| Election Name: | 1972 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas |
| Country: | Texas |
| Type: | legislative |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1970 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas |
| Previous Year: | 1970 |
| Next Election: | 1974 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas |
| Next Year: | 1974 |
| Seats For Election: | All 24 Texas seats to the United States House of Representatives |
| Election Date: | November 7, 1972 |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Last Election1: | 20 |
| Seats1: | 20 |
| Popular Vote1: | 2,032,183 |
| Percentage1: | 70.4% |
| Swing1: | 2.6% |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Last Election2: | 3 |
| Seats2: | 4 |
| Seat Change2: | 1 |
| Popular Vote2: | 835,185 |
| Percentage2: | 28.9% |
| Swing2: | 2.9% |
| Map Size: | 300px |
The 1972 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas occurred on November 7, 1972, to elect the members of the state of Texas's delegation to the United States House of Representatives. Texas had twenty-four seats in the House, up one from the 1960s, apportioned according to the 1970 United States census.[1]
Texas Democrats maintained their governmental trifecta after the 1970 elections.[2] This gave the Democrats full control over the redistricting process.[3] The Texas Legislature enacted its redistricting plan in 1971.[4] Residents of the 6th, 13th, 16th, and 19th congressional districts challenged the constitutionality of the maps in White v. Weiser, but the Supreme Court stayed the case until after the 1972 elections.[5]
These elections occurred simultaneously with the United States Senate elections of 1972, the United States House elections in other states, the presidential election, and various state and local elections.
Democrats maintained their majority of U.S. House seats from Texas, but Republicans gained one seat, putting their majority at twenty out of twenty-four seats.[6] This cycle saw the election of Barbara Jordan, the first African American elected to the House from Texas, and the first African American woman ever elected to the House.[7]
| 1972 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas[8] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | Percentage | Seats before | Seats after | +/– | ||
| Democratic | 2,032,183 | 70.42% | 20 | 20 | - | ||
| Republican | 835,185 | 28.94% | 3 | 4 | +1 | ||
| Socialist Workers | 17,412 | 0.60% | 0 | 0 | - | ||
| American Independent | 1,169 | 0.04% | 0 | 0 | - | ||
| Totals | 2,885,949 | 100.00% | 23 | 24 | +1 | ||
| District | Incumbent | Party | First elected | Result | Candidates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wright Patman | Democratic | 1928 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Wright Patman (Democratic) Unopposed | |||
| John Dowdy | Democratic | 1952 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold. | √ Charles Wilson (Democratic) 73.8% Charles O. Brightwell (Republican) 26.2% | |||
| James M. Collins | Republican | 1968 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ James M. Collins (Republican) 73.3% George A. Hughes Jr. (Democratic) 26.7% | |||
| Ray Roberts | Democratic | 1962 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Ray Roberts (Democratic) 70.2% James Russell (Republican) 29.8% | |||
| Earle Cabell | Democratic | 1964 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Republican gain. | √ Alan Steelman (Republican) 55.7% Earle Cabell (Democratic) 44.3% | |||
| Olin E. Teague | Democratic | 1946 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Olin E. Teague (Democratic) 72.6% Carl Nigliazzo (Republican) 27.4% | |||
| William Reynolds Archer Jr. | Republican | 1970 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ William Reynolds Archer Jr. (Republican) 82.3% Jim Brady (Democratic) 17.7% | |||
| Robert C. Eckhardt | Democratic | 1966 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Robert C. Eckhardt (Democratic) 64.6% Lewis Emerich (Republican) 34.7% Susan Ellis (Socialist Workers) 0.7% | |||
| Jack Brooks | Democratic | 1952 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Jack Brooks (Democratic) 66.2% Randolph C. Reed (Democratic) 33.8% | |||
| J. J. Pickle | Democratic | 1963 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ J. J. Pickle (Democratic) 91.2% Mellissa Singler (Socialist Workers) 8.8% | |||
| William R. Poage | Democratic | 1936 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ William R. Poage (Democratic) Unopposed | |||
| Jim Wright | Democratic | 1954 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Jim Wright (Democratic) Unopposed | |||
| Bob Price | Republican | 1966 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Bob Price (Republican) 54.8% Graham B. Purcell Jr. (Democratic) 45.2% | |||
| Graham B. Purcell Jr. | Democratic | 1962 | Incumbent lost re-election. Democratic loss. | ||||
| John Andrew Young | Democratic | 1956 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ John Andrew Young (Democratic) Unopposed | |||
| Kika de la Garza | Democratic | 1964 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Kika de la Garza (Democratic) Unopposed | |||
| Richard C. White | Democratic | 1964 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Richard C. White (Democratic) Unopposed | |||
| Omar Burleson | Democratic | 1946 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Omar Burleson (Democratic) Unopposed | |||
| None (district created) | New seat. New member elected. Democratic gain. | √ Barbara Jordan (Democratic) 80.6% Paul Merritt (Republican) 18.2% Emmanuel Barrera (Socialist Workers) 1.2% | |||||
| George H. Mahon | Democratic | 1934 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ George H. Mahon (Democratic) Unopposed | |||
| Henry B. Gonzalez | Democratic | 1961 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Henry B. Gonzalez (Democratic) 96.9% Steve Wattenmaker (Socialist Workers) 3.1% | |||
| O. C. Fisher | Democratic | 1942 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ O. C. Fisher (Democratic) 56.8% Doug Harlan (Republican) 43.2% | |||
| Robert R. Casey | Democratic | 1958 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Robert R. Casey (Democratic) 70.2% Jim Griffin (Republican) 29.0% Frank Peto (Independent) 0.8% | |||
| Abraham Kazen | Democratic | 1966 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Abraham Kazen (Democratic) Unopposed | |||
| None (district created) | New seat. New member elected. Democratic gain. | √ Dale Milford (Democratic) 65.1% Courtney G. Roberts (Republican) 34.9% | |||||