Texas House of Representatives elections, 2020
| 2020 Texas House Elections | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Allgemein | November 3, 2020 |
| Primäre | March 3, 2020 |
| Primary runoff | July 14, 2020 |
| Democratic primaries | |
| Republican primaries | |
| General election | |
| Past Election Results |
| 2018・2016・2014 2012・2010・2008 |
| 2020 Elections | |
|---|---|
| Choose a chamber below: | |
The partisan balance of the Texas House of Representatives did not change following the 2020 elections. All 150 seats in the chamber were up for election in 2020. Heading into the election, Republicans controlled 83 seats to Democrats' 67. Neither Democrats nor Republicans gained seats, with Republicans maintaining their 83-67 majority. In the 2018 elections, the chamber's 93-55 Republican majority was reduced to 83-67.
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia identified 27 of the races as battlegrounds. Seventeen of those races were for Republican-held districts, and 10 were in Democratic-held districts.
Heading into the election, Texas had been under a Republican trifecta since 2003. Democrats needed to win 19 of the 27 battleground seats to take control of the state House, while Republicans needed to hold at least nine battleground seats to keep their majority.
Texas' 2020 state legislative elections affected partisan control of redistricting following the 2020 census. In Texas, the state legislature is responsible for drafting both congressional and state legislative district plans. District plans are subject to gubernatorial veto.
For detailed campaign finance information for the elections in this chamber, click here.
The Texas House of Representatives was one of 86 state legislative chambers holding elections in 2020. All 150 House seats were up for election in 2020. There are 99 chambers throughout the country. In 2018, 87 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections.
Heading into the 2020 elections, Republicans held a majority in more chambers than Democrats. There was a Republican majority in 59 chambers and a Democratic majority in 39 chambers. In the Alaska House, there was a power-sharing agreement between the parties as part of a coalition.
For more information about the Democratic primaries, click here.
For more information about the Republican primaries, click here.
Election procedure changes in 2020
Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.
Texas modified its absentee/mail-in voting, candidate filing, and early voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:
- Absentee/mail-in voting: Local election officials could not reject an absentee ballot due to a perceived signature mismatch unless the voter was given a pre-rejection notice of this finding and a "meaningful opportunity to cure his or her ballot's rejection." Return locations for absentee/mail-in ballots were limited to one per county.
- Candidate filing procedures: The petition deadline for independent candidates for non-presidential office was extended to August 13, 2020.
- Early voting: Early voting began on October 13, 2020.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Party control
| Texas House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 67 | 67 | |
| Republican Party | 83 | 83 | |
| Total | 150 | 150 | |
Candidates
General candidates
Texas House of Representatives primary 2020 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| District 1 |
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| District 2 |
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| District 3 |
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| District 4 |
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K. Nicole Sprabary (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 5 |
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| District 6 |
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| District 7 |
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| District 8 |
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R. Edwin Adams (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 9 |
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| District 10 |
Matt Savino (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 11 |
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| District 12 |
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| District 13 |
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| District 14 |
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| District 15 |
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| District 16 |
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| District 17 |
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| District 18 |
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| District 19 |
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| District 20 |
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| District 21 |
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| District 22 |
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| District 23 |
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| District 24 |
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Dick Illyes (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 25 |
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| District 26 |
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| District 27 |
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| District 28 |
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| District 29 |
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| District 30 |
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| District 31 |
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| District 32 |
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| District 33 |
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| District 34 |
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| District 35 |
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| District 36 |
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| District 37 |
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| District 38 |
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Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 39 |
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| District 40 |
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| District 41 |
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| District 42 |
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| District 43 |
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| District 44 |
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Julian Mardock (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 45 |
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| District 46 |
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| District 47 |
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Michael Clark (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 48 |
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| District 49 |
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Kenneth Moore (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 50 |
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| District 51 |
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| District 52 |
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| District 53 |
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| District 54 |
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| District 55 |
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Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 56 |
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| District 57 |
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| District 58 |
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| District 59 |
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| District 60 |
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| District 61 |
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J.K. Stephenson (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 62 |
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| District 63 |
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| District 64 |
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Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 65 |
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| District 66 |
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Shawn Jones (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 67 |
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| District 68 |
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| District 69 |
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Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 70 |
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| District 71 |
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| District 72 |
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| District 73 |
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| District 74 |
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| District 75 |
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| District 76 |
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| District 77 |
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| District 78 |
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| District 79 |
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| District 80 |
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| District 81 |
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| District 82 |
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| District 83 |
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| District 84 |
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| District 85 |
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Michael Miller (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 86 |
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| District 87 |
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| District 88 |
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| District 89 |
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Ed Kless (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 90 |
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| District 91 |
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| District 92 |
Brody-Andrew Mulligan (Green Party) Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 93 |
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| District 94 |
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Jessica Pallett (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 95 |
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| District 96 |
Nelson Range (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 97 |
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Rod Wingo (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 98 |
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| District 99 |
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| District 100 |
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| District 101 |
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| District 102 |
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| District 103 |
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| District 104 |
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| District 105 |
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Bret Bolton (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 106 |
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| District 107 |
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| District 108 |
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Ed Rankin (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 109 |
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| District 110 |
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| District 111 |
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| District 112 |
Shane Newsom (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 113 |
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| District 114 |
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| District 115 |
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| District 116 |
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| District 117 |
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Tony Quinones (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 118 |
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Eric Velasquez (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 119 |
Antonio Padron (Green Party) |
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| District 120 |
Shawn Huckabay (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 121 |
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| District 122 |
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| District 123 |
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| District 124 |
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| District 125 |
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Tony Valdivia (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 126 |
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| District 127 |
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Neko Antoniou (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 128 |
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| District 129 |
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| District 130 |
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| District 131 |
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| District 132 |
Gina Calanni (i) |
Titus Benton (Independent) (Write-in) |
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| District 133 |
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James Harren (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 134 |
Sarah Davis (i) |
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| District 135 |
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Paul Bilyeu (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 136 |
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Brian Elliott (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 137 |
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Lee Sharp (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 138 |
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| District 139 |
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R. Grizzle Trojacek (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 140 |
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| District 141 |
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| District 142 |
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| District 143 |
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| District 144 |
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| District 145 |
Richard Howell (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 146 |
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J.J. Campbell (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 147 |
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| District 148 |
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| District 149 |
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| District 150 |
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Jesse Herrera (Libertarian Party) |
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= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection
Primary runoff candidates
Texas House of Representatives primary 2020 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| District 2 |
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| District 25 |
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| District 26 |
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| District 45 |
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| District 47 |
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| District 59 |
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| District 60 |
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| District 67 |
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| District 100 |
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| District 119 |
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| District 138 |
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| District 142 |
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| District 148 |
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Primary candidates
The candidate list below is based on candidate filing lists provided by the Texas Secretary of State on December 10, 2019. (I) denotes an incumbent.[1]
Texas House of Representatives primary 2020 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| District 1 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 2 |
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| District 3 |
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| District 4 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 5 |
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| District 6 |
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| District 7 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 8 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 9 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 10 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 11 |
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| District 12 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 13 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 14 |
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| District 15 |
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| District 16 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 17 |
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| District 18 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 19 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 20 |
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| District 21 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 22 |
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| District 23 |
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| District 24 |
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| District 25 |
Troy Brimage |
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| District 26 |
Lawrence Allen Jr. |
Leonard Chan Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 27 |
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| District 28 |
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| District 29 |
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| District 30 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 31 |
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| District 32 |
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| District 33 |
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| District 34 |
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| District 35 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 36 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 37 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 38 |
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| District 39 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 40 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 41 |
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| District 42 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 43 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 44 |
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| District 45 |
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| District 46 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 47 |
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| District 48 |
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| District 49 |
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| District 50 |
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| District 51 |
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| District 52 |
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| District 53 |
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| District 54 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 55 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 56 |
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| District 57 |
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| District 58 |
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| District 59 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 60 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 61 |
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| District 62 |
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| District 63 |
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| District 64 |
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| District 65 |
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| District 66 |
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| District 67 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 68 |
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| District 69 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 70 |
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| District 71 |
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| District 72 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 73 |
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| District 74 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 75 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 76 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 77 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 78 |
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| District 79 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 80 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 81 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 82 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 83 |
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| District 84 |
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| District 85 |
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| District 86 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 87 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 88 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 89 |
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| District 90 |
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| District 91 |
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| District 92 |
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| District 93 |
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| District 94 |
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| District 95 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 96 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 97 |
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| District 98 |
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| District 99 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 100 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 101 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 102 |
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| District 103 |
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| District 104 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 105 |
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| District 106 |
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| District 107 |
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| District 108 |
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| District 109 |
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| District 110 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 111 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 112 |
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| District 113 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 114 |
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| District 115 |
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| District 116 |
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| District 117 |
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| District 118 |
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| District 119 |
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| District 120 |
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| District 121 |
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| District 122 |
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| District 123 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 124 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 125 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 126 |
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| District 127 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 128 |
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| District 129 |
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| District 130 |
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| District 131 |
Did not make the ballot: |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 132 |
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| District 133 |
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| District 134 |
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| District 135 |
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| District 136 |
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| District 137 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 138 |
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| District 139 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 140 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 141 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 142 |
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| District 143 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 144 |
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| District 145 |
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| District 146 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 147 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 148 |
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| District 149 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 150 |
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Convention candidates
The following candidates filed to run in the Libertarian Party convention on April 18, 2020:[2]
- K. Nicole Sprabary, District 4
- R. Edwin Adams, District 8
- Matt Savino, District 10
- Dick Illyes, District 24
- Julian Mardock, District 44
- Michael Clark, District 47
- Kenneth Moore, District 49
- Holly Teel, District 55
- J.K. Stephenson, District 61
- Rick Routh, District 64
- Shawn Jones, District 66
- Calvin DeWeese, District 69
- Michael Miller, District 85
- Ed Kless, District 89
- Chris Hibbard, District 92
- Jessica Pallett, District 94
- Nelson Range, District 96
- Rod Wingo, District 97
- Bret Bolton, District 105
- Ed Rankin, District 108
- Shane Newsom, District 112
- Tony Quinones, District 117
- Eric Velasquez, District 118
- Arthur Thomas IV, District 119
- Shawn Huckabay, District 120
- Tony Valvdivia, District 125
- Patrick Gunnels, District 126
- Pete Salas, District 126
- Scott Ford, District 127
- Neko Antoniou, District 127
- James Harren, District 133
- Paul Bilyeu, District 135
- Brian Elliott, District 136
- Lee Sharp, District 137
- R. Grizzle Trojacek, District 139
- Richard Howell, District 145
- J.J. Campbell, District 146
- Jesse Herrera, District 150
- Kory Watkins, District 150
Campaign finance
The section and tables below contain data from financial reports submitted to state agencies. Districts and elections are grouped in sections of 10. To view data for a district, click on the appropriate bar below to expand it. The data is gathered and made available by Transparency USA.
2020 battleground chamber
The Texas House of Representatives was among 24 state legislative chambers Ballotpedia identified as battleground chambers for the 2020 cycle. Click here for more information on state legislative battlegrounds.
What was at stake?
- Democrats needed to gain nine seats to take control of the chamber in 2020.
Why was it a battleground?
- Seats needed to flip: Democrats needed to win nine of the 150 seats up (6%) in order to gain control of the chamber.
- Seats decided by 10% or less in 2018: In the 2018 elections, there were 27 races (representing 18% of the chamber) decided by margins of 10% or smaller.
- More seats flipped in 2018 than needed to flip in 2020: The number of seats flipped in the 2018 elections (12) was greater than the number of seats that needed to flip to change control of the chamber in 2020 (nine).
- Race ratings: The Cook Political Report rated the Texas House of Representatives a leans Republican chamber in 2020, meaning that both parties had a good chance at winning control of the chamber but that Republicans were slightly favored to retain control.[3]
Battleground races
Going into the 2020 election, Ballotpedia identified 27 battleground races in the Texas State House. Seventeen of those seats were held by Republicans and 10 were held by Democrats. Based on analysis of these districts' electoral histories, these races had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could have led to shifts in the chamber's partisan balance.
To determine state legislative battleground races in 2020, Ballotpedia looked for races that fit one or more of the four factors listed below:
- In the last state legislative election, the winner received less than 55% of the vote.
- The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and the most recent state legislative election winner won by a margin of 10 percentage points or less.
- The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and the incumbent is not on the ballot this year.
- The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and that presidential candidate won the district by a margin of 20 percentage points or more.
| 2020 Texas House battlegrounds | ||||||
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| District | Democrat
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Republican
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2018 margin of victory | 2016 presidential result | Incumbent running? | Conditions met |
| Texas House of Representatives District 138 | Akilah Bacy | Lacey Hull | R+0.1 | D+0.1 | No | 1,2,3 |
| Texas House of Representatives District 132 | Gina Calanni (i) | Mike Schofield | D+0.2 | R+4.4 | Yes | 1,2 |
| Texas House of Representatives District 108 | Joanna Cattanach | Morgan Meyer (i) | R+0.3 | D+6.3 | Yes | 1,2 |
| Texas House of Representatives District 66 | Sharon Hirsch | Matt Shaheen (i) | R+0.6 | R+3.2 | Yes | 1 |
| Texas House of Representatives District 112 | Brandy Chambers | Angie Chen Button (i) | R+2.1 | D+1.2 | Yes | 1,2 |
| Texas House of Representatives District 67 | Lorenzo Sanchez | Jeff Leach (i) | R+2.3 | R+5.7 | Yes | 1 |
| Texas House of Representatives District 65 | Michelle Beckley (i) | Kronda Thimesch | D+2.3 | R+2.1 | Yes | 1,2 |
| Texas House of Representatives District 92 | Jeff Whitfield | Jeff Cason | R+2.4 | R+14.1 | No | 1 |
| Texas House of Representatives District 135 | Jon Rosenthal (i) | Justin Ray | D+3.2 | R+2.1 | Yes | 1,2 |
| Texas House of Representatives District 45 | Erin Zwiener (i) | Carrie Isaac | D+3.2 | R+4.6 | Yes | 1,2 |
| Texas House of Representatives District 52 | James Talarico (i) | Lucio Valdez | D+3.5 | R+1.4 | Yes | 1,2 |
| Texas House of Representatives District 96 | Joe Drago | David Cook | R+3.6 | R+11.2 | No | 1 |
| Texas House of Representatives District 47 | Vikki Goodwin (i) | Justin Berry | D+4.8 | R+0.2 | Yes | 1,2 |
| Texas House of Representatives District 26 | L. Sarah DeMerchant | Jacey Jetton | R+4.8 | R+4.9 | No | 1 |
| Texas House of Representatives District 102 | Ana-Maria Ramos (i) | Linda Koop | D+5.8 | D+9.5 | Yes | 1 |
| Texas House of Representatives District 134 | Ann Johnson | Sarah Davis (i) | R+6.3 | D+15.5 | Yes | 1,2 |
| Texas House of Representatives District 113 | Rhetta Andrews Bowers (i) | Will Douglas | D+7 | D+1.9 | Yes | 1 |
| Texas House of Representatives District 54 | Likeithia Williams | Brad Buckley (i) | R+7.6 | R+7 | Yes | 1 |
| Texas House of Representatives District 93 | Lydia Bean | Matt Krause (i) | R+7.7 | R+14.4 | Yes | 1 |
| Texas House of Representatives District 64 | Angela Brewer | Lynn Stucky (i) | R+8.3 | R+14.5 | Yes | 1 |
| Texas House of Representatives District 97 | Elizabeth Beck | Craig Goldman (i) | R+8.3 | R+9.8 | Yes | 1 |
| Texas House of Representatives District 28 | Elizabeth Markowitz | Gary Gates (i) | R+8.3 | R+10.2 | Yes | 1 |
| Texas House of Representatives District 121 | Celina Montoya | Steve Allison (i) | R+8.4 | R+8.3 | Yes | 1 |
| Texas House of Representatives District 94 | Alisa Simmons | Tony Tinderholt (i) | R+8.6 | R+13.4 | Yes | 1 |
| Texas House of Representatives District 105 | Terry Meza (i) | Gerson Hernandez | D+9.5 | D+8.5 | Yes | 1 |
| Texas House of Representatives District 136 | John Bucy III (i) | Mike Guevara | D+9.6 | D+2.5 | Yes | 1 |
| Texas House of Representatives District 126 | Natali Hurtado | E. Sam Harless (i) | R+9.7 | R+9.9 | Yes | 1 |
Incumbents who were not re-elected
Incumbents defeated in the general election
Two incumbents lost in the Nov. 3 general election. Those incumbents were:
| Name | Party | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Gina Calanni |  Democratic |
House District 132 |
| Sarah Davis |  Republican |
House District 134 |
Incumbents defeated in primary elections
No incumbents lost in the March 3 primaries. Four incumbents lost in the July 14 primary runoffs.
| Name | Party | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Dan Flynn | Republican |
House District 2 |
| J.D. Sheffield | Republican |
House District 59 |
| Lorraine Birabil | Democratic |
House District 100 |
| Anna Eastman | Democratic |
House District 148 |
Retiring incumbents
There were 10 open seats where the incumbent legislator did not file for re-election in 2020.[4] Those incumbents were:
The 10 seats left open in 2020 were the second-fewest since 2010.
| Open Seats in Texas House of Representatives elections: 2010 - 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Seats with incumbents running for re-election |
| 2020 | 150 | 10 (7 percent) | 140 (93 percent) |
| 2018 | 150 | 10 (7 percent) | 140 (93 percent) |
| 2016 | 150 | 14 (9 percent) | 136 (91 percent) |
| 2014 | 150 | 12 (8 percent) | 138 (92 percent) |
| 2012 | 150 | 29 (19 percent) | 121 (81 percent) |
| 2010 | 150 | 7 (5 percent) | 143 (95 percent) |
Redistricting in Texas
- 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.[5]
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:[5]
- 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."[5]
Process to become a candidate
See statutes: Title 9 of the Texas Election Code
A candidate in Texas may run with an officially recognized political party, as an independent, or as a write-in.
For major party candidates
In order to run with a major political party, a candidate must file an application with the county or state party chair and pay a filing fee. A candidate also has the option of filing a petition in lieu of the filing fee. Application and petition forms are available through local party officials or the Texas Secretary of State. The regular filing period for the primary election begins on the 30th day before the date of the regular filing deadline, which is 6 p.m. on the second Monday in December of an odd-numbered year.[6]
A chart detailing the signature and filing requirements for each particular office can be accessed here.[7]
For minor party candidates
State-qualified minor parties nominate candidates by convention. To be considered for nomination by a convention, a minor party candidate must file an application for nomination no later than 6 p.m. on the second Monday in December of an odd-numbered year, preceding the minor party’s convention. A candidate seeking nomination for a state or district office must file with the state party chair. Candidates for county or precinct offices must file applications with county party chairs. Effective September 1, 2021, a candidate nominated via convention must either pay a filing fee (equal to the filing fee paid by major party candidates in primary elections) or submit a petition a petition in lieu of paying the filing fee.[8][9]
For independent candidates
A candidate may have his or her name placed on the general election ballot as an independent candidate if he or she is not affiliated with a political party.[10][11][12][13][14]
To run as an independent, a candidate must file a declaration of intent with the county judge (county or precinct offices) or the Texas Secretary of State (district and state offices) during the same filing period as major and minor party candidates.[11][15]
This paperwork must include signatures of voters who have not participated in the primary election or the runoff primary election of a party that has nominated, at either election, a candidate for the office the petitioning candidate seeks.[11][16]
A chart detailing the signature and filing requirements for each particular office can be accessed here.[11]
For write-in candidates
In order to become a write-in candidate in the general election, the candidate must file a declaration of candidacy with the Texas Secretary of State or the county judge, as appropriate, no later than 5 p.m. of the 78th day before general election day.[17][18]
The declaration must be accompanied by either a filing fee or a nominating petition signed by a certain number of qualified voters. A chart detailing the signature and filing requirements for each particular office can be accessed here.[17][19]
2020 ballot access requirements
The table below details filing requirements for Texas House of Representatives candidates in the 2020 election cycle.
| Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber name | Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source |
| Texas House of Representatives | Qualified party | K.A. | $750.00 | 12/9/2019 | Source |
| Texas House of Representatives | Unaffiliated | 5% of all votes cast for governor in the district in the last election | K.A. | 8/13/2020 | Source |
Qualifications
To be eligible to serve in the Texas House of Representatives, a candidate must be:[20]
- A U.S. citizen
- 21 years old before the general election
- A two-year resident of Texas before the general election
- A district resident for 1 year prior to the general election.
Salaries and per diem
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[21] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $7,200/year | $221/day |
When sworn in
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.[22][23]
Noteworthy events
Speaker targets Republicans for defeat
On August 16, 2019, The New York Times reported that Dennis Bonnen (R) was recorded offering Empower Texans House media credentials in exchange for working to defeat 10 Republican incumbents from the House. Bonnen initially denied the meeting occurred, but later apologized in a letter to his caucus. The House General Investigating Committee voted to order an investigation by the Texas Rangers into the bribery allegations. On October 11, 2019, Bonnen announced he would not seek re-election as a result of the incident.[24]
[25] The 10 legislators mentioned in the recording were:[26]
- Steve Allison (District 121)
- Trent Ashby (District 57)
- Ernest Bailes (District 18)
- Travis Clardy (District 11)
- Drew Darby (District 72)
- Kyle Kacal (District 12)
- Stan Lambert (District 71)
- John Raney (District 14)
- Phil Stephenson (District 85)
- Tan Parker (District 63)
Brandon Rottinghaus, a political scientist at the University of Houston, said that the incident was unnecessary. "Speaker Bonnen has dozens of ways to punish, both publicly and privately, members who don’t play ball under the pink dome. Choosing to outsource the job to hit men from Empower Texans makes him look politically weak and untrustworthy in the Republican caucus," he said.[27]
Texas political history
Trifectas
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.
Texas Party Control: 1992-2024
Three years of Democratic trifectas • Twenty-two 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
Presidential politics in Texas
2016 Presidential election results
| U.S. presidential election, Texas, 2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine | 43.2% | 3,877,868 | 0 | |
| Republican |  Donald Trump/Mike Pence |
52.2% | 4,685,047 | 38 | |
| Libertarian | Gary Johnson/Bill Weld | 3.2% | 283,492 | 0 | |
| Green | Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka | 0.8% | 71,558 | 0 | |
| - | Write-in votes | 0.6% | 51,261 | 0 | |
| Total Votes | 8,969,226 | 38 | |||
| Election results via: Texas Secretary of State | |||||
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Texas utilizes an open primary system. Voters do not have to register with a party in advance in order to participate in that party's primary. The voter must sign a pledge stating the following (the language below is taken directly from state statutes):[28][29]
| " | The following pledge shall be placed on the primary election ballot above the listing of candidates' names: 'I am a (insert appropriate political party) and understand that I am ineligible to vote or participate in another political party's primary election or convention during this voting year.'[30] | ” |
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In Texas, all polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote. Texas is divided between Central and Mountain time zones.[31]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
To register to vote in Texas, an applicant must be a United States citizen, a resident of the county in which he or she is registering, and at least 17 years and 10 months old.[32]
The deadline to register to vote is 30 days before the election. Prospective voters can request a postage-paid voter registration form online or complete the form online and return it to the county voter registrar. Applications are also available at a variety of locations including the county voter registrar’s office, the secretary of state’s office, libraries, and high schools. Voter registration certificates are mailed to newly registered voters.[33]
Automatic registration
Texas does not practice automatic voter registration.[34]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Texas does not permit online voter registration.[34]
Same-day registration
Texas does not allow same-day voter registration.[34]
Residency requirements
Prospective voters must reside in the county in which they are registering to vote.[35]
Verification of citizenship
Texas does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. Section 18.068 of the Texas Election Code says the following:
| " |
The secretary of state shall quarterly compare the information received under Section 16.001 of this code and Section 62.113, Government Code, to the statewide computerized voter registration list. If the secretary determines that a voter on the registration list is deceased or has been excused or disqualified from jury service because the voter is not a citizen, the secretary shall send notice of the determination to the voter registrar of the counties considered appropriate by the secretary.[30] |
” |
| —Section 18.068, Texas Election Code[36] | ||
In January 2019, the Texas secretary of state’s office announced that it would be providing local election officials with a list of registered voters who obtained driver’s licenses or IDs with documentation such as work visas or green cards. Counties would then be able to require voters on the list to provide proof of citizenship within 30 days.[37] The review was halted by a federal judge in February 2019, and Secretary of State David Whitley rescinded the advisory in April.[38][39] A news release from Whitley’s office stated that “... going forward, the Texas Secretary of State's office will send to county voter registrars only the matching records of individuals who registered to vote before identifying themselves as non-U.S. citizens to DPS when applying for a driver's license or personal identification card. This will ensure that naturalized U.S. citizens who lawfully registered to vote are not impacted by this voter registration list maintenance process.”[40]
Verifying your registration
The Texas Secretary of State’s office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.
Voter ID requirements
Texas requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[41]
The following list of accepted ID was current as of February 2023. Click here for the Texas Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.
- Texas driver’s license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
- Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
- Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS
- Texas handgun license issued by DPS
- United States Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph
- United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph
- United States passport (book or card)
Identification provided by voters aged 18-69 may be expired for no more than four years before the election date. Voters aged 70 and older can use an expired ID card regardless of how long ago the ID expired.[41]
Voters who are unable to provide one of the ID options listed above can sign a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and provide one of the following supporting documents:[41]
- Copy or original of a government document that shows the voter’s name and an address, including the voter’s voter registration certificate
- Copy of or original current utility bill
- Copy of or original bank statement
- Copy of or original government check
- Copy of or original paycheck
- Copy of or original of (a) a certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate or (b) a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes the voter’s identity (which may include a foreign birth document)
The following voters are exempt from showing photo ID:[41]
- Voters with a disability
- Voters with a disability "may apply with the county voter registrar for a permanent exemption to presenting an acceptable photo identification or following the Reasonable Impediment Declaration procedure in the county."
- Voters who have a religious objection to being photographed
Voters who do not have a photo ID can obtain a Texas Election Identification Certificate (EIC) at any Texas driver’s license office during regular business hours. Voters can also obtain an Election Identification Certificate from a mobile station. Locations are listed here.[41]
Early voting
Texas permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
Texas voters are eligible to vote absentee in an election if:
- They cannot make it to the polls on Election Day because they will be away from the county on Election Day and during early voting;
- They are sick or disabled;
- They are 65 years of age or older; or
- They are confined in jail.[42]
To vote absentee, a request must be received by county election officials no later than close of regular business on the eleventh day before the election. The completed ballot must then be returned by the close of polls on Election Day.[43]
Voter guides
2020 State Cannabis Voter Guides
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Texas Secretary of State," accessed December 11, 2019
- ↑ Libertarian Party of Texas, "2020 Candidates, accessed January 27, 2020
- ↑ The Cook Political Report, "July Update: Handicapping the 2020 State Legislature Races," July 22, 2020
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 All About Redistricting, "Texas," accessed May 7, 2015
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 172.023," accessed December 23, 2013
- ↑ Texas Elections Division, "Republican or Democratic Party Nominees," accessed October 19, 2017
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 181.033," accessed December 23, 2013
- ↑ Texas Legislature, "SB 2093," accessed June 8, 2021
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 1.005(9)," accessed December 23, 2013
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Texas Elections Division, "Independent Candidates," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 142.008," accessed December 23, 2013
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 162.003," accessed December 23, 2013
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 162.007," accessed December 23, 2013
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 142.002(b)(2)," accessed December 23, 2013
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 142.009," accessed December 23, 2013
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Texas Elections Division, "Write-In Candidates," accessed November 1, 2013
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 146.025," accessed December 23, 2013
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 146.023-146.0232," accessed December 23, 2013
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Qualifications for office," accessed December 18, 2013
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ 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
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, "Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen won't seek reelection after recording scandal," October 22, 2019
- ↑ The New York Times, "A Texas-Size Political Scandal Threatens Powerful House Speaker," August 16, 2019
- ↑ Caller Times, "Texas House Speaker suggested targeting certain Republicans, recording shows," October 15, 2019
- ↑ Governing, "'The Ultimate Unforced Error': Texas House Speaker Caught in Political Scandal," August 22, 2019
- ↑ Fair Vote, "Congressional and Presidential Primaries: Open, Closed, Semi-Closed, and 'Top Two,'" accessed January 2, 2014
- ↑ Texas Statutes, "Section 172.086," accessed February 5, 2018
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ VoteTexas.gov, "Who, What, Where, When, How," accessed February 27, 2023
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, “Request for Voter Registration Applications,” accessed February 27, 2023
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, “Voter Registration,” accessed February 27, 2023
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed July 28, 2024
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Request for Voter Registration Applications," accessed July 28, 2024
- ↑ Texas Constitution and Statutes, “Election Code,” accessed February 23, 2023
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, “Texas officials flag tens of thousands of voters for citizenship checks,” January 25, 2019
- ↑ The New York Times, “Federal Judge Halts ‘Ham-Handed’ Texas Voter Purge,” February 28, 2019
- ↑ The New York Times, “Texas Ends Review That Questioned Citizenship of Almost 100,000 Voters,” April 26, 2019
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, “Secretary Whitley Announces Settlement In Litigation On Voter Registration List Maintenance Activity,” April 26, 2019
- ↑ 41.0 41.1 41.2 41.3 41.4 Texas Secretary of State, "Required Identification for Voting in Person," accessed February 27, 2023 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "tvid" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ VoteTexas.gov, "FAQ," accessed December 16, 2013
- ↑ VoteTexas.gov, "Early Voting," accessed December 16, 2013
