1978 Texas Senate election

1978 Texas Senate election

← 1976 November 7, 1978 1980  →
15 of the 31 seats in the Texas Senate 16 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Party Democratic Republican Last election 28 3 Seats before 27 4 Seats won 27 4 Seat change Popular vote 637,452 149,855 Percentage 80.46% 18.92%
Democratic hold     Republican hold
President Pro Tempore before election Democratic Elected President Pro Tempore Democratic

The 1978 Texas Senate elections took place as part of the biennial United States elections. Texas voters elected state senators 16 of the 31 State Senate districts. The winners of this election served in the 66th Texas Legislature for four-year terms.

Background

Democrats had controlled the Texas Senate since the 1872 elections. ^[1] Long a part of the Solid South, Republicans had gained a foothold in the state in the past two decades, electing U.S. Senator John Tower in 1961 and electing Richard Nixon with 66% of the vote in 1972, but these gains rarely made much impact in downballot, local races. Democrats had controlled every statewide office since the end of Reconstruction and controlled large supermajorities in the legislature. Even these small numbers were an improvement from the past two decades, however, such as after the 1964 election when they held a single seat in the House and none in the Senate. ^[2]

District 31 special election

1977 31st district special election

← 1976 December 10, 1977 1980  →

Nominee Bob Price Bob Simpson Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 15,199 14,958 Percentage 50.40% 49.60%

County results Price:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Simpson:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

Texas Senator before election Max Sherman Democratic Party Elected Texas Senator Bob Price Republican Party

Democrat Max Sherman resigned in September 1977, and a special election was called, to be held concurrently with the November general election. No candidate received a majority of the vote, so a runoff was held in December. ^[3] Former Republican Congressman Bob Price narrowly won the runoff, flipping the seat. ^[4]

1977 District 31 special election ^[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Bob Simpson	8,825	25.19%
	Republican	Bob Price	8,079	23.06%
	Republican	Jim Brandon	7,011	20.01%
	Democratic	Mel Phillips Jr.	6,018	17.18%
	Democratic	Burk Whittenburg	5,096	14.55%
Total votes			35,029	100.00%

1977 District 31 special election runoff ^[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Bob Price	15,199	50.40%
	Democratic	Bob Simpson	14,958	49.60%
Total votes			30,157	100.00%
	Republican gain from Democratic

Results

Despite the upset victory of Republican Bill Clements in the concurrent gubernatorial election, Republicans made no gains in the chamber. They held the one seat the controlled prior to the election and flipped no others. Combined with their special election victory in District 31, they entered the 66th Legislature with four members, up one from the start of the 65th Legislature. ^[6]

Results by district

District	Democratic		Republican		Raza Unida		Total		Result
	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%
District 1	55,618	100.00%	-	-	-	-	55,618	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 2	55,625	100.00%	-	-	-	-	55,625	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 3	56,513	100.00%	-	-	-	-	56,513	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 6	7,299	100.00%	-	-	-	-	7,299	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 10	34,559	66.70%	17,251	33.30%	-	-	51,810	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 11	6,439	100.00%	-	-	-	-	6,439	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 12	35,429	46.76%	40,346	53.24%	-	-	75,775	100.00%	Republican hold
District 14	77,682	100.00%	-	-	-	-	77,682	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 21	52,937	61.71%	27,934	32.57%	4,908	5.72%	85,779	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 23	30,250	70.86%	12,438	29.14%	-	-	42,688	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 25	64,427	100.00%	-	-	-	-	64,427	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 26	43,379	64.05%	24,345	35.95%	-	-	67,724	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 27	36,442	100.00%	-	-	-	-	36,442	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 28	49,420	64.21%	27,541	35.79%	-	-	76,961	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 30	31,433	100.00%	-	-	-	-	31,433	100.00%	Democratic hold
Total	637,452	80.46%	149,855	18.92%	4,908	0.62%	792,215	100.00%	Source: [7] [8]

References

1. May, Janice C. "The Evolution of the Texas Legislature: A Historical Overview". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
2. Kingston 1979, p. 534
3. "Max Sherman". Legislative Reference Library of Texas. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
4. "Former congressman, farmer, rancher dies". The Amarillo Globe-News. August 26, 2004. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
5. Special election returns for State Legislature, 1977, Texas Secretary of State election registers. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
6. Kingston 1979, p. 535
7. Kingston 1979, pp. 546
8. Election Returns: November 7, 1978, Texas Secretary of State election registers. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Further reading

• Kingston, Mike (1979). Texas Almanac, 1980-1981. Dallas, Texas: The Dallas Morning News.