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Texas' 7th Congressional District election, 2018

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Texas' 7th Congressional District
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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:
John Culberson (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting in Texas
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Toss-up
Inside Elections: Tilt Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Toss-up
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
See also
Texas' 7th Congressional District
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th • 12th • 13th • 14th • 15th • 16th • 17th • 18th • 19th • 20th • 21st • 22nd • 23rd • 24th • 25th • 26th • 27th • 28th • 29th • 30th • 31st • 32nd • 33rd • 34th • 35th • 36th • 27th (special)
Texas elections, 2018
U.S. Congress elections, 2018
U.S. Senate elections, 2018
U.S. House elections, 2018

Lizzie Pannill Fletcher (D) defeated incumbent John Culberson (R) in the 2018 general election for Texas' 7th 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.

Culberson was first elected in 2000. He had last won re-election in 2016 by a margin of 12 percentage points. That year, Hillary Clinton (D) carried the 7th District, defeating Donald Trump (R) by a margin of 1 percentage point. The district is one of 25 districts that backed Hillary Clinton (D) and a Republican congressional candidate in 2016. No Democratic candidate had won election to represent the district since 1964. As of October 2018, two race ratings outlets rated the race Toss-up while a third rated it Tilts Republican.

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

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 7

Lizzie Pannill Fletcher defeated incumbent John Culberson in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 7 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Lizzie Pannill Fletcher
Lizzie Pannill Fletcher (D)
 
52.5
 
127,959
Image of John Culberson
John Culberson (R)
 
47.5
 
115,642

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 243,601
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary runoff election

Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 7

Lizzie Pannill Fletcher defeated Laura Moser in the Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 7 on May 22, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Lizzie Pannill Fletcher
Lizzie Pannill Fletcher
 
67.9
 
9,888
Image of Laura Moser
Laura Moser
 
32.1
 
4,666

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 14,554
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 7

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 7 on March 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Lizzie Pannill Fletcher
Lizzie Pannill Fletcher
 
29.4
 
9,768
✔
Image of Laura Moser
Laura Moser
 
24.3
 
8,099
Image of Jason Westin
Jason Westin
 
19.2
 
6,375
Image of Alex Triantaphyllis
Alex Triantaphyllis
 
15.7
 
5,234
Image of Ivan Sanchez
Ivan Sanchez
 
5.7
 
1,895
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Joshua Butler
 
3.8
 
1,253
Image of James Cargas
James Cargas
 
2.0
 
651

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 33,275
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 7

Incumbent John Culberson defeated Edward Ziegler in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 7 on March 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of John Culberson
John Culberson
 
76.1
 
28,944
Image of Edward Ziegler
Edward Ziegler
 
23.9
 
9,088

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 38,032
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Candidate profiles

See also: Editorial approach to writing about key campaign messages


John Culberson, U.S. representative
John Culberson.jpg

Campaign website Facebook Twitter

Party: Republican

Incumbent: Yes

Political office: U.S. House of Representatives (Assumed office: 2001), Texas House of Representatives (1986-2001)

Biography: Culberson graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1981 and obtained a law degree from South Texas College of Law in 1989. While serving in the state House, Culberson worked as a defense attorney with the firm of Lorance and Thompson. As of the 2018 election, Culberson served on the House Appropriations Committee and chaired the subcommittee on commerce, justice, science, and related agencies.

Key messages
  • Culberson emphasized his tenure representing the district, saying that he understood the district's needs.[1]
  • Culberson emphasized his status as chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science, saying that he was "in the right position at the right time to truly deliver and make a real difference for Houston."[1]
  • Culberson said that he secured billions of dollars in relief funding following Hurricane Harvey through what he described as a bipartisan effort to create the largest hurricane disaster response measure in U.S. history, adding that he "wrote the bill in a way that ensures Texas is at the front of the line for these federal flood-control funds."[1][2]



Lizzie Pannill Fletcher, attorney
Lizzie Pannill Fletcher.jpg

Campaign website Facebook Twitter

Party: Democratic

Incumbent: No

Political office: None

Biography: Fletcher graduated from Kenyon College with a degree in history in 1997. She worked in several roles, including as a conference manager for Bear Stearns and as special projects director for the Alley Theatre, before obtaining her law degree from William & Mary in 2006. She worked with the firm Vinson and Elkins for three years before joining Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing in 2009, where she became a partner in 2015.

Key messages
  • Fletcher emphasized her connections to Houston and said that she was running to bring Houston values to Washington, saying that "No place is more welcoming, diverse, innovative, hard-working, or generous than Houston."[3]
  • Fletcher said that Culberson had not effectively represented the district and had not governed in a bipartisan manner. She criticized Culberson for his position on healthcare and said that he has blocked infrastructure and transportation funding the city would benefit from.[4]



Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
Texas' 7th Congressional District, 2018
Poll Poll sponsor Fletcher (D) Culberson (R)Undecided/OtherMargin of ErrorSample Size
The New York Times Upshot/Siena College
(October 19-25, 2018)		N/A 45%46%9%+/-4.6499
Public Policy Polling
(September 21, 2018)		Protect Our Care 47%45%8%+/-4.1562
The New York Times Upshot/Siena College
(September 14-18, 2018)		N/A 45%48%7%+/-5.0500
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
(May 23-31, 2018)		N/A 47%45%8%+/-4.9404
Note: A "0%" finding means the question was not a part of the poll. 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
John Culberson Republican Party $3,504,458 $3,542,492 $43,657 As of December 31, 2018
Lizzie Pannill Fletcher Democratic Party $6,226,877 $6,184,825 $42,067 As of December 31, 2018

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2018. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.


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.[5][6][7]

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.

  • Congressional Leadership Fund
    • On September 19, 2018, the fund reported spending $103,554 on ads opposing Fletcher.[8]
    • On April 17, 2018, the fund announced that it had spent $2.45 million to reserve airtime for television ads in Texas' 7th Congressional District. The district was one of 20 targeted by the fund as part of a $48 million media reservation.[9]
  • Giffords PAC reported spending $1,114,916 on a television ad campaign opposing Culberson on October 12, 2018.[10]
  • Women Vote!
    • On October 9, 2018, the organization reported spending $444,164 on a digital and television ad campaign opposed to Culberson.[11]
    • The organization reported spending $246,418 as of September 2018. Of that amount, just over $65,000 was spent on ads opposing Culberson while the remainder was spent on ads and mailers in support of Fletcher.[12][13]

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.[14]
  • 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.[15][16][17]

Race ratings: Texas' 7th Congressional District election, 2018
Race trackerRace ratings
October 30, 2018October 23, 2018October 16, 2018October 9, 2018
The Cook Political ReportToss-upToss-upToss-upToss-up
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesTilt RepublicanTilt RepublicanTilt RepublicanTilt Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallToss-upToss-upToss-upToss-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+7, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 7 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Texas' 7th Congressional District the 177th most Republican nationally.[18]

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 1.11. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 1.11 points toward that party.[19]

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

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

Noteworthy general election endorsements
Endorsement Fletcher (D) Culberson (R)
Newspapers and editorials
The Houston Chronicle[20] ✔
Elected officials
Former Vice President Joe Biden (D)[21] ✔
Gov. Greg Abbott (R)[22] ✔

Timeline

  • October 25, 2018: A New York Times Upshot/Siena College poll found Culberson about even with Fletcher, with 46 percent support to Fletcher's 45 percent. The poll reported a margin of error of 4.6 percentage points.
  • October 21, 2018: Culberson and Fletcher met for a debate at the University of Houston.
  • October 12, 2018: Giffords PAC report spending just over $1.1 million on an ad campaign opposed to Culberson.
  • October 9, 2018: Women Vote! reported spending just over $440,000 on an ad campaign opposed to Culberson.
  • September 24, 2018: A New York Times Upshot/Siena College poll found Culberson apparently leading Fletcher, with 48 percent support to Fletcher's 45 percent. The poll reported a margin of error of 5 percentage points.
  • September 21, 2018: A Public Policy Polling poll commissioned by Protect Our Care found Fletcher apparently leading Culberson, with 47 percent support to Culberson's 45 percent. The poll reported a margin of error of 4.1 percentage points.
  • September 19, 2018: The Congressional Leadership Fund reported spending just over $100,000 on ads opposing Fletcher.
  • September 18, 2018: The Culberson campaign released an ad opposed to Fletcher titled Anita.
  • August 14, 2018: Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) endorsed Lizzie Pannill Fletcher (D).

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.

Republican Party John Culberson

Support

"Care" - Culberson campaign ad, released September 29, 2018
"51 Inches" - Culberson campaign ad, released September 14, 2018

Oppose

"Reach" - EMILY's List ad released October 23, 2018
"This isn't a Drill" - Giffords PAC ad released October 17, 2018
"My House" - My House ad released October 12, 2018
"Line" - EMILY's List ad released October 9, 2018
"Wrecking Ball" - Pannill Fletcher campaign ad released September 19, 2018
"Audrey - Why" - DCCC ad released September 11, 2018
"Audrey - Health Care" - DCCC ad released September 11, 2018

Democratic Party Lizzie Pannill Fletcher

Support

"Change That" - Fletcher campaign ad, released October 19, 2018
"One Way" - Fletcher campaign ad, released October 4, 2018
"A Little More Houston" - Fletcher campaign ad, released September 5, 2018

Oppose

"Simply Liberal" - Congressional Leadership Fund ad, released October 15, 2018
"Wrong for Texas" - Congressional Leadership Fund ad, released October 5, 2018
"You Lose" - Congressional Leadership Fund ad, released September 26, 2018
"Texas Values" - NRCC ad, released September 25, 2018
"Anita" - Culberson campaign ad, released September 18, 2018

Noteworthy events

Mike Pence fundraiser

On August 9, 2018, the Texas Tribune reported that Vice President Mike Pence (R) would headline a fundraiser for John Culberson (R) on August 23. Proceeds from the event were split among Culberson's re-election campaign, his political action committee, the Republican Party of Harris County, and the National Republican Congressional Committee.[32]

Debates and forums

  • Culberson and Fletcher met for a debate at the University of Houston on October 21, 2018.[33] Click here for footage of the debate.

Campaign themes

Republican Party John Culberson

Culberson's campaign website stated the following:

“

First time visitors to Houston often tell me how friendly and welcoming our city is to newcomers, and what a wonderful place this is to raise a family. As a third-generation Houstonian and a fifth-generation Texan, I take great pride in our wonderful city. It’s a tremendous honor to represent west Houston in Congress.

Keeping my word and earning the trust of the residents of District 7 in each election has allowed me to build seniority and earn a leadership role on the Appropriations Committee. It culminated last session when I become Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science. I am the only appropriator from southeast Texas, so I am in the right position at the right time to truly deliver and make a real difference for Houston.

Flood Control & Prevention
Hurricane Harvey proved to the world what we have always known: Houstonians look after each other, especially in a crisis. We are immensely strong and resilient. However, Harvey also created the largest housing disaster in American history. Tens of thousands of Houston homes flooded, and thousands of Houstonians are still recovering. I have secured billions in funding for those still suffering from the storm, and continue to work with federal, state, county and city officials to get that money out the door and into the hands of survivors.

In Congress, I spearheaded cooperation between the Texas and Florida Congressional delegations and worked across the aisle to secure the largest hurricane disaster appropriation in United States history - $141 billion in three separate bills. I used my experience from the Texas Legislature and wrote the bill in a way that ensures Texas is at the front of the line for these federal flood-control funds. Already we’ve seen the first $5 billion in flood-control construction dollars flow to Texas. It is enough money to finish every federally authorized flood-control project in Harris County at full federal expense. This means Brays Bayou is fully funded and will be completed far faster.

Since 2003, when I was first appointed to the Appropriations Committee, I have secured $457 million federal dollars for flood-control projects built by the Harris County Flood Control District. This includes more than $100 million for Buffalo Bayou, $200 million for Brays Bayou and $97 million to replace the gates on Addicks and Barker Reservoirs.

I strongly support the construction of a third reservoir to keep water out of the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs, and I secured all the funding the Army Corps of Engineers needs to complete the essential planning and design work to expand the capacity of our existing reservoirs. I am also co-sponsoring bi-partisan legislation that would update our urban flood maps to help homes and businesses better understand their flood risk and ensure that our flood insurance premiums take into account the latest flood-control improvements in your area.

Growing the Economy
Houston is booming and the American economy is thriving. Low taxes, common-sense regulations, and protecting the Texas oil-and-gas industry has increased prosperity for everyone living in the 7th District.

I was proud to help pass the largest tax cut in American history last year. As a direct result, our economy is thundering, and American dollars stranded offshore are returning to the U.S. in record numbers. Ninety percent of Americans saw an increase in their take-home pay, millions of Americans earned bonuses, the nation’s unemployment rate has dropped, and consumer and business confidence in the economy continues to grow. Recently, the non-partisan Tax Foundation released its latest analysis that the tax cut would create "over 1.44 million new full-time equivalent jobs" in the next seven years. It estimates the Republican tax cut will create at least 121,671 new full-time equivalent jobs in Texas alone.

Texas is abundantly blessed with nearly immeasurable oil and gas reserves, and Texas will be the nation's principal producer of energy for decades to come. America is on the brink of being the world's largest energy exporter, due to the repeal of the oil-export ban, which I strongly supported and spearheaded in the House. Ending our dependence on foreign oil will pay dividends for Texas and Houston. Oil-and-gas jobs are critically important to the economy of the 7th District, and I have been a steadfast champion of creating an energy strategy that supports the industry and creates jobs.

Among our economic engines is the Texas Medical Center. It is the best and largest in the world and is a leader in innovation and research. I’ll will always fight to protect it, and I will continue to be a zealous advocate for increasing national investment in medical and scientific research. Breakthroughs in these areas are vital to the economic and technological challenges we face in the 21st century.

Improving Houston Transportation
Keeping my word is a fundamental part of my job as your representative. My first campaign promise was to expand the Katy Freeway, which we did ahead of schedule and under budget. Opening up the Katy Freeway was like giving west Houston coronary bypass surgery, by reducing commute times so we can spend more time with our families instead of wasting it in traffic.

Recently, through my position on the Appropriations Committee, I was able to secure funding to rebuild the 610 Loop from I-69 to I-10. This is sorely needed for the region because it is considered the most congested section of expressway in Texas.

It’s also important to support other transit solutions like METRO. I have secured more than $46 million to help support METRO’s rail lines to the north and southeast and more than $7 million to improve METRO’s bus lines. I view METRO as a partner and have worked to try to change laws making it easier for the agency to use federal money on regional transportation projects that are cost effective and move the most amount of people.

Protecting the quality of life in our neighborhoods is a vitally important part of my job, which is why I have steadfastly opposed the construction of METRO’s rail lines on Richmond and Post Oak through the Galleria. Voters did not approve the Richmond rail line, and residents along both routes have strenuously opposed the project. I changed federal law to ensure that METRO must ask voters for their approval on the cost and specific routes for any new rail lines, guaranteeing they will have the final say on METRO rail.

Strengthening NASA
NASA is one of our nation’s—and Houston’s—most valuable resources and strategic asset. As a native Houstonian, whose earliest heroes were the Apollo astronauts, it is a tremendous privilege and source of great personal joy to help restore the American space program to what it once was like during the glory days of Apollo.

I am the chairman of the Subcommittee that funds NASA, and I have kept my word increase NASA funding and support one of our nation’s most important scientific research centers. NASA now receives more money than at any time since its creation. This will have a ripple effect on jobs and economic growth for the people of District 7 and the entire Houston region.

NASA is one of our country’s finest organizations. It attracts some of the most groundbreaking scientists, the smartest engineers, and the most talented pilots in the world. Millions worldwide have benefitted from its discoveries, prayed during its most precarious moments, and watched in awe during its crowning achievements. I believe scientists, not politicians, need to make the long-term, strategic decisions for NASA. I’ve sponsored legislation that would separate NASA’s funding process from the political whims of the White House and ensures that the agency’s strategic goals are decided by the astronauts, engineers, and scientists who know best.

Increasing Border Security
Protecting our quality of life also means securing our border and enforcing our laws that will keep our streets safe.

As Chairman of the Subcommittee that funds all federal law enforcement, I have focused on hiring additional prosecutors and federal investigators to truly secure the southern border and to fight human trafficking. I have also supported legislation to ensure that children are not separated from their parents when the parents are apprehended because they entered the United States illegally.

Additionally, I have also made record increases in the funding levels for the law enforcement grant programs that help state and local law enforcement agencies eliminate the rape kit backlog, to protect women and children against violence, and increase school safety. Earlier this year, I successfully passed legislation with Senator John Cornyn to ensure that the National Instant Background Check database is accurate so that criminals, like the man responsible for the shooting in Sutherland Springs, cannot legally buy a gun.

We need to strictly enforce our existing gun laws to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and people suffering from mental illness. At the same time, we must balance the rights of law-abiding Americans to keep and bear arms as guaranteed by the Second Amendment in the Constitution.

Combating Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is one of the most heartbreaking issues facing our communities. It is modern-day human slavery, and Houston has the highest number of human trafficking victims in the country. Stopping the criminal enterprises that support human trafficking is one of my priorities working for you in Congress. Through my position on the Appropriations Committee, I have been able to increase funding to victims and law enforcement to crack down on this abhorrent practice.

Since I took over as the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science, I have increased grants to fight human trafficking by 82 percent. This money goes toward funding grants to stop the practice, funding for programs that support violence against women, and support missing and exploited children. My committee has also made sure our federal law enforcement agencies are properly funded to adequately investigate and prosecute these egregious criminals.

Health Care
Our health care system under Obamacare has become unaffordable. Congress must take action in order to make health care more accessible, affordable and, portable. Health care is vitally important to Houston’s economy because of the Texas Medical Center, which is another reason we must focus on stabilizing our health care system.

As a free-market conservative, I believe there are steps we can take to stabilize the market. We should be allowing insurance companies to sell across state lines to provide more options to consumers. We should make it easier for small businesses to pool their resources to buy private insurance. I also support guaranteed coverage for pre-existing conditions and for allowing parents to keep their children insured as family members until age 26.

As a zealous advocate for science and medical research and the Subcommittee Chairman that funds our national science programs, I will continue to fight for full funding to find a cure for cancer, juvenile diabetes, musical dystrophy, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and other debilitating illnesses.[34]

”
—Culberson for Congress[35]

Democratic Party Lizzie Pannill Fletcher

Fletcher's campaign website stated the following:

“

Moving Us Forward
We face real challenges at home and around the world. We want and need our elected leaders to work together to find solutions to our shared problems, but Washington is not working as it should. Partisanship has led to gridlock, politicians refuse to work across party lines, and we all pay the price. I launched this campaign because we need new leaders in Washington who will put people above politics and deliver results.

Houstonians are hardworking, welcoming, innovative, and caring. We are problem solvers. We are big thinkers. We are collaborators. And we are facing real challenges. We need everyone—Democrats and Republicans—to participate as we address our community’s challenges. While we may not always agree on exactly how to overcome each challenge, we can all agree that our elected representatives should work together to find solutions—and to care more about the people they represent than their political parties.

It is time for Texas’ 7th Congressional District to have a representative who knows who we are, understands our challenges, protects what we have worked for, ensures we stay healthy, and keeps us safe.

These principles guide my vision for the district and the policy priorities we will address in our campaign.

  • Understanding our challenges means making our city more resilient by bolstering infrastructure to keep us safe from increasing and more frequent weather events, and partnering with our local agencies to make smart investments in mass transit. It means encouraging federal revitalization programs that provide high-risk communities like ours with the resources we need to be prepared for, and reduce the costs of, the next storm; passing a federal infrastructure investment plan that puts money into infrastructure improvements while creating local jobs; and working with METRO to expand our transit system to keep our workforce—and our economy—moving forward.
  • Knowing who we are means knowing how our diverse, hard-working community functions and ensuring that its values are protected. This means understanding our economy and finding ways to remain global leaders. It means working with our institutions and companies to create and increase access to work training programs for our workforce; increasing access to capital and credit for Texans who want to start or expand their own businesses, so businesses of all sizes and in all sectors thrive; and passing equitable tax reform that encourages domestic job growth rather than incentives that promote the outsourcing of jobs and investments that should be kept in Houston.
  • Protecting what we have worked for means protecting Social Security and Medicare. As the deficit and the national debt continue to rise, Congressional actions put the future of our investments at risk. We must keep the promise to retired Americans by opposing consistent efforts to efforts to turn Social Security and Medicare into voucher programs or use them to pay for irresponsible tax cuts; addressing waste in these and all government programs to ensure only those eligible get the benefits in which they invested; and preserving the integrity of the programs for those who pay into them now.
  • Ensuring we stay healthy means knowing that our residents are rightly concerned about access to and affordability of health care. Congress is not helping. We stay healthy by reversing the impact of reckless partisanship and working with both parties to bring down the cost of health care by introducing common-sense, cost-saving measures like allowing Medicare to negotiate with drug companies to lower prescription drug prices; to defend women’s access to reproductive health care; and to fight any attempt to eliminate protections for people with pre-existing conditions like cancer, diabetes, or asthma.
  • Keeping us safe means making smart policy and enforcing it by working with and across our diverse community. It means strengthening our border security by making smart investments in Border Patrol and new technologies; by reforming our immigration laws to protect Dreamers and those who follow the law and contribute to our economy; by reducing gun violence; by making sure law enforcement, including ICE, can do its job to keep our communities safe; and by ensuring our justice system is efficient and fair. It means having leaders who engage in thoughtful foreign policy and diplomacy abroad to help keep us safe at home.

Civil Rights
In 2017, we saw the vision of a minority who want to return America to the Jim Crow era, where mobs and terror reigned, where discrimination on the basis of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and national origin was both practice and policy, and where the basic humanity of our fellow citizens was denied. We must not let this happen.

We must choose to reject hate, bigotry, and racism. We must work for equality, justice, and freedom for all Americans. We saw that, too, in 2017: clergy, students, and citizens standing up to racist mobs, rejecting their ideas, and denouncing hate. We must continue to do so.

And we must elect leaders who do it with us; who speak out forcefully against the hateful vision of America we have seen on display in Charlottesville and elsewhere.

There is no doubt that our history is complex; we are an imperfect people with an imperfect past. Examining our society, our history, our privileges, and our biases is not always an obvious or easy process. For some, the hate and bigotry on display in Charlottesville was a shock and a wake-up call. For others, it was a demonstration of something they have been saying for some time: racism, bigotry, and hatred remain powerful forces in American life.

We are called now to protect our fundamental American ideals—equality, liberty, justice, freedom, civil rights, and democracy—and to ensure that these ideals define our society. In Congress, I will work to protect the civil rights of every American.

Education
Quality education is essential to our democracy. Good schools are the foundation for an informed community, better jobs, and a strong economy.

All children—no matter where they live—deserve the opportunity to reach their full potential. We must invest in public education and work to ensure its success. Teachers need to be able to teach. We need programs designed to close the achievement gap. We need to end the school-to-prison pipeline. We need to make sure that all of our schools offer the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) curriculum that helps build the skills our students will need for the jobs of the future and also a curriculum that encourages them to think, to create, and to find their own voices.

For the college-bound population, we must address the rising costs of tuition. For those who have graduated, we must find relief from crushing student debt. For-profit colleges must be held accountable for the false promises they made. Community colleges should be expanded, and access to technical and vocational programs should be encouraged.

Failures in our education system will affect every aspect of our community, from the strength of our economy to the strength of our democracy itself. Educating all of our citizens should always be our priority.

During the last legislative session, John Culberson got an “F” on the National Education Association’s legislative report card, reflecting his poor record of support for public education and educators.

Equality
Our nation’s laws are designed to protect against discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Fair Housing Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, and many laws regarding federal government employment provide remedies to protect vulnerable groups. These laws should be enforced and expanded to ensure that everyone is treated fairly.

I support a federal Equality Act that would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes to ensure that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity is prohibited. Gay and transgender people – and their families – should have the same rights and protections as others in the workplace, in housing, in healthcare decisions, and in our communities. This will not be an easy fight. State legislatures (including Texas) continue to debate legislation designed to deny equal rights to gay and transgender people even after the Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that same-sex marriage is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution. These discriminatory state laws—like the proposed bathroom bill in Texas—hurt all of us, and the best way to address them is to enact federal legislation that brings our laws in line with our values.

As a member of Congress, I will fight to end discrimination and to retain the rights that so many, including the LGBT community, have fought so hard to achieve.

Flooding & Houston's Future
Much of Houston’s future will be determined by how we manage the threat of flooding, including our recovery from Hurricane Harvey.

Our recovery will take years, and we need to start now and rebuild wisely. To succeed, we need to plan to strengthen existing systems while implementing new infrastructure projects and smart policies.

This plan would include:

  • Improving existing structures, including the Addicks and Barker reservoirs;
  • Facilitating the immediate completion of Project Brays;
  • Identifying additional detention areas;
  • Revising the floodplain maps;
  • Devising and installing a system for coastal surge protection;
  • Incentivizing public-private partnerships; and
  • Ensuring future federal projects are completed on time and on budget.

We have learned that the increased flooding we are experiencing was not just predictable—it was actually predicted.

In 1996, engineers for the Harris County Flood Control District issued a dire warning that our reservoir system was insufficient. The Army Corps of Engineers authorized five flood control projects between 1986 and 1990. Today—more than 20 years later—only one of them has been completed. In 2009, the Army Corps gave Addicks and Barker reservoirs the worst possible safety ratings and expressly designated them at an “extremely high risk of catastrophic failure.”

After Tropical Storm Allison’s rains flooded the city in 2001, we developed Project Brays to protect the Texas Medical Center and those living and working along Brays Bayou. Sixteen years later, that project is far from completion.

John Culberson has failed to provide the leadership we need in Congress to protect us from flooding. In 2018, we must hold him accountable for those failings. We can, and we must, finish the projects that will keep our families safe. To do this, we need an advocate in Congress, not a bystander. We need a partner in Congress who will help us secure the resources, the information, and the assistance we need to do so—one who will work with the city, the county, and all agencies and partners to make sure we do it right.

'Gun Safety
We don’t have to live this way; gun violence in America doesn’t have to be inevitable. We can fix this. But if we truly want to save lives and protect our children, we need leaders who aren’t afraid to take on the corporate gun lobby.

In Congress, I will fight for common-sense gun safety measures, including:

  • Passing a ban on all military-style assault weapons;
  • Raising the age to buy all firearms to 21;
  • Requiring universal background checks on all gun sales;
  • Equipping law enforcement with the tools they need to keep guns out of the hands of individuals who are dangers to themselves and others;
  • Eliminating bump stocks, devices that convert semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic weapons;
  • Tightening regulations on high-capacity magazines;
  • Closing the “boyfriend loophole” and stopping domestic abusers from owning and buying guns;
  • Cracking down on illegal gun trafficking; and
  • Fully fund comprehensive research on gun violence and prevention.

Health Care
We are proud of Houston’s role in leading advances in medicine. From the first heart transplant to the cutting-edge research in the Texas Medical Center today, we have led the way for decades.

But even though we are a leader in health care research, and cutting edge advances, many people in our community and across the country do not have access to quality healthcare. We have an obligation to make sure they do. This takes many forms, from maintaining and improving the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to defending reproductive healthcare and woman’s right to choose.

The ACA was a strong first step toward making health care accessible, but we have work ahead of us to improve it.

Strengthening the ACA begins with stabilizing the market. Our community relies on the healthcare industry – not just for our own care, but also for our jobs. We have the largest medical center in the world, and instability in the healthcare market means instability in Houston’s economy.

Millions of Texans are enrolled under ACA. Millions more in the state lack health insurance entirely. To cripple effective and affordable health care for our citizens, the Trump Administration has held the cost-sharing reduction subsidies hostage, leading to premium increases and making healthcare less affordable. Prescription drug costs are skyrocketing. Patients are going without care. And insurance companies are raking in record profits.

John Culberson has been the Trump Administration’s eager accomplice in trying to take health care away from the people who need it most. Culberson voted to repeal or defund the Affordable Care Act more than 20 times knowing it would cause residents in the district with pre-existing conditions and many others to lose their healthcare coverage.

It is time to devote real and serious attention to addressing the pressing health care needs of Houstonians and all Americans, not recklessly dismantling the system with no alternative plan in place, as the Republican Congress has sought to do at every turn.

Immigration
Houston is a city of immigrants. It is at the core of our very identity, and an essential part of what makes it a great place to live.

There is no doubt that we need to fix our immigration system. It will not be easy to do. But instead of meaningfully addressing it, Congress has played politics for decades, using scare tactics to win elections instead of doing what’s best for our country.

We need comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship. It should be thoughtful, practical, and fair. It should include strengthening our border security, cracking down on employers who break the law, and ensuring law enforcement, including immigration and customs enforcement, can do its job to keep our communities safe. It should not include building a wall between us and our state’s top trading partner.

In 2013, the Senate passed bipartisan bill to address this pressing issue—by a 2-to-1 margin—after negotiation and compromise. The House of Representatives has refused to consider the bill. The failure of the House even to debate this bill or propose other meaningful solutions is a stark example of the gridlock and dysfunction that has failed us for years.

Congress must work together to address immigration issues. We must keep the promises we made to Dreamers and pass the DREAM Act. And we must act immediately to stop the devastating separation of families at the border. It is time to send people to Washington who will do so.

Jobs & Economy
Houston is a hard-working city and a leader in cutting-edge invention and innovation.

We should embrace Houston’s role as the energy leader, while continuing to diversify our economy. This starts by leading the way in developing clean-energy technology. Many of the most talented and experienced energy professionals in the world work here. We need to take the best advantage of that fact. We cannot allow the next generation of energy jobs to be created elsewhere.

We are home to scientific, medical, and technological innovation. Baylor, Rice, and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center are just a few examples of world-class research institutions here making a real impact on our world. We should be fostering growth to attract more hi-tech and biotech research jobs to the area. This means everything from promoting investment in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields, to directing grants and subsidies toward the incredible work being done in the diverse industries throughout Harris County.

We must invest in our schools and encourage vocational training and re-training that helps people connect their interests and skills with good jobs.

National Security & Foreign Policy
We are facing serious threats both abroad and at home, and nothing is more important than keeping our country safe.

The Trump administration has dismantled the U.S. State Department, alienated our allies, and abandoned the leadership role the United States has historically played. This destructive behavior is about more than how we look to others—it is about the safety of American citizens.

Taunting volatile nations does nothing but place our national security in jeopardy. Targeting people based on race or religious affiliation violates our Constitution and distracts from real threats to our safety.

Congress must act to fill the policy and diplomatic vacuum the administration has created. Qualified individuals, without regard to partisan interest or affiliation, must fill critical roles, and we must restore funding to under-resourced outposts at home and abroad.

We must work to repair our reputation and secure our alliances. And we must maintain our focus on stopping terrorist and other threats around the globe, including providing law enforcement the resources and training needed to prevent terrorism.

We must prioritize support for our men and women who serve us in our military. Our troops put their lives on the line every day, and they deserve a government that honors them and the sacrifices they make for us all. This includes taking all necessary steps to protect them abroad and making sure that they are supported at home. We must ensure their access to quality healthcare, educational opportunities, claim resolution, and housing.

Social Security & Medicare
Social Security is a promise we made to seniors who have paid into these programs with every paycheck. Medicare is the promise of health care coverage for millions of seniors and people with disabilities.

We have an absolute obligation to keep these promises and protect Social Security and Medicare. I will oppose efforts to privatize Social Security and Medicare, and I will oppose efforts to cut benefits for seniors or the disabled.

To ensure the long-term viability of these programs we need to make government work more efficiently by cutting wasteful spending, fraud, and abuse, but not by cutting these programs.

Instead of protecting Social Security and Medicare programs, Culberson has voted to allow Congress to privatize them.

Transportation & Infrastructure
One of the many things that makes Houston great is its welcoming attitude. And it shows. Talented and productive people want to come here: The Houston area is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the country.

But our infrastructure has not kept up with our growth. From 2000 to 2010, the greater Houston area grew by more than 1.2 million people, and it is still growing. But our roads and transit system have not grown at the same pace, which makes it harder to transport goods, commute to work, and attract new businesses. Improving transportation in Houston is one of my top priorities.

We need to partner with cities, counties, and METRO to bring additional resources and improvements to our region. We need an advocate for policies that both maintain and expand our region’s mobility infrastructure. And we need to make sure that Houston receives its fair share of transportation funding to move our citizens across the region.

John Culberson has failed to be a partner in this effort. Even worse, his record shows that he has actively worked against expanding transportation options in Houston. It’s time for a change.

Voting Rights
All citizens have the constitutional right to vote. We should be enacting and enforcing laws that make it easier, not harder, for citizens to vote.

Instead, Republican-dominated state legislatures (including Texas) keep passing laws that restrict or suppress voting by traditional Democratic voters in hopes of stacking the deck for future elections. These laws are designed to appear as if they do not discriminate: requiring a photo I.D., denying access to translators, and making voter registration more difficult by closing DMV locations in certain districts. But they do discriminate, and our courts have struck down these laws as unconstitutional because they intentionally discriminate against voters on the basis of race or have the effect of doing so.

Partisan and racial gerrymandering have the same discriminatory effect. In practice, gerrymandering violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and it burdens our First Amendment rights of association and speech. Even still, it dominates our political system, disenfranchising voters and silencing their voices.

We must fight for a better system to determine our representation, eliminate partisan bias, and work for an equitable voting process. This means championing a full restoration of the Voting Rights Act, challenging discriminatory voter identification laws, legalizing same-day registration or implementing universal automatic registration, and expanding early voting and vote-by-mail options.

In Congress, I will be committed to protecting voting rights, not restricting them.

Women's Health
The health and safety of half of the population has been under relentless attack. Women must take a seat at the table to speak out for our needs.

Access to reproductive healthcare is essential to all Americans’ ability to control their lives. It is a matter of health. It is a matter of economics. It is a matter of justice. And it is not negotiable.

Protecting women’s access to safe and affordable health care is one of my top priorities. I have been an advocate for this issue for more than 25 years. When I was in high school, I stood outside a Houston Planned Parenthood clinic in the August heat to stop protestors who threatened to chain themselves to the doors and prevent women from entering the clinic. After college, I co-founded Planned Parenthood Young Leaders to build a new generation of supporters for this important community partner.

I will stand firmly against Donald Trump, John Culberson, and the Republicans in Congress who continue to attack Planned Parenthood. I will work to protect the Title X Family Planning Program and access to affordable reproductive health services. I will support policies to encourage access to contraception. And I will always stand up for the right to choose.[34]

”
—Elizabeth Pannill Fletcher for Congress[36]


Social media

Twitter accounts

Facebook accounts

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Republican Party John Culberson Facebook

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Republican district won by Hillary Clinton

See also: U.S. House districts represented by a Republican and won by Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Split-ticket districts in the 2016 presidential and U.S. House elections

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.


2018 election results in Republican-held U.S. House districts won by Hillary Clinton in 2016
District Incumbent 2018 winner 2018 margin 2016 presidential margin 2012 presidential margin
Arizona's 2nd Republican Party Martha McSally Democratic Party Ann Kirkpatrick D+9.5 Clinton+4.9 Romney+1.5
California's 10th Republican Party Jeff Denham Democratic Party Josh Harder D+2.6 Clinton+3.0 Obama+3.6
California's 21st Republican Party David Valadao Democratic Party TJ Cox D+0.8 Clinton+15.5 Obama+11.1
California's 25th Republican Party Steve Knight Democratic Party Katie Hill D+6.4 Clinton+6.7 Romney+1.9
California's 39th Republican Party Ed Royce Democratic Party Gil Cisneros D+1.4 Clinton+8.6 Romney+3.7
California's 45th Republican Party Mimi Walters Democratic Party Katie Porter D+1.6 Clinton+5.4 Romney+11.8
California's 48th Republican Party Dana Rohrabacher Democratic Party Harley Rouda D+5.8 Clinton+1.7 Romney+11.7
California's 49th Republican Party Darrell Issa Democratic Party Mike Levin D+7.4 Clinton+7.5 Romney+6.7
Colorado's 6th Republican Party Mike Coffman Democratic Party Jason Crow D+11.2 Clinton+8.9 Obama+5.1
Florida's 26th Republican Party Carlos Curbelo Democratic Party Debbie Mucarsel-Powell D+1.8 Clinton+16.1 Obama+11.5
Florida's 27th Republican Party Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Democratic Party Donna Shalala D+6.0 Clinton+19.7 Obama+6.7
Illinois' 6th Republican Party Peter Roskam Democratic Party Sean Casten D+5.6 Clinton+7.0 Romney+8.2
Kansas' 3rd Republican Party Kevin Yoder Democratic Party Sharice Davids D+9.1 Clinton+1.2 Romney+9.5
Minnesota's 3rd Republican Party Erik Paulsen Democratic Party Dean Phillips D+11.4 Clinton+9.4 Obama+0.8
New Jersey's 7th Republican Party Leonard Lance Democratic Party Tom Malinowski D+4.7 Clinton+1.1 Romney+6.2
New York's 24th Republican Party John Katko Republican Party John Katko R+6.3 Clinton+3.6 Obama+15.9
Pennsylvania's 1st Republican Party Brian Fitzpatrick[38] Republican Party Brian Fitzpatrick R+2.6 Clinton+2.0 Obama+2.6
Pennsylvania's 5th Republican Party Pat Meehan[39] Democratic Party Mary Gay Scanlon D+30.2 Clinton+28.2 Obama+27.7
Pennsylvania's 6th Republican Party Ryan Costello[40] Democratic Party Chrissy Houlahan D+17.6 Clinton+9.3 Obama+3.2
Pennsylvania's 7th Republican Party Charlie Dent[41] Democratic Party Susan Wild D+11.3 Clinton+1.1 Obama+7.0
Texas' 7th Republican Party John Culberson Democratic Party Lizzie Pannill Fletcher D+5.0 Clinton+1.4 Romney+21.3
Texas' 23rd Republican Party Will Hurd Republican Party Will Hurd R+0.5 Clinton+3.4 Romney+2.6
Texas' 32nd Republican Party Pete Sessions Democratic Party Colin Allred D+6.3 Clinton+1.9 Romney+15.5
Virginia's 10th Republican Party Barbara Comstock Democratic Party Jennifer Wexton D+12.4 Clinton+10.0 Romney+1.6
Washington's 8th Republican Party David Reichert Democratic Party Kim Schrier D+6.2 Clinton+3.0 Obama+1.6


Click here to see the 13 Democratic-held U.S. House districts that Donald Trump (R) won.

Click here to see an overview of all split-ticket districts in the 2016 presidential and U.S. House elections..

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.


District history

2016

See also: Texas' 7th Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent John Culberson (R) defeated James Cargas (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Culberson defeated Maria Espinoza and James Lloyd in the Republican primary on March 1, 2016, while Cargas faced no opposition in the Democratic primary.[44][45]

U.S. House, Texas District 7 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Culberson Incumbent 56.2% 143,542
     Democratic James Cargas 43.8% 111,991
Total Votes 255,533
Source: Texas Secretary of State


U.S. House, Texas District 7 Republican Primary, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Culberson Incumbent 57.3% 44,290
James Lloyd 24.9% 19,217
Maria Espinoza 17.8% 13,793
Total Votes 77,300
Source: Texas Secretary of State

2014

See also: Texas' 7th Congressional District elections, 2014

The 7th Congressional District of Texas held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent John Culberson (R) defeated James Cargas (D) and Gerald Fowler (L) in the general election.

U.S. House, Texas District 7 General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Culberson Incumbent 63.3% 90,606
     Democratic James Cargas 34.5% 49,478
     Libertarian Gerald Fowler 2.2% 3,135
Total Votes 143,219
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

State executives

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:

Demographics

Demographic data for Texas
 TexasU.S.
Total population:27,429,639316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):261,2323,531,905
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 Republican Party Donald Trump 52.23% Democratic Party Hillary Clinton 43.24% 8.99%
2012 Republican Party Mitt Romney 57.17% Democratic Party Barack Obama 41.38% 15.79%
2008 Republican Party John McCain 55.45% Democratic Party Barack Obama 43.68% 11.77%
2004 Republican Party George W. Bush 61.09% Democratic Party John Kerry 38.22% 22.87%
2000 Republican Party George W. Bush 59.30% Democratic Party 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] Republican Party John Cornyn 61.56% Democratic Party David Alameel 34.36% 27.20%
2012[52] Republican Party Ted Cruz 56.46% Democratic Party Paul Sadler 40.62% 15.84%
2008[53] Republican Party John Cornyn 54.82% Democratic Party Richard Noriega 42.84% 11.98%
2006[54] Republican Party Kay Bailey Hutchison 61.69% Democratic Party Barbara Ann Radnofsky 36.04% 25.65%
2002[55] Republican Party John Cornyn 55.30% Democratic Party Ron Kirk 43.33% 11.97%
2000[56] Republican Party Kay Bailey Hutchison 65.04% Democratic Party 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 Republican Party Greg Abbott 59.27% Democratic Party Wendy Davis 38.90% 20.37%
2010 Republican Party Rick Perry 54.97% Democratic Party Bill White 42.30% 12.67%
2006 Republican Party Rick Perry 39.03% Democratic Party Chris Bell 29.79% 9.24%
2002 Republican Party Rick Perry 57.81% Democratic Party 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 Republican Party 25 69.4% Democratic Party 11 30.6% R+14
2014 Republican Party 25 69.4% Democratic Party 11 30.6% R+14
2012 Republican Party 24 66.7% Democratic Party 12 33.3% R+12
2010 Republican Party 23 71.9% Democratic Party 9 28.1% R+14
2008 Republican Party 20 62.5% Democratic Party 12 37.5% R+8
2006 Republican Party 19 59.4% Democratic Party 13 40.6% R+6
2004 Republican Party 21 65.6% Democratic Party 11 34.4% R+10
2002 Republican Party 15 46.9% Democratic Party 17 53.1% D+2
2000 Republican Party 13 43.3% Democratic Party 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

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Culberson for Congress, "Issues," accessed September 30, 2018
  2. ↑ Youtube, "51 Inches," accessed September 14, 2018
  3. ↑ Lizzie Pannill Fletcher for Congress, "Home," accessed September 30, 2018
  4. ↑ Lizzie Pannill Fletcher for U.S. Congress, "Meet Lizzie Fletcher," accessed September 30, 2018
  5. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015
  6. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015
  7. ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015
  8. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Independent Expenditures - Congressional Leadership Fund," October 4, 2018
  9. ↑ Roll Call, "Congressional Leadership Fund Reserves $48 Million in TV, Digital Ads," April 17, 2018
  10. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Independent Expenditures - Giffords PAC," accessed October 19, 2018
  11. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Independent Expenditures - Women Vote!" accessed October 12, 2018
  12. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Texas - House District 07 Election data and reporting deadlines," accessed September 25, 2018
  13. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Independent expenditures search," accessed September 25, 2018
  14. ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  15. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  16. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  17. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  18. ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
  19. ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
  20. ↑ Houston Chronicle, "For the 7th Congressional District: Lizzie Pannill Fletcher," October 6, 2018
  21. ↑ The Dallas Morning News, "Veep stakes: Joe Biden counters Mike Pence, backs Democratic entry in crucial Texas congressional race," August 14, 2018
  22. ↑ Youtube, "John Culberson For Congress - Governor Abbott Endorsement," October 3, 2018
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 Lizzie Pannill Fletcher for U.S. Congress, "Supporters," accessed January 28, 2017
  24. ↑ OutSmart Magazine, "HOUSTON GLBT POLITICAL CAUCUS BACKS LIZZIE PANNILL FLETCHER FOR CONGRESS," April 5, 2018
  25. ↑ The Hill, "Sanders allies endorse Texas candidate attacked by DCCC," March 1, 2018
  26. ↑ Facebook, "Our Revolution Texas," February 23, 2018
  27. ↑ Houston Chronicle, "For Congress: Jason Westin or Lizzie Pannill Fletcher," February 8, 2018
  28. ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Vote for Roberts, Aronoff and Fletcher in Houston’s primary runoffs for Congress. [Endorsement," May 10, 2018]
  29. ↑ National Nurses United, "National Nurses United Endorses Laura Moser and Derrick Crowe for Congress," January 25, 2018
  30. ↑ Twitter, "Lizzie Pannill Fletcher," November 14, 2017
  31. ↑ Daily Kos, "WI-01, TX-07 & CA-21: Democracy For America Endorses These 3 Dems To Help Take Back The House," June 30, 2017
  32. ↑ The Texas Tribune, "Mike Pence to headline Houston-area fundraiser for U.S. Rep. John Culberson," August 9, 2018
  33. ↑ Houston Public Media, "Culberson And Fletcher Clash Over Harvey Relief, Healthcare in UH Debate," October 21, 2018
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  35. ↑ Culberson for Congress, "Issues," accessed September 25, 2018
  36. ↑ Lizzie Pannill Fletcher for Congress, "Issues," accessed September 25, 2018
  37. ↑ This figure includes Pennsylvania districts that were redrawn by the state Supreme Court in early 2018 and districts that flipped in special elections.
  38. ↑ 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.
  39. ↑ 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.
  40. ↑ 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.
  41. ↑ 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.
  42. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  43. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
  44. ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "2016 March Primary Election Candidate Filings by County," accessed December 15, 2015
  45. ↑ The New York Times, "Texas Primary Results," March 1, 2016
  46. ↑ United States Census Bureau, "QuickFacts Texas," accessed December 12, 2017
  47. ↑ United States Census Bureau, "QuickFacts Houston; San Antonio; Dallas," accessed December 13, 2017
  48. ↑ 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
  49. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Official 2016 Presidential General Election Results," January 30, 2017
  50. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Federal Elections 2014: Election Results for the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives," accessed December 13, 2017
  51. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2014 Official Election Results for United States Senate," accessed December 13, 2017
  52. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2012 Official Election Results for United States Senate," accessed December 13, 2017
  53. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2008 Official Election Results for United States Senate," accessed December 13, 2017
  54. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2006 Official Election Results for United States Senate," accessed December 13, 2017
  55. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2002 Official Election Results for United States Senate," accessed December 13, 2017
  56. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2000 Official Election Results for United States Senate," accessed December 13, 2017
  57. ↑ Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections, "Texas Election Results," accessed December 13, 2017
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