With primary and runoff elections wrapped up, major-party voters have nominated their candidates to move on to the November 4th general election. Between the House and the Senate, only 55 districts have both a Republican and Democrat candidate. After special elections, Sen. Brandon Creighton and Sen. Charles Perry have already been sworn in to replace Sen. Tommy Williams and Sen. Robert Duncan, respectively, due to those senators' retirements. The other 124 districts are either Senate districts which aren't up for election or contests with only one major-party candidate in the running.
With the runoff races concluded, analysis of the results are already underway. In terms of support from Texans overall for statewide Republican candidates, Texas “has been growing redder for the past decade, fueled by a dramatic increase in straight-ticket voting, huge monetary advantages, and a lack of quality Democratic candidates,” according to analysis of voting trends recently conducted by Texas Election Source. They further point out that low performing statewide candidates have made it much more difficult for down-ballot Democrats, “The farther below 50% the top of the ballot drops, the harder it is for candidates locally to overcome that deficit.” Even with this year’s line-up of stronger Democratic candidates, Texas Election Source points out in the report “there remain weak links (such as agricultural commissioner nominee Jim Hogan, who does not raise money or campaign) and that the Democrats will once again be vastly outspent by their Republican rivals.” However, the report concludes, a potential difference could be made when Democratic political organizations make investments to build an infrastructure that can turn Democratic voters out to the polls.
The list below shows races with both major-parties represented in the election.
General Election Match-Ups
SD 5
Inc. Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown)
Joel Shapiro (D-Cedar Park)
SD 7 – Sen. Dan Patrick running for Lt. Governor
Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston)
Jim Davis (D-Spring)
SD 9
Inc. Kelly Hancock (R-North Richland Hills)
George Perry (D-North Richland Hills)
SD 10 – Sen. Wendy Davis running for Governor
Konni Burton (R-Colleyville)
Libby Willis (D-Fort Worth)
SD 15
Inc. John Whitmire (D-Houston)
Ron Hale (R-Houston)
SD 17
Inc. Joan Huffman (R-Houston)
Rita Lucido (D-Houston)
SD 23
Inc. Royce West (D-Dallas)
John Lawson (R-Dallas)
SD 25
Inc. Donna Campbell (R-New Braunfels)
Daniel Boone (D-Canyon Lake)
HD 14
Inc. John Raney (R-Bryan)
Andrew Mescher (D-Bryan)
HD 16 – Sen. Brandon Creighton won SD 4
Will Metcalf (R-Conroe)
Michael Hayles, Sr. (D-Montgomery)
HD 17
Inc. Tim Kleinschmidt (R-Lexington)
Carolyn Banks (D-Bastrop)
HD 20
Inc. Marsha Farney (R-Georgetown)
Stephen Wyman (D-Georgetown)
HD 21 – Rep. Allan Ritter retired
Dade Phelan (R-Port Neches)
Gavin Bruney (D-Nederland)
HD 23 – Rep. Craig Eiland retired
Wayne Faircloth (R-Dickinson)
Susan Criss (D-Galveston)
HD 26
Inc. Rick Miller (R-Sugar Land)
Amber Paaso (D-Sugar Land)
HD 27
Inc. Ron Reynolds (D-Missouri City)
David Hamilton (R-Missouri City)
HD 41
Inc. Bobby Guerra (D-McAllen)
Elijah Casas (R-McAllen)
HD 43
Inc. JM Lozano (R-Kingsville)
Kim Gonzalez (D-Portland)
HD 44
Inc. John Kuempel (R-Seguin)
Robert Bohmfalk (D-Seguin)
HD 50
Inc. Celia Israel (D-Austin)
Mike VanDeWalle (R-Austin)
HD 52
Inc. Larry Gonzales (R-Round Rock)
Chris Osborn (D-Taylor)
HD 58 – Rep. Rob Orr retired
DeWayne Burns (R-Cleburne)
Greg Kaufman (D-Crowley)
HD 61
Inc. Phil King (R-Weatherford)
Matthew Britt (D-Decatur)
HD 63
Inc. Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound)
Daniel Moran (D-Flower Mound)
HD 64
Inc. Myra Crownover (R-Denton)
Emy Lyons (D-Denton)
HD 65
Inc. Ron Simmons (R-Carrolton)
Alex Mendoza (D-Lewisville)
HD 83 – Sen. Charles Perry won SD 28
Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock)
Max Tarbox (D-Lubbock)
HD 84
Inc. John Frullo (R-Lubbock)
Ed Tishler (D-Lubbock)
HD 85
Inc. Phil Stephenson (R-Wharton)
Cynthia Drabek (D-Richmond)
HD 87
Inc. Walter "Four" Price (R-Amarillo)
Abel Bosquez (D-Amarillo)
HD 89
Inc. Jodie Laubenberg (R-Parker)
Sameena Karmally (D-Allen)
HD 91
Inc. Stephanie Klick (R-Fort Worth)
David Ragan (D-Richland Hills)
HD 92
Inc. Jonathan Stickland (R-Bedford)
Tina Penney (D-Bedford)
HD 94 – Rep. Diane Patrick defeated in primary
Tony Tinderholt (R-Arlington)
Cole Ballweg (D-Arlington)
HD 95
Inc. Nicole Collier (D-Fort Worth)
Albert McDaniel (R-Fort Worth)
HD 102 – Rep. Stefani Carter defeated in primary
Linda Koop (R-Dallas)
George Clayton (D-Richardson)
HD 105 – Rep. Linda Harper-Brown defeated in primary
Rodney Anderson (R-Irving)
Susan Motley (D-Irving)
HD 106
Inc. Pat Fallon (R-Frisco)
Linda Osterholt (D-Little Elm)
HD 107
Inc. Kenneth Sheets (R-Dallas)
Carol Donovan (D-Dallas)
HD 108 – Rep. Dan Branch ran for Attorney General
Morgan Meyer (R-Dallas)
Leigh Bailey (D-Dallas)
HD 113
Inc. Cindy Burkett (R-Mesquite)
Milton Whitley (D-Mesquite)
HD 115 – Rep. Bennett Ratliff defeated in primary
Matt Rinaldi (R-Irving)
Paul Stafford (D-Irving)
HD 117
Inc. Philip Cortez (D-San Antonio)
Rick Galindo (R-San Antonio)
HD 129 – Rep. John Davis retired
Dennis Paul (R-Houston)
John Gay (D-Pasadena)
HD 132 – Rep. Bill Callegari retired
Mike Schofield (R-Houston)
Luis Lopez (D-Houston)
HD 133
Inc. Jim Murphy (R-Houston)
Laura Nicol (D-Houston)
HD 134
Inc. Sarah Davis (R-Houston)
Alison Ruff (D-Houston)
HD 135
Inc. Gary Elkins (R-Jersey Village)
Moiz Abbas (D-Cypress)
HD 136
Inc. Tony Dale (R-Cedar Park)
John Bucy, III (D-Austin)
HD 137
Inc. Gene Wu (D-Houston)
Morad Fiki (R-Houston)
HD 138
Inc. Dwayne Bohac (R-Houston)
Fred Vernon (D-Houston)
HD 144
Inc. Mary Ann Perez (D-Houston)
Gilbert Pena (R-Pasadena)
HD 148
Inc. Jessica Farrar (D-Houston)
Chris Carmona (R-Houston)
HD 149
Inc. Hubert Vo (D-Alief)
Al Hoang (R-Houston)
HD 150
Inc. Debbie Riddle (R-Houston)
Amy Perez (D-Houston)
