2004 Texas Senate election explained

Election Name:2004 Texas Senate election
Percentage2:36.01%
Party2:Texas Democratic Party
Seats Before2:12
Seats Needed2: 3
Seats2:12
Popular Vote2:901,490
Map Size:300px
President Pro Tempore
Before Party:Republican
After Party:Republican
Country:Texas
Image1: Rep
Type:legislative
Previous Election:2002 Texas Senate election
Previous Year:2002
Next Election:2006 Texas Senate election
Next Year:2006
Seats For Election:15 of the 31 seats in the Texas State Senate
Majority Seats:16
Election Date:November 2, 2004
Percentage1:63.50%
Party1:Republican Party of Texas
Seats Before1:19
Seats1:19
Popular Vote1:1,589,684
Ongoing:no

The 2004 Texas Senate elections took place as part of the biennial United States elections. Texas voters elected state senators in 15 State Senate districts. All of the seats up for this election were for two-year terms, with senators up for re-election in the 2008 elections. The winners of this election served in the 79th Texas Legislature.

Following the 2002 elections, the Republicans maintained effective control of the Senate with nineteen members to the Democrats' twelve.

To claim control of the chamber from Republicans, the Democrats needed to gain four seats. In the end, no seats changed hands.

Background

The Republican Party had held the State Senate since the 1996 elections. In 2002, Republicans gained control of the Texas House of Representatives, giving them unified control of the state's government.[1] This led to the 2003 Texas redistricting, where Republicans redrew the state's congressional districts which had been implemented by federal courts for the 2002 elections.[2] During that session, eleven members of the Texas Senate left the state to break quorum in an attempt to prevent the plan from passing.[3] This strategy eventually failed due to the defection of Senator John Whitmire of Houston.[4]

Summary of race results

colspan="15" align="center"
PartyCandidatesVotesSeats
%BeforeUpWonAfter+/–
Republican101,589,68463.50199919
Democratic9901,49036.01126612
Libertarian211,9036.610000
Write-in11600.010000
Total2,503,243100.0031151531
Source:[5]

Summary of results by State Senate district

District! colspan="2"
DemocraticRepublicanOthersTotalResult
Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%
District 4--176,464100.00%--176,464100.00%Republican hold
District 675,31891.75%--6,7748.25%82,092100.00%Democratic hold
District 9--143,501100.00%--143,501100.00%Republican hold
District 10107,85340.75%156,83159.25%--264,684100.00%Republican hold
District 11--177,554100.00%--177,554100.00%Republican hold
District 16--142,542100.00%--142,542100.00%Republican hold
District 20116,723100.00%----116,723100.00%Democratic hold
District 21127,573100.00%----127,573100.00%Democratic hold
District 23150,244100.00%----150,244100.00%Democratic hold
District 24--189,778100.00%--189,778100.00%Republican hold
District 26105,62557.10%74,07040.04%5,2952.86%184,990100.00%Democratic hold
District 2789,984100.00%----89,984100.00%Democratic hold
District 28176,588100.00%----176,588100.00%Republican hold
District 3081,61430.95%182,05769.05%--263,671100.00%Republican hold
District 3146,55621.47%170,29978.53%--216,855100.00%Republican hold
Total901,49036.01%1,589,68463.50%12,0690.48%2,503,243100.00%Source:[6]

Notes and References

  1. News: Halbfinger . David M. . Yardley . Jim . 2002-11-07 . THE 2002 ELECTIONS: THE SOUTH; Vote Solidifies Shift of South To the G.O.P. . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-02-08 . 0362-4331.
  2. McKee . Seth . Teigen . Jeremy . Turgeon . Mathieu . June 2006 . The Partisan Impact of Congressional Redistricting: The Case of Texas, 2001-2003 . Social Science Quarterly . 87 . 2 . 308–317. 10.1111/j.1540-6237.2006.2006.00382.x . 42956125 .
  3. Web site: Alvarez . Elizabeth Cruce . 2004 . Texas Almanac, 2004-2005 . 2023-02-08 . The Portal to Texas History . 398 . English.
  4. Toobin . Jeffrey . February 26, 2006 . Drawing the Line - Will Tom DeLay's redistricting in Texas cost him his seat? . . February 7, 2023.
  5. Web site: Office of the Secretary of State . 2004 General Election . 2023-02-08 . elections.sos.state.tx.us.
  6. Web site: Office of the Secretary of State Race Summary Report 2010 General Election . 2021-12-30 . elections.sos.state.tx.us.