2002 Texas Senate election

2002 Texas Senate election

← 2000 November 5, 2002 2004  →
All of the 31 seats in the Texas State Senate 16 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Rep Dem Party Republican Democratic Seats before 16 15 Seats won 19 12 Seat change 3 3 Popular vote 2,360,682 1,567,895 Percentage 57.77% 38.37%
Senate results by district      Republican hold     Democratic hold      Republican gain      No election
President Pro Tempore before election Republican Elected President Pro Tempore Republican

The 2002 Texas Senate elections took place as part of the biennial United States elections. Texas voters elected state senators in all 31 Senate districts. All of the seats up for this election, with half of the seats elected for two-year terms and the other half elected for four-year terms. The winners of this election served in the 78th Texas Legislature.

Following the 2000 elections, the Republicans maintained effective control of the Senate with sixteen members to the Democrats' fifteen.

To claim control of the chamber from Republicans, the Democrats needed to gain one seat. Instead, Republicans gained three seats.

Background

The Republican Party had held the State Senate since the 1996 elections. ^[1] Due to the state's divided government after Democrats maintained control of the Texas House of Representatives in the 2000 elections, neither party held control over the redistricting process. ^{[2] [3]} During the 2001 regular session, the divided legislature failed to pass any redistricting plans. ^[4] The task then fell to the Legislative Redistricting Board after Republican governor Rick Perry did not call a special session. Republicans controlled four of the five seats on the board, so Democrats tried to convince the Republican members of the board to adopt a plan that would keep the partisan balance of the legislature intact. While Republican lieutenant governor Bill Ratliff was open to such a plan, the majority of the board pushed for a plan that heavily favored Republicans. ^{[5] [6]}

Results

Republicans major gains in the Texas Senate in 2002, flipping three seats from the Democrats. In addition to their victory in the concurrent elections for the Texas House, Republicans won a government trifecta for the first time since Reconstruction. ^{[7] [8]}

Statewide

Summary of the November 6, 2012 Texas Senate election results

Party		Candidates	Votes		Seats
			No.	%	Before	Up	Won	After	+/–
	Republican	22	2,360,682	57.77%	16	16	19	19	3
	Democratic	22	1,567,895	38.37%	15	15	12	12	3
	Libertarian	16	157,565	3.86%	0	0	0	0
Total			4,086,142	100.00%	31	31	31	31
Source: [9]

Popular vote Republican   57.77% Democratic   38.37% Libertarian   3.86%

Senate seats won Republican   61.29% Democratic   38.71%

Close races

District	Winner	Margin
District 18	Democratic	8.18%
District 2	Republican (flip)	9.38%
District 14	Democratic	9.58%

Results by district

District	Democratic		Republican		Libertarian		Total		Result
	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%
District 1	53,201	31.83%	133,939	68.17%	-	-	167,140	100.00%	Republican hold
District 2	66,151	44.56%	80,075	53.94%	2,217	1.49%	148,443	100.00%	Republican gain
District 3	-	-	119,993	88.23%	16,001	11.77%	135,994	100.00%	Republican hold
District 4	55,808	36.47%	97,237	63.53%	-	-	153,045	100.00%	Republican gain
District 5	-	-	122,119	86.86%	18,482	13.14%	140,601	100.00%	Republican hold
District 6	54,130	100.00%	-	-	-	-	54,130	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 7	-	-	139,827	91.31%	13,305	8.69%	153,132	100.00%	Republican hold
District 8	-	-	135,927	89.75%	15,525	10.25%	151,452	100.00%	Republican hold
District 9	89,255	38.21%	136,288	58.35%	-	-	225,543	100.00%	Republican hold
District 10	69,038	39.93%	101,511	58.71%	2,367	1.37%	172,916	100.00%	Republican hold
District 11	-	-	103,204	86.30%	16,387	13.70%	119,591	100.00%	Republican hold
District 12	-	-	121,991	89.83%	13,818	10.17%	135,809	100.00%	Republican gain
District 13	107,897	100.00%	-	-	-	-	107,897	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 14	95,182	52.70%	77,885	43.12%	7,537	4.17%	180,604	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 15	62,458	60.37%	41,003	39.63%	-	-	103,461	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 16	50,895	34.02%	95,853	64.07%	2,857	1.91%	149,605	100.00%	Republican hold
District 17	55,502	38.57%	88,393	61.43%	-	-	143,895	100.00%	Republican hold
District 18	85,401	53.31%	72,296	45.13%	2,508	1.57%	160,205	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 19	76,590	100.00%	-	-	-	-	76,590	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 20	78,685	100.00%	-	-	-	-	78,685	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 21	95,644	89.11%	-	-	11,688	10.89%	107,332	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 22	51,506	32.62%	106,371	67.38%	-	-	157,877	100.00%	Republican hold
District 23	101,793	100.00%	-	-	-	-	101,793	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 24	-	-	122,355	90.47%	12,887	9.53%	135,242	100.00%	Republican hold
District 25	61,899	30.20%	136,802	66.73%	6,293	3.07%	204,994	100.00%	Republican hold
District 26	74,163	100.00%	-	-	-	-	74,163	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 27	61,382	100.00%	-	-	-	-	61,382	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 28	-	-	119,508	91.31%	11,372	8.69%	130,880	100.00%	Republican hold
District 29	73,205	100.00%	-	-	-	-	73,205	100.00%	Democratic hold
District 30	48,110	29.77%	109,167	67.55%	4,321	2.67%	161,598	100.00%	Republican hold
District 31	-	-	118,938	100.00%	-	-	118,938	100.00%	Republican hold
Total	1,567,895	38.37%	2,360,682	57.77%	157,565	3.86%	4,086,142	100.00%	Source: [9]

Notable races

District 2

2nd senate district election

← 2000 2006  →

Nominee Bob Deuell David Cain Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 80,075 66,151 Percentage 53.94% 44.56%

County results Deuell:     40–50%     50–60%     70–80% Cain:     50–60%     70–80%

Texas Senator before election David Cain Democratic Party Elected Texas Senator Bob Deuell Republican Party

Incumbent Democratic senator David Cain sought re-election, but he lost to Republican Bob Deuell in a rematch of the 2000 election, which Cain had narrowly won.

District 2 general election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Bob Deuell	80,075	53.94%
	Democratic	David Cain (incumbent)	66,151	44.56%
	Libertarian	Robert Parker	2,217	1.49%
Total votes			148,443	100.00%
	Republican gain from Democratic

District 18

18th senate district election

← 1998 2006  →

Nominee Ken Armbrister Lester Phillips Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 85,401 72,296 Percentage 53.31% 45.13%

County results Armbrister:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Phillips:     50–60%     60–70%

Texas Senator before election Ken Armbrister Democratic Party Elected Texas Senator Ken Armbrister Democratic Party

Incumbent Democratic senator Ken Armbrister ran for re-election. District 18, centered around Victoria, voted strongly for President George W. Bush during his gubernatorial elections and in the 2000 presidential election. Armbrister was considered the most conservative Democrat in the Senate and had endorsed and openly campaigned for Bush during his presidential run, although he did not consider switching parties. ^[10] He won re-election.

District 18 general election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Ken Armbrister (incumbent)	85,401	53.31%
	Republican	Lester Phillips	72,296	45.13%
	Libertarian	Horace Henley	2,508	1.57%
Total votes			160,205	100.00%
	Republican hold

References

1. "Rep. Stockman loses in Texas Congress runoff GOP claims majority in one house of state legislature, 1st since 1872". Baltimore Sun. December 12, 1996. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
2. "National Parties Spend For Texas Redistricting Advantage". Congress Daily AM. The Atlantic Monthly Group LLC. September 28, 2000. Retrieved March 16, 2023– via Gale Academic OneFile.
3. Ramsey, Ross (November 13, 2000). "A Truly Fantastic Week for Political Junkies". The Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
4. "Texas Legislature Deadlocked Over Redistricting Plan". Congress Daily AM. The Atlantic Monthly Group LLC. May 22, 2001. Retrieved March 16, 2023– via Gale Academic OneFile.
5. Attlesey, Sam (2001). "New maps could give GOP large majority in both houses Texas board OKs redistricting plans despite criticism". The Dallas Morning News . p. 1.
6. Bickerstaff, Steve (2020). Heath, C. Robert (ed.). Gerrymandering Texas. Lubbock, Texas: Texas Tech University Press. pp. 132–134. ISBN   978-1-68283-073-4.
7. Halbfinger, David M.; Yardley, Jim (November 7, 2002). "THE 2002 ELECTIONS: THE SOUTH; Vote Solidifies Shift of South To the G.O.P." The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
8. Barta, Carolyn; Alvarez, Elizabeth Cruce (2004). "Republicans Take Total Control of State Government". Texas Almanac, 2004-2005. Dallas, Texas: The Dallas Morning News. pp. 395–396. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
9. "Race Summary Report - 2002 General Election". Texas Secretary of State.
10. Ramsey, Ross (May 1, 2000). "Four Dems in Ohio". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved October 8, 2024.