The 2004 Texas House of Representatives elections took place as part of the biennial United States elections. Texas voters elected state representatives in all 150 State House of Representatives districts. The winners of this election served in the 79th Texas Legislature. State representatives serve for two-year terms. Republicans maintained control of the House, losing one seat to the Democrats.[1]
Background
Following the 2002 elections, the Republicans gained control of the House with 88 seats to the Democrats' 62, giving them a governmental trifecta for the first time since Reconstruction.[2][3] This led to the 2003 Texas redistricting, where Republicans redrew the state's congressional districts which had been implemented by federal courts for the 2002 elections.[4] In response, 58 Democratic members of the House of Representatives boycotted the session and left the capitol to deprive the chamber of a quorum, preventing the Republican-led chamber from functioning. House SpeakerTom Craddick ordered the arrest of the missing lawmakers.[5] 53 of those members, later known as the "Killer D's," fled to a Holiday Inn in Ardmore, Oklahoma to continue depriving the House of a quorum, attracting the attention of national media, as well as Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, who praised their actions.[6][7] After the regular session ended, Republican governor Rick Perry called a special session to address redistricting.[8]
House Democrats were unable to stage another walkout during the first special session, but Senate Democrats were able to filibuster the bill until the end of the session.[9] Eleven Democratic members of the Texas Senate left the second special session to prevent a quorum.[10][11] They were unable to block the redistricting package during a third special session, but they staged a symbolic walkout as the package neared passage to delay it over the weekend.[12] After this brief delay, the Senate passed the redistricting bill, ending the six month long legislative saga.[13] Republicans heavily criticized the Democratic Representatives who participated in the walkout, running ads in the districts of White Democrats in competitive districts during the walkout and attempting to defeat them in the 2004 elections. The Democrats similarly targeted their own representatives in the primaries, such as Ron Wilson, Roberto Gutierrez, and Glenn Lewis, for working against the party during the walkout.[14][15]
In the primary elections on March 9, the Democrats successfully defeated all of the members they targeted for their actions during the 2003 walkout.[14] Additionally, Republicans only managed to defeat two of the Democrats who participated in the walkouts, Dan Ellis and John Mabry. Democrats narrowly flipped seats in San Antonio, Houston, and Austin, including defeating house appropriations chairman Talmadge Heflin. They also narrowly held onto several rural districts that Republicans had targeted. This resulted in a net gain of one seat for the Democrats.[1][17]
Statewide
Summary of the November 2, 2004 Texas House of Representatives election results
↑ Bickerstaff, Steve (2007). Lines in the Sand: Congressional Redistricting in Texas and the Downfall of Tom Delay. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press. pp.178–185. ISBN978-0-292-71474-8.
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