to have strong border security to ensure we keep out terrorists who wish to harm America. ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION First, fixing this broken immigration system starts with securing our borders and that’s why border security is my first priority. We are a nation of immigrants, but our current system not only undermines the rule of law in our country, it presents a national security threat. To protect American citizens, I support President Trump’s call for increased manpower, surveillance, and a structural border wall. We must crack down on sanctuary cities and states that undermine our nation’s immigration laws. I oppose amnesty and putting a stop to chain migration. We must strengthen enforcement in the U.S. with programs like E-Verify. I believe in legal immigration and want high quality immigrants who can enter the country the proper, legal way, and who can contribute to our society in a positive way. The United States should not have an open policy that brings in low-skill and in many cases dangerous people who place a large strain on our country’s resources. When our nation functions as a lawless society – it hinders us as a nation and a people. LOWER TAXES To me, it’s common sense: lower taxes means more money in the pockets of hard working American families, and we must oppose any effort to raise taxes. I promise to protect taxpayers and I have gladly signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge to publicly demonstrate my commitment to lower taxes. I applaud President Trump and Republicans in Congress for passing tax reform which will lower the federal tax burden on individuals and small businesses while spurring economic growth. Ultimately, I would like to see reform in the form of the flat tax or the Fair tax. At a minimum, I believe we need to continue this process by making the individual tax cuts permanent and totally eliminating the death tax. HEALTH CARE The Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Obamacare) was a movement toward socialized medicine and has been a disaster for the American family. Furthermore, it was a string of broken promises to the American people. We were promised we could keep our doctors and health plans – all while cutting costs. Instead our premiums have skyrocketed and our choices have diminished. I understand the frustration of American families who have seen their health care premium rise to a level higher than their mortgages. Obamacare has been a disaster and must be completely repealed. Thankfully the latest tax reform bill ended the individual federal mandate, but we still have the employer mandate and the rest of the fundamental framework in place. Replacing Obamacare should put patents and their families in charge of heath care. Small businesses and individuals should be able to join together to negotiate lower health care premiums and we should incentivize insurance companies to cross state lines to provide more competition and options. JOBS AND THE ECONOMY America is more prosperous when government gets out of the way. For too long, bureaucrats in Washington have foisted unnecessary burdensome regulations on our nation’s job creators. As a small business owner, I know that small businesses creates jobs – not the government. I applaud President Trump’s efforts to bring sanity back to our nations out of control regulatory structure and the bureaucracy that fosters it, and in Washington, I will do everything possible to help him in his efforts to further the goals of free enterprise and a stronger economy through less regulation and fighting crony capitalism. FEDERAL DEFICITS & OUR NATIONAL DEBT Our national debt recently topped $20 trillion. This debt is a drag on our economy and it could lead us to a future crisis. Just as Texas families must do, our federal government should be required to operate on a balanced budget and make tough budgeting decisions. The national debt now is a moral crisis for us as a nation as we continue to pass the debt burden on to our children and grandchildren. We can no longer ignore the perilous financial path of our country. We need to live within our means on discretionary spending and work to reform entitlement programs like welfare while strengthening Social Security and Medicare, or our children will not reap the benefits of these programs. We have to protect our current retirees but start making the hard decisions to keep these programs solvent for the Americans after them. EDUCATION Our children are our most precious resource. Every child, no matter the neighborhood where they may reside, deserves a high-quality education. Education is best administered at the local level with parents, teachers, and local school boards making the decisions for their communities. As your Congresswoman, I will fight to ensure that Washington does not push their unfunded mandates and one size fits all directives on our local communities. As a former homeschooling mom, I believe that parents should be empowered to make the best educational decisions for their children to meet their specific needs -whether that is through public schools, charter schools, private schools, or homeschooling. PRO-ISRAEL I have been a Christian activist with AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) for years and have a record of standing with Israel in Washington D.C. and Texas. Israel serves as the number one ally of the United States in the Middle East. From sharing vital intelligence and technology, to sharing the high values of freedom and democracy, the U.S.-Israel partnership is a mutually beneficial relationship that works to strengthen both countries. Iran’s quest for nuclear weapons is the number one threat to Israel’s security, and serves as a major national security threat to the United States and its allies. In addition to its nuclear ambition, Iran continues to be the number one state sponsor of terror and an aggressor in the region. U.S. policy going forward should work to correct the flaws of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, namely its sunset clause, which lifts all nuclear restrictions on Iran by 2031. On college campuses across the United States, as well as on the international stage, the liberal boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement continue to grow, seeking to delegitimize and isolate Israel. These efforts are, at their foundation, disingenuous and based on faulty information. I fully support efforts in Congress that seek to combat BDS both domestically and abroad. I fully support President Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to begin preparation for moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in concordance with the bipartisan Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995. RELIGIOUS FREEDOM Our nation was built on the foundation of religious freedom, meaning that our government would not tell us who to worship or how to worship. As the daughter of a pastor, I gave my life completely to Christ at the age of 13 and believe in the Bible as God’s Word for instruction for our lives. My husband Tim and I pastor a home church called Reality Community Church and have been involved in foreign missions for years – teaching and spreading the Gospel in other countries. I have seen the hardship other Christians face around the world, and I believe strongly that America needs to stand up against religious persecution around the world. At home, I believe that Americans have the right to live and work according to their religious beliefs, and conscience protections should be upheld. PRO-LIFE I believe life begins at conception and will fight to protect the unborn every day I am in Congress. I’m honored to be the only candidate in this campaign who has earned the endorsement of the Texas Right to Life – and I will uphold that trust each and every day. One of my top priorities is to make the Hyde amendment permanent and forever keep federal funding out of the abortion industry. I will also work to defund Planned Parenthood and protect pro-life medication professionals who elect to not provide abortion services. We must continue to educate the younger generation on the effects of abortion, and as a conservative pro-life mom, I will be a strong voice in doing so. 2ND AMENDMENT The second amendment of our Constitution reads, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” As a lifetime member of the NRA, I embrace the second amendment wholeheartedly. Our founding fathers understood that individual citizens had a duty and responsibility to defend themselves and each other. I support the right of Americans to carry guns across state lines and support HR 38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. Gun control only serves to create more victims of violence, by taking away the only tool they have to defend themselves from violent criminals.	”
—Bunni Pounds' campaign website (2018)

Kenneth Sheets

“	As a State Legislator I fought to secure the border. The Federal Government has failed, but here in Texas we know how vital it is to stop criminals from entering our country. As a proud gun owner and NRA A+ rated legislator, you can count on me to ALWAYS fight for your right to keep and bear arms. I will stand up to liberals and prevent them from attacking our 2nd Amendment rights. As a limited government Conservative I will fight to roll back the burdensome and unnecessary regulations from the Obama Administration. I believe we must fight for lower taxes. The federal government wastes our hard earned money and you deserve to keep more of your money.	”
—Kenneth Sheet’s campaign website (2018)

Jason Wright

“	The Sanctity of Life “I am unapologetically pro-life from conception to natural death. The practice of abortion is abhorrent and I will fight to end it. Until we achieve that victory, not a penny of your tax dollars should be spent funding abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood.” Taxes “I pledge to work to cut taxes and simplify the tax code at every opportunity I get. Our nation is at its best when you can keep more of what you earn to care for yourself and your family and give less to the oversized bureaucracy in Washington, DC. ” Government Spending “Our nation must move to a zero-based budgeting system. Responsible Americans set and live by budgets every day and our government should do the same. Every penny spent by government should be itemized so that together, we can decide which costs are justified and which are not.” National Defense “The primary purpose and goal of our military must always be to keep Americans safe. A strong America is also a blessing to our allies and to those around the world who find hope in our example. While our military secures our defense abroad we must strengthen our defense at home, especially along our borders, the power grid, and other key components of infrastructure.” Immigration “Legal immigration can be a benefit to all of us, but for the sake of our nation’s safety, everyone we accept into our country must be vetted thoroughly. Illegal immigration shows a disrespect for the rule of law in the United States and we should show zero tolerance for those who enter our nation illegally. Sanctuary cities encourage law breaking and I will fight to prevent them from disregarding our current law.” The Second Amendment “Our Founding Fathers were clear about the right to keep and bear arms. I will actively work against government infringement on our most sacred right to self defense. “ Healthcare “Over time, government has crept further and further into our healthcare system, driving up prices, and limiting availability to healthcare. Obamacare is the last straw and must be repealed immediately. A free market system, including the ability to buy and sell health insurance across state lines, is our best path towards better, cheaper, and more accessible healthcare.” Lower Regulations “Your creativity and hard work and your ability to earn a living from those things should not be limited by government regulation. High regulations are especially harmful to small businesses, which are the foundation of our economy. ”	”
—Jason Wright’s campaign website (2018)

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Race ratings: Texas' 5th Congressional District election, 2018
Race tracker	Race ratings
	October 30, 2018	October 23, 2018	October 16, 2018	October 9, 2018
The Cook Political Report	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Safe Republican	Safe Republican	Safe Republican	Safe Republican
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season.

Early voting in Texas primaries, 2018

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

District history

2016

See also: Texas' 5th Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Jeb Hensarling (R) defeated Ken Ashby (L) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Hensarling also faced no challenger in the Republican primary on March 1, 2016.

U.S. House, Texas District 5 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Jeb Hensarling Incumbent	80.6%	155,469
	Libertarian	Ken Ashby	19.4%	37,406
Total Votes				192,875
Source: Texas Secretary of State

2014

See also: Texas' 5th Congressional District elections, 2014

The 5th Congressional District of Texas held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Jeb Hensarling (R) defeated Ken Ashby (L) in the general election.

U.S. House, Texas District 5 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Jeb Hensarling Incumbent	85.4%	88,998
	Libertarian	Ken Ashby	14.6%	15,264
Total Votes				104,262
Source: Texas Secretary of State

District analysis

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

See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores

The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+16, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 16 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Texas' 5th Congressional District the 72nd most Republican nationally.

FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 0.91. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 0.91 points toward that party.

State overview

Partisan control

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

Congressional delegation

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

State executives

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

State legislature

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

Trifecta status

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

2018 elections

See also: Texas elections, 2018

Texas held elections for the following positions in 2018:

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

Demographics

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

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

State election history

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

Historical elections

Presidential elections, 2000-2016

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

Election results (President of the United States), Texas 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2016	Donald Trump	52.23%	Hillary Clinton	43.24%	8.99%
2012	Mitt Romney	57.17%	Barack Obama	41.38%	15.79%
2008	John McCain	55.45%	Barack Obama	43.68%	11.77%
2004	George W. Bush	61.09%	John Kerry	38.22%	22.87%
2000	George W. Bush	59.30%	Al Gore	37.98%	21.32%

U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Texas from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

Election results (U.S. Senator), Texas 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2014	John Cornyn	61.56%	David Alameel	34.36%	27.20%
2012	Ted Cruz	56.46%	Paul Sadler	40.62%	15.84%
2008	John Cornyn	54.82%	Richard Noriega	42.84%	11.98%
2006	Kay Bailey Hutchison	61.69%	Barbara Ann Radnofsky	36.04%	25.65%
2002	John Cornyn	55.30%	Ron Kirk	43.33%	11.97%
2000	Kay Bailey Hutchison	65.04%	Gene Kelly	32.35%	32.69%

Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2014

This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2014. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Texas.

Election results (Governor), Texas 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2014	Greg Abbott	59.27%	Wendy Davis	38.90%	20.37%
2010	Rick Perry	54.97%	Bill White	42.30%	12.67%
2006	Rick Perry	39.03%	Chris Bell	29.79%	9.24%
2002	Rick Perry	57.81%	Tony Sanchez	39.96%	17.85%

Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Texas in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

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

Trifectas, 1992-2017

A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

Texas Party Control: 1992-2025
Three years of Democratic trifectas  •  Twenty-three years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

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

See also

• United States House of Representatives elections in Texas, 2018
• United States House elections in Texas (March 6, 2018 Republican primaries)
• Texas' 5th Congressional District election (March 6, 2018 Democratic primary)
• United States House of Representatives elections, 2018

External links

• Texas Secretary of State
• Republican Party of Texas
• United States House of Representatives

Lance Gooden

• Official campaign website
• Lance Gooden on Facebook

Bunni Pounds

• Official campaign website
• Bunni Pounds on Facebook
• Bunni Pounds on Twitter

Kenneth Sheets

• Official campaign website
• Kenneth Sheets on Facebook
• Kenneth Sheets on Twitter

Jason Wright

• Official campaign website
• Jason Wright on Facebook
• Jason Wright on Twitter

Footnotes

[show]

Texas' current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

John Cornyn (R)

Ted Cruz (R)

Representatives

District 1

Nathaniel Moran (R)

District 2

Daniel Crenshaw (R)

District 3

Keith Self (R)

District 4

Pat Fallon (R)

District 5

Lance Gooden (R)

District 6

Jake Ellzey (R)

District 7

Lizzie Fletcher (D)

District 8

Morgan Luttrell (R)

District 9

Al Green (D)

District 10

Michael McCaul (R)

District 11

August Pfluger (R)

District 12

Craig Goldman (R)

District 13

Ronny Jackson (R)

District 14

Randy Weber (R)

District 15

Monica De La Cruz (R)

District 16

Veronica Escobar (D)

District 17

Pete Sessions (R)

District 18

Vacant

District 19

Jodey Arrington (R)

District 20

Joaquin Castro (D)

District 21

Chip Roy (R)

District 22

Troy Nehls (R)

District 23

Tony Gonzales (R)

District 24

Beth Van Duyne (R)

District 25

Roger Williams (R)

District 26

Brandon Gill (R)

District 27

Michael Cloud (R)

District 28

Henry Cuellar (D)

District 29

Sylvia Garcia (D)

District 30

Jasmine Crockett (D)

District 31

John Carter (R)

District 32

Julie Johnson (D)

District 33

Marc Veasey (D)

District 34

Vicente Gonzalez (D)

District 35

Greg Casar (D)

District 36

Brian Babin (R)

District 37

Lloyd Doggett (D)

District 38

Wesley Hunt (R)

Republican Party (27)

Democratic Party (12)

Vacancies (1)

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