2002 United States Senate election in Texas explained

Election Name:2002 United States Senate election in Texas
Country:Texas
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1996 United States Senate election in Texas
Previous Year:1996
Next Election:2008 United States Senate election in Texas
Next Year:2008
Election Date:November 5, 2002
Image1:File:John Cornyn official portrait.jpg
Nominee1:John Cornyn
Party1:Republican Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:2,496,243
Percentage1:55.30%
Nominee2:Ron Kirk
Party2:Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote2:1,955,758
Percentage2:43.33%
Map Size:310px
U.S. Senator
Before Election:Phil Gramm
Before Party:Republican Party (United States)
After Election:John Cornyn
After Party:Republican Party (United States)

The 2002 United States Senate election in Texas was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Phil Gramm decided to retire, instead of seeking a fourth term. State Attorney General Republican John Cornyn won the open seat. This was the first open-seat election since 1984.

Democratic primary

Primary

Source: OurCampaigns.com, TX US Senate - D Primary

Runoff

Source: OurCampaigns.com, TX US Senate - D Runoff

Republican primary

Primary

Source: OurCampaigns.com, TX US Senate - R Primary

General election

Campaign

Despite the fact that Texas is a red state, Kirk ran on a socially progressive platform: supporting abortion rights and opposing Bush judicial nominee Priscilla Richman, although Kirk was a former George W. Bush supporter.[1] He also supported increases in defense spending, such as Bush's proposed $48 billion increase in military spending, except for the money Bush wanted to use for missile defense.[2] Cornyn was endorsed by U.S. president and former Governor George W. Bush, while Kirk had the support of former San Antonio mayor Henry Cisneros, former Governor Ann Richards and former U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen.[3] [4]

Cornyn was criticized for taking campaign money from Enron and other controversial companies.[5] And although other Democrats have seized on the issue, Kirk is well-entrenched in the Dallas business community, and his wife resigned from two private-sector jobs that created potential conflicts of interest for Kirk while he was mayor.[6]

An October Dallas Morning News poll had Cornyn leading 47% to 37%.[7] A record $18 million was spent in the election.[8]

Debates

2002 United States Senate election in Texas debates
DateHostModeratorLinkRepublicanDemocratic
Key:
Participant  Absent  Not invited  Invited Withdrawn
John CornynRon Kirk
1Oct. 18, 2002Houston Chronicle
KHOU
Greg HurstC-SPAN[9]
2Oct. 23, 2002Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas
Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation
KERA-TV
Texas Association of Broadcasters
Texas Monthly
The Dallas Morning News
TXCN
Univision
WFAA
John McCaaC-SPAN[10]

Results

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: . 2002 VOTER'S GUIDE: / U.S. Senate / Cornyn vs. Kirk: More than U.S. Senate seat at stake here . Houston Chronicle . 27 October 2002 . H.2 .
  2. http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0F506C3B899A51C6&p_docnum=5&p_queryname=6 Newsbank
  3. Web site: Parrott . Susan . Kirk looks ahead to race with Cornyn . . 10 March 2024 . 8 April 2002.
  4. Web site: Gott . Natalie . Richards campaigns with Kirk in Austin . . 10 March 2024 . 4 April 2002.
  5. Web site: Robinson . Clay . Graves . Rachel . Kirk, Cornyn exchange barbs over Enron, fund raising . . 10 March 2024 . 25 September 2002.
  6. Web site: Robinson . Clay . Wife's lucrative board job issue in Kirk's Senate bid . . 10 March 2024 . 20 August 2002.
  7. News: . Cienski . Jan . Ethnicity, money are the recipe for 'Dream Team': Battle for Texas: Democrats court blacks, Hispanics in Republican state . National Post . Don Mills, Ont . 31 October 2002 . A17 .
  8. Web site: Summary . OpenSecrets.
  9. https://www.c-span.org/video/?173288-1/texas-senate-debate C-SPAN
  10. https://www.c-span.org/video/?173416-1/texas-senate-debate C-SPAN
  11. Web site: Senate Races. https://web.archive.org/web/20021118115505/http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/senate_all.htm. November 18, 2002. www.centerforpolitics.org. en-US. November 4, 2002. June 25, 2021. dead. mdy-all.
  12. https://www.surveyusa.com/2002Elec.html SurveyUSA