1984 Texas Senate election

1984 Texas Senate election

←  1982 November 6, 1984 1986  →
15 of the 31 seats in the Texas Senate 16 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Dem Rep Party Democratic Republican Last election 26 5 Seats won 25 6 Seat change 1 1
Senate results by district      Democratic hold      Republican hold     Republican gain
President Pro Tempore before election Democratic Elected President Pro Tempore Democratic

The 1984 Texas Senate elections took place as part of the biennial United States elections. Texas voters elected state senators in 15 of the 31 State Senate. The winners of this election served in the 69th Texas Legislature.

Background

Democrats had controlled the Texas Senate since the 1872 elections. ^[1] The Legislature passed redistricting bills in 1981, but Republican governor Bill Clements vetoed the state Senate map. The Legislative Redistricting Board, made up entirely of Democrats, was then tasked with drawing the map for the chamber. Despite this partisan unanimity, stark divisions came about on the Board due to each member's own goals, ranging from incumbency protection to the expansion of minority representation. Each member's potential gubernatorial ambitions also underscored the debate. The Board eventually passed a map in a 4–1 vote, with Comptroller Bob Bullock dissenting. ^[2]

The Senate maps passed by the Board were challenged by a lawsuit in Terrazas v. Clements. ^[3] Additionally, the Justice Department blocked both maps for violating the Voting Rights Act. ^[4] Given the imminence of the March primary, the courts allowed the maps to be used for the 1982 elections. ^[5] In 1983, the legislature adopted a modified version of the court's map. They addressed objections from the Justice Department and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, changing eight Senate districts but avoiding a full redrawing, which would have necessitated re-electing all senators. The courts approved the plan. ^{[6] [7]}

Results

Republicans gained one seat from the Democrats, flipping the 26th district in San Antonio. ^[8] Cyndi Taylor Krier flipped the seat, becoming the first Republican and first woman to ever represent Bexar County in the Senate. At the time, she was considered a progressive Republican due to her support of the Equal Rights Amendment and abortion rights. ^[9]

Results by district

District	Democratic		Republican		Total		Result
	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%
District 1	-	100.00%	-	-	-	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 2	87,233	50.60%	85,171	49.40%	172,404	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 3	-	100.00%	-	-	-	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 4	-	100.00%	-	-	-	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 8	-	-	-	100.00%	-	100.00%	Republican hold
District 9	-	100.00%	-	-	-	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 14	136,373	59.42%	93,132	40.58%	229,505	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 17	-	-	-	100.00%	-	100.00%	Republican hold
District 20	-	100.00%	-	-	-	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 22	-	100.00%	-	-	-	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 24	-	100.00%	-	-	-	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 26	60,077	38.75%	94,945	61.25%	155,022	100.00%	Republican gain
District 28	99,672	64.10%	55,816	35.90%	155,488	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 30	-	100.00%	-	-	-	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 31	-	100.00%	-	-	-	100.00%	Democratic hold
Total	–	–	–	–	–	100.00%	Source: [10]

References

1. May, Janice C. "The Evolution of the Texas Legislature: A Historical Overview". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
2. Bickerstaff, Heath 2020, pp. 104–107
3. Bickerstaff, Heath 2020, pp. 107–110
4. "Around the Nation; Justice Dept. Rejects Texas Redistricting Plan". The New York Times . January 27, 1982. p. 14. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
5. "Around the Nation; Texas Redistricting Plan Upheld by Federal Panel". The New York Times. March 7, 1982. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
6. "Terrazas v. Clements, 581 F. Supp. 1319 (N.D. Tex. 1983)". Justia Law. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
7. Bickerstaff, Heath 2020, p. 110
8. Kingston 1985, p. 646
9. Women of the Texas Senate (PDF). Senate Publications & Printing. July 2017. pp. 13–14. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
10. Kingston 1985, p. 653–654

Further reading

• Kingston, Mike (1985). Texas Almanac, 1986-1987. Dallas, Texas: The Dallas Morning News. ISBN 0-914511-04-1. LCCN 10–3390.
• Bickerstaff, Steve. Heath, C. Robert (ed.). Gerrymandering Texas (2020).