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Texas House of Representatives District 126
Texas House of Representatives District 126 is represented by E. Sam Harless (R).
As of the 2020 Census, Texas state representatives represented an average of 194,555 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 168,456 residents.
About the office
Members of the Texas House of Representatives serve two-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Texas legislators assume office at the beginning of the legislative session, which starts at noon on the second Tuesday in January in the year after the election.[1][2]
Qualifications
To be eligible to serve in the Texas House of Representatives, a candidate must be:[3]
- A U.S. citizen
- A qualified elector
- 21 years old before the general election
- A two-year resident of Texas before the general election
- A district resident for one year prior to the general election
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[4] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $7,200/year | $221/day |
Vacancies
If there is a vacancy in the Texas State Legislature, the governor must call a special election to fill the vacant seat.[5] A governor's proclamation to hold a special election must be delivered to county judges in the legislative district no later than 36 days before the scheduled election.[6]
The secretary of state can declare a candidate duly elected in a special election if there is no opposition.[7]
See sources: Texas Elec. Code § 203.001 et. seq.
District map
Redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in Texas
In Texas, both congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the Texas State Legislature. These lines are subject to veto by the governor.[8]
If the state legislature is unable to approve a state legislative redistricting plan, a backup commission must draw the lines (the backup commission is not involved in congressional redistricting). This backup commission, established in 1948, comprises the following members:[8]
- Lieutenant governor
- Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
- Attorney general
- State comptroller
- Commissioner of the General Land Office
The Texas Constitution requires that state legislative districts be contiguous and "that they preserve whole counties when population mandates permit."[8]
2020-2023
Texas renewed its state legislative district boundaries in June 2023 for use in 2024 and until the 2030 census. These districts were the same as those enacted by the state in October 2021. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed HB 1000 — establishing state House district boundaries — on June 12, 2023, and he allowed SB 375 — establishing state Senate district boundaries — to become law without his signature on June 18, 2023.[9][10]
The Texas Tribune's James Barragan wrote in January 2023 that Senate Legislative Redistricting Committee Chairwoman Joan Huffman (R) said the state was re-doing the redistricting process "to ensure that Legislature had met its constitutional requirement to apportion districts in the first regular session after the publishing of the results of the federal census, which is done every 10 years. Because of the pandemic, census numbers were not released until after the end of the last regularly scheduled legislative session on May 31, 2021. Redistricted maps were passed in a subsequent special session that year."[11] Texas had originally enacted new state legislative districts on October 25, 2021.
Below are the maps in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle. The map on the right was in effect for Texas' 2024 state legislative elections.
Texas House of Representatives District 126
until January 9, 2023
Click a district to compare boundaries.
Texas House of Representatives District 126
starting January 10, 2023
Click a district to compare boundaries.
Elections
2024
See also: Texas House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
General election for Texas House of Representatives District 126
Incumbent E. Sam Harless defeated Sarah Smith in the general election for Texas House of Representatives District 126 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | E. Sam Harless (R) | 99.0 | 59,749 |
 | Sarah Smith (Independent) (Write-in)  | 1.0 | 616 | |
| Total votes: 60,365 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Sarah Smith (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 126
Incumbent E. Sam Harless advanced from the Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 126 on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | E. Sam Harless | 100.0 | 12,153 |
| Total votes: 12,153 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2022
General election
The general election was canceled. Incumbent E. Sam Harless won election in the general election for Texas House of Representatives District 126.
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 126
Incumbent E. Sam Harless advanced from the Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 126 on March 1, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | E. Sam Harless | 100.0 | 12,718 |
| Total votes: 12,718 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2020
General election
General election for Texas House of Representatives District 126
Incumbent E. Sam Harless defeated Natali Hurtado in the general election for Texas House of Representatives District 126 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | E. Sam Harless (R) | 53.3 | 39,457 |
 | Natali Hurtado (D) | 46.7 | 34,538 | |
| Total votes: 73,995 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 126
Natali Hurtado defeated Undrai Fizer in the Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 126 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Natali Hurtado | 78.6 | 7,780 |
 | Undrai Fizer | 21.4 | 2,113 | |
| Total votes: 9,893 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 126
Incumbent E. Sam Harless advanced from the Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 126 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | E. Sam Harless | 100.0 | 9,867 |
| Total votes: 9,867 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for Texas House of Representatives District 126
No candidate advanced from the convention.
Candidate | ||
 | Patrick Gunnels (L) | |
| Pete Salas (L) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
General election
General election for Texas House of Representatives District 126
E. Sam Harless defeated Natali Hurtado in the general election for Texas House of Representatives District 126 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | E. Sam Harless (R) | 54.8 | 30,399 |
| Natali Hurtado (D) | 45.2 | 25,035 | |
| Total votes: 55,434 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 126
Natali Hurtado defeated Undrai Fizer in the Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 126 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Natali Hurtado | 77.7 | 3,560 |
| Undrai Fizer | 22.3 | 1,023 | |
| Total votes: 4,583 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 126
E. Sam Harless defeated Kevin Fulton and Gail Stanart in the Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 126 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | E. Sam Harless | 50.6 | 5,110 |
 | Kevin Fulton | 35.9 | 3,621 | |
 | Gail Stanart | 13.5 | 1,366 | |
| Total votes: 10,097 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
Elections for the Texas House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election was held on March 1, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was December 14, 2015.[12] Incumbent Patricia Harless (R) did not seek re-election.
Kevin Roberts defeated Joy Dawson-Thomas and Eric Moquin in the Texas House of Representatives District 126 general election.[13]
| Texas House of Representatives, District 126 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Kevin Roberts |
58.00% | 35,528 | |
| Democratic | Joy Dawson-Thomas | 39.17% | 23,991 | |
| Libertarian | Eric Moquin | 2.83% | 1,735 | |
| Total Votes | 61,254 | |||
| Source: Texas Secretary of State | ||||
Joy Dawson-Thomas defeated Cris Hernandez in the Texas House of Representatives District 126 Democratic Primary.[14][15]
| Texas House of Representatives, District 126 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Joy Dawson-Thomas |
60.74% | 3,366 | |
| Democratic | Cris Hernandez | 39.26% | 2,176 | |
| Total Votes | 5,542 | |||
Kevin Roberts ran unopposed in the Texas House of Representatives District 126 Republican Primary.[14][15]
| Texas House of Representatives, District 126 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican | Kevin Roberts (unopposed) | |
2014
Elections for all 150 seats in the Texas House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on March 4, 2014. Those candidates who did not receive 50 percent or more of the vote in their party primary on March 4 faced an additional May 27 primary runoff. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was December 9, 2013. Incumbent Patricia Harless was unopposed in the Republican primary. Harless defeated Cris Hernandez (L) in the general election.[16][17][18]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Patricia Harless Incumbent |
86.3% | 23,899 | |
| Libertarian | Cris Hernandez | 13.7% | 3,791 | |
| Total Votes | 27,690 | |||
2012
Elections for the office of Texas House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on May 29, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. Incumbent Patricia Harless (R) was unchallenged in the general election. Harless was unopposed in the Republican primary election.[19]
Campaign contributions
From 2000 to 2024, candidates for Texas House of Representatives District 126 raised a total of $6,374,903. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $245,189 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money
| Campaign contributions, Texas House of Representatives District 126 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Amount | Candidates | Average |
| 2024 | $350,990 | 3 | $116,997 |
| 2022 | $266,705 | 1 | $266,705 |
| 2020 | $3,146,252 | 3 | $1,048,751 |
| 2018 | $613,025 | 5 | $122,605 |
| 2014 | $209,579 | 2 | $104,790 |
| 2012 | $209,461 | 1 | $209,461 |
| 2010 | $214,129 | 2 | $107,065 |
| 2008 | $233,392 | 2 | $116,696 |
| 2006 | $848,359 | 3 | $282,786 |
| 2004 | $123,090 | 2 | $61,545 |
| 2002 | $102,044 | 1 | $102,044 |
| 2000 | $57,877 | 1 | $57,877 |
| Total | $6,374,903 | 26 | $245,189 |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Texas Government Code, "Title 3., Subtitle A., Sec. 301.001," accessed February 17, 2021
- ↑ Texas Constitution, "Article 3. Legislative Department, Section 4," accessed November 4, 2021
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Qualifications for All Public Offices," accessed May 23, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ Texas Legislature, "Election Code," accessed February 16, 2021 (Statute 3.003 (3))
- ↑ Texas Legislature, "Election Code," accessed February 16, 2021 (Statute 3.003 (3)(b)-(c))
- ↑ Texas Legislature, "Election Code," accessed February 16, 2021 (Statute 2.055)
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 All About Redistricting, "Texas," accessed May 7, 2015
- ↑ Texas Legislature Online, "Bill: HB 1000," accessed June 21, 2023
- ↑ Texas Legislature Online, "Bill: SB 375," accessed June 21, 2023
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, "Texas Senate votes to take up redistricting again," January 11, 2023
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Important 2016 Election Dates," accessed December 14, 2015
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "2016 General Election," accessed December 2, 2016
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Texas Secretary of State, "2016 March Primary Election Candidate Filings by County," accessed August 22, 2016
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Texas Secretary of State, "1992 - Current Election History results," accessed August 22, 2016
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "1992 - Current ELECTION HISTORY," accessed December 2, 2014
- ↑ The Libertarian Party of Texas, "2014 Texas Representative Candidate List," accessed July 30, 2014
- ↑ Green Party of Texas, "Greens Release Candidate List," accessed July 30, 2014
- ↑ Office of the Secretary of State, "State of Texas 2012 General Election," November 6, 2012
