1968 Texas Senate election

1968 Texas Senate election

←  1966 November 5, 1968 1970  →
15 out of 31 seats in the Texas Senate 16 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Party Democratic Republican Last election 30 1 Seats before 29 2 Seats won 13 2 Seats after 29 2 Seat change Popular vote 857,379 312,743 Percentage 73.27% 26.73% Swing 10.13% 11.06%
Senate results by district      Democratic hold     Republican hold      No election
President pro tempore before election Democratic Elected President pro tempore Democratic

The 1968 Texas Senate election was held on November 5, 1968, to determine which party would control the Texas Senate for the following two years in the 61st Texas Legislature. 15 of the 31 seats in the Texas Senate were up for election to four-year terms. Democrats maintained their majority in the Senate, but Republicans gained one seat compared to the 1966 elections, winning a total of two.

Background

Democrats had controlled the Texas Senate since the 1872 elections. The chamber's membership had undergone a massive overhaul after the 1966 elections due to redistricting. This greatly shifted political power away from rural areas, which had held disproportionate power due to malapportionment, towards the state's growing urban and suburban areas. As a consequence, the chamber saw the election of its first African American member of the 20th century and its first Republican since 1924. ^{[1] [2]}

District 8 special election

George Parkhouse, the Democrat who had represented Dallas County in the Senate since 1951, died in August 1967. ^[3] Republican Ike Harris, whom Parkhouse had narrowly defeated in 1966, easily won the special election held on November 11 to succeed him, flipping the seat and becoming the chamber's second Republican member. ^{[4] [5]}

District 8 special election

Candidate		Votes	%
Ike Harris		15,105	70.82%
Bill Harris		3,718	17.43%
Horace Houston		1,114	5.22%
Minor candidates		1,391	6.52%
Total votes		21,328	100.00%

Results

Democrats maintained near-complete control of the chamber, but Republicans continued their gradual growth in the state, holding both of their seats in the chamber. ^[6]

References

1. May, Janice C. "The Evolution of the Texas Legislature: A Historical Overview". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
2. Texas Almanac, 1968-1969. Dallas, Texas: The Dallas Morning News. 1967. p. 591.
3. Thomas, Shain (September 10, 2017). "George Marshall Parkhouse: Texas State Legislator and Advocate for Water Conservation". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
4. "Orland Harris Obituary (2021) - Austin, TX - Austin American-Statesman". Legacy.com. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
5. Register of elected and appointed state and county officials 1964 - 1968. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission. p. 363
6. Texas Almanac, 1970-1971. Dallas, Texas: The Dallas Morning News. 1969. p. 529.