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Texas State Senate District 30
| Texas State Senate District 30 | ||
| Current incumbent | Pat Fallon  | |
| Population | 829,574 | |
| Race | 76.0% White, 20.9% Black/Hispanic, 3.2% Other[1] | |
| Ethnicity | 84.7% Not Hispanic, 15.3% Hispanic | |
| Voting age | 75.2% age 18 and over | |
Texas' thirtieth state senate district is represented by Republican Senator Pat Fallon.
As of the 2010 census, a total of 829,574 civilians reside within Texas' thirtieth state senate district.[2] Texas state senators represent an average of 811,147 residents.[3] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 672,640 residents.[4]
About the office
Members of the Texas State Senate serve four-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.[5][6]
One-half of the Senate membership is elected every two years in even-numbered years, with the exception that all 31 Senate seats are up for election for the first legislature following the decennial census in order to reflect the newly redrawn districts. After the initial election, the Senate is divided by lot into two classes, with one class having a re-election after two years and the other having a re-election after four years.[7]
Qualifications
To be eligible to serve in the Texas State Senate, a candidate must be:[8]
- A U.S. citizen
- A qualified elector
- 26 years old before the general election
- A five-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[9] | |
|---|---|
| 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.[10] 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.[11]
The secretary of state can declare a candidate duly elected in a special election if there is no opposition.[12]
See sources: Texas Elec. Code § 203.001 et. seq.
Elections
2020
Regular election
- See also: Texas State Senate elections, 2020
Elections for the office of Texas State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for March 3, 2020, and a primary runoff was scheduled for July 14, 2020. The filing deadline was December 9, 2019.
Special election
A special election for Texas State Senate District 30 was called for September 29, 2020. A general election runoff took place on December 19, 2020.[13] The candidate filing deadline was August 28, 2020.[14]
The seat became vacant after the resignation of Pat Fallon (R). Fallon submitted his letter of resignation on August 22, 2020, with an effective date of resignation on January 4, 2021.[15] On August 8, 2020, local Republican Party county and precinct chairs voted for Fallon to replace incumbent candidate John Ratcliffe on the general election ballot after Ratcliffe withdrew from the race, following his confirmation as director of national intelligence.[16]
General runoff election
Special general runoff election for Texas State Senate District 30
Drew Springer defeated Shelley Luther in the special general runoff election for Texas State Senate District 30 on December 19, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Drew Springer (R) | 56.5 | 32,761 |
 | Shelley Luther (R) | 43.5 | 25,235 | |
| Total votes: 57,996 | |||
 = 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. | ||||
General election
Special general election for Texas State Senate District 30
The following candidates ran in the special general election for Texas State Senate District 30 on September 29, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Shelley Luther (R) | 32.0 | 22,242 |
| ✔ | | Drew Springer (R) | 31.9 | 22,127 |
| Jacob Minter (D) | 21.4 | 14,825 | ||
| Christopher Watts (R) | 6.2 | 4,321 | ||
 | Craig Carter (R) | 5.0 | 3,448 | |
 | Andy Hopper (R) | 3.5 | 2,456 | |
| Total votes: 69,419 | |||
| = 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
- See also: Texas State Senate elections, 2018
General election
General election for Texas State Senate District 30
Pat Fallon defeated Kevin Lopez in the general election for Texas State Senate District 30 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Pat Fallon (R) | 73.9 | 234,374 |
| Kevin Lopez (D) | 26.1 | 82,669 | ||
| Total votes: 317,043 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Keely Briggs (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Texas State Senate District 30
Kevin Lopez advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas State Senate District 30 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Kevin Lopez | 100.0 | 15,760 | |
| Total votes: 15,760 | |||
| = 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 State Senate District 30
Pat Fallon defeated incumbent Craig Estes and Craig Carter in the Republican primary for Texas State Senate District 30 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Pat Fallon | 62.0 | 53,796 |
 | Craig Estes | 22.6 | 19,614 | |
| Craig Carter | 15.4 | 13,346 | |
| Total votes: 86,756 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2014
- See also: Texas State Senate elections, 2014
Elections for 15 of the 31 seats in the Texas State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on March 4, 2014. 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 Craig Estes was unopposed in the Republican primary. Estes defeated Cory Lane (L) in the general election.[17][18][19]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Craig Estes Incumbent |
86.7% | 140,240 | |
| Libertarian | Cory Lane | 13.3% | 21,599 | |
| Total Votes | 161,839 | |||
2012
- See also: Texas State Senate elections, 2012
Elections for the office of Texas State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 29, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. Incumbent Craig Estes (R) defeated Richard Forsythe (L) in the general election. Estes defeated Jim Herblin in the Republican primary election.[20] In 2012, a total of $870,547 was raised in campaign contributions. Estes raised $807,200, and Herblin raised $63,347 before being defeated in the primary election. Forsythe did not raise any money.[21]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Craig Estes Incumbent |
86.1% | 217,877 | |
| Libertarian | Richard Forsythe | 13.9% | 35,127 | |
| Total Votes | 253,004 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Craig Estes Incumbent |
65.3% | 42,464 |
| Jim Herblin | 34.7% | 22,599 |
| Total Votes | 65,063 | |
Campaign contributions
From 2002 to 2024, candidates for Texas State Senate District 30 raised a total of $14,571,764. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $607,157 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money
| Campaign contributions, Texas State Senate District 30 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Amount | Candidates | Average |
| 2024 | $3,808,300 | 7 | $544,043 |
| 2022 | $793,017 | 1 | $793,017 |
| 2018 | $4,530,127 | 4 | $1,132,532 |
| 2014 | $589,706 | 2 | $294,853 |
| 2012 | $870,547 | 2 | $435,274 |
| 2010 | $435,154 | 1 | $435,154 |
| 2008 | $756,113 | 1 | $756,113 |
| 2006 | $513,102 | 1 | $513,102 |
| 2004 | $663,547 | 2 | $331,774 |
| 2002 | $1,612,151 | 3 | $537,384 |
| Total | $14,571,764 | 24 | $607,157 |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ For more information on the parameters the U.S. Census Bureau use, please see our Race and Ethnicity on the United States Census page.
- ↑ Texas Legislative Council, "Senate District 30 - Plans172," accessed September 27, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "2010 Census Interactive Population Search," accessed February 14, 2014
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "States Ranked by Population: 2000," April 2, 2001
- ↑ 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 State Legislature, "Texas Constitution," accessed December 18, 2013(Referenced Article 3, Section 3)
- ↑ 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)
- ↑ Office of Governor Greg Abbott, "Governor Abbott Sets Date For Special Runoff Election In Senate District 30," October 10, 2020
- ↑ Office of Governor Greg Abbott, "Governor Abbott Sets Emergency Special Election For Texas Senate District 30," August 23, 2020
- ↑ The Eagle, "Gov. Greg Abbott sets Sept. 29 special election to replace state Sen. Pat Fallon," August 23, 2020
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, "Texas State Sen. Pat Fallon wins GOP nomination to replace John Ratcliffe on November ballot, becoming Ratcliffe's likely successor," August 8, 2020
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "1992 - Current ELECTION HISTORY," accessed December 2, 2014
- ↑ Green Party of Texas, "Greens Release Candidate List," accessed July 26, 2014
- ↑ The Libertarian Party of Texas, "2014 Texas Senate Candidates List," accessed July 26, 2014
- ↑ Office of the Secretary of State, "State of Texas 2012 General Election," November 6, 2012
- ↑ followthemoney.org, "State of Texas 2012 Senate Candidates," accessed November 27, 2013
