Texas's 23rd congressional district

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Texas's 23rd congressional district
Texas US Congressional District 23 (since 2021).tif
Texas's 23rd congressional district since January 3, 2023
Representative
Distribution
  • 78.09% urban [1]
  • 21.91% rural
Population (2023)786,734 [2]
Median household
income		$74,285 [2]
Ethnicity
Cook PVI R+5 [3]

Texas's 23rd congressional district stretches across the southwestern portion of Texas. It is a majority Hispanic district and has been represented by Republican Tony Gonzales since 2021.

Contents

The 23rd district runs along the majority of Texas' border with Mexico, north of the Rio Grande. It stretches from western San Antonio to El Paso, encompassing numerous county seats and towns of regional economic importance.

The district is predominantly rural. Campaigning is difficult due to its size and disparate influences; the population density is one of the lowest in any congressional district. Economic activities include farming, ranching, oil, and mineral extraction; also recreation, manufacturing, and tourism, as it encompasses all of Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park.

The 2010s iteration of this district was the only one in the U.S. to vote for the Republican candidate for President in 2012, flip to the Democratic presidential candidate in 2016, and then flip back to the Republican candidate in 2020. [4]

Election results from recent statewide races

Results under current lines (since 2023) [5]

YearOfficeResult
2014 Senate Cornyn 65 - 35%
Governor Abbott 61 - 39%
2016 President Trump 50 - 46%
2018 Senate Cruz 51 - 49%
Governor Abbott 56 - 42%
Lieutenant Governor Patrick 52 - 46%
Attorney General Paxton 50 - 47%
2020 President Trump 53 - 46%
Senate Cornyn 54 - 43%
2022 Governor Abbott 54 - 44%
Lieutenant Governor Patrick 54 - 43%
Attorney General Paxton 53 - 44% [6]

Demographics

According to the APM Research Lab's Voter Profile Tools (featuring the U.S. Census Bureau's 2019 American Community Survey), the district contained about 511,000 potential voters (citizens, age 18+). Of these, 64% are Latino, while 29% are White. One in ten potential voters were born outside of the U.S., now naturalized citizens. Median income among households (with one or more potential voter) in the district is about $61,800, while 11% of households live below the poverty line. As for the educational attainment of potential voters in the district, 17% of those 25 and older have not earned a high school degree, while 23% hold a bachelor's or higher degree.

Election results

Elections from 1967 to 1992

This district was created in 1967, following passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In addition, it followed the case of Wesberry v. Sanders, resulting in Texas's previous congressional map being tossed out. Democrats held the district until 1993.

Elections from 1992 to 2002

Following the 1990 census, in 1992, the Texas Legislature created the new 28th district , mostly from the eastern portion of the 23rd. In the process, the legislature left a heavily Republican section of western San Antonio in the 23rd. Republican Henry Bonilla beat 4-term incumbent Albert Bustamante to take the seat in 1992.

Although the 23rd leaned slightly Democratic on paper, Bonilla had a very conservative voting record. Largely because of his popularity in San Antonio, he did not face a credible challenger until 2002, when the former Democratic Texas Secretary of State, Henry Cuellar, came within 2 points of unseating him.

2004 election

During the 2003 Texas redistricting, the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature shifted most of Laredo, which had been one of the bases of the 23rd from the beginning, into the 28th district . Several heavily Republican suburbs in the Texas Hill Country north of San Antonio were shifted into the 23rd district, all but ensuring Bonilla of a seventh term.

2004 Texas's 23rd congressional district election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Henry Bonilla (incumbent)170,71669.3+17.7
Democratic Joe Sullivan72,48029.4−17.8
Libertarian Nazirite Perez3,3071.3+0.6
Majority98,23639.9
Turnout 246,503
Republican hold Swing +17.8

2006 election

Following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry which found that the 23rd district violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the district was redrawn.

2006 Texas's 23rd congressional district runoff election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Ciro Rodriguez 38,24754.32%+25.1
Republican Henry Bonilla (Incumbent)32,16545.68%−23.9
Majority6,0828.64%
Turnout 68,294
Democratic gain from Republican Swing 24.5

2010 election

The National Republican Congressional Committee targeted Texas's 23rd congressional district to try to regain it, and strongly supported the Republican campaign financially. [7]

2010 23rd Congressional District of Texas Elections [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Quico Canseco 74,67149.38
Democratic Ciro Rodriguez (incumbent)67,21244.44
Majority
Turnout 141,883
Republican gain from Democratic Swing

2012 election

2012 Texas's 23rd congressional district election
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Pete Gallego 96,477 50.33
Republican Quico Canseco (incumbent)87,25545.52
Libertarian Jeffrey C. Blunt5,8273.04
Green Ed Scharf2,0991.09
Total votes191,658 100

2014 election

2014 Texas's 23rd congressional district election
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Will Hurd 57,459 49.8
Democratic Pete Gallego (incumbent)55,03747.7
Libertarian Ruben Corvalan2,9332.5
Total votes115,429 100

2016 election

2016 Texas's 23rd congressional district election
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Will Hurd (incumbent) 110,577 48.3
Democratic Pete Gallego 107,52647.0
Libertarian Ruben Corvalan10,8624.7
Total votes228,965 100

2018 election

Texas's 23rd congressional district, 2018 [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Will Hurd (incumbent) 103,285 49.2
Democratic Gina Ortiz Jones 102,35948.7
Libertarian Ruben Corvalan4,4252.1
Total votes210,069 100.0
Republican hold

2020 election

2020 Texas's 23rd congressional district election [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Tony Gonzales 149,395 50.6
Democratic Gina Ortiz Jones 137,69346.6
Libertarian Beto Villela8,3692.8
Total votes295,457 100
Republican hold

2022 election

2022 Texas's 23rd congressional district election
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Tony Gonzales (incumbent) 116,649 55.8
Democratic John Lira80,94738.7
Independent Frank Lopez Jr.11,1805.3
Total votes208,776 100
Republican hold

List of members representing the district

MemberPartyYearsCong
ress		Electoral historyDistrict location
District established January 3, 1967
Abraham Kazen.jpg
Abraham Kazen Jr.
(Laredo)		 Democratic January 3, 1967 –
January 3, 1985		 90th
91st
92nd
93rd
94th
95th
96th
97th
98th 		Elected in 1966.
Re-elected in 1968.
Re-elected in 1970.
Re-elected in 1972.
Re-elected in 1974.
Re-elected in 1976.
Re-elected in 1978.
Re-elected in 1980.
Re-elected in 1982.
Lost renomination.		1967–1969
[ data missing ]
1969–1973
[ data missing ]
1973–1975
[ data missing ]
1975–1983
[ data missing ]
1983–1985
[ data missing ]
Albert Bustamante.jpg
Albert Bustamante
(San Antonio)		 Democratic January 3, 1985 –
January 3, 1993		 99th
100th
101st
102nd 		Elected in 1984.
Re-elected in 1986.
Re-elected in 1988.
Re-elected in 1990.
Lost re-election.		1985–1993
[ data missing ]
Henry Bonilla.jpg
Henry Bonilla
(San Antonio)		 Republican January 3, 1993 –
January 3, 2007		 103rd
104th
105th
106th
107th
108th
109th 		Elected in 1992.
Re-elected in 1994.
Re-elected in 1996.
Re-elected in 1998.
Re-elected in 2000.
Re-elected in 2002.
Re-elected in 2004.
Lost re-election.		1993–2003
Brewster, Crane, Crockett, Culberson, Dimmit, Edwards, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Kinney, Loving, Maverick, Medina, Pecos, Presidio, Reagan, Reeves, Sutton, Terrell, Upton, Uvalde, Val Verde, Ward, Webb, Winkler, and Zavala; parts of Bexar, Ector, El Paso, and Midland
2003–2005
Brewster, Crockett, Culberson, Dimmit, Edwards, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Kinney, Maverick, Medina, Pecos, Presidio, Reagan, Real, Reeves, Sutton, Terrell, Upton, Uvalde, Val Verde, Webb, and Zavala; parts of Bexar and El Paso
2005–2007
TX23 109.gif
Bandera, Brewster, Crockett, Culberson, Dimmit, Edwards, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Kendall, Kerr, Kinney, Maverick, Medina, Pecos, Presidio, Real, Reeves, Terrell, Uvalde, Val Verde, and Zavala; parts of Bexar, El Paso, Sutton, and Webb
Ciro Rodriguez, official 110th Congress photo.JPG
Ciro Rodriguez
(San Antonio)		 Democratic January 3, 2007 –
January 3, 2011		 110th
111th 		Elected in 2006.
Re-elected in 2008.
Lost re-election.		2007–2013
TX23 110.gif
Brewster, Crockett, Culberson, Dimmit, Edwards, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Kinney, Maverick, Medina, Pecos, Presidio, Reeves, Terrell, Uvalde, Val Verde, and Zavala; parts of Bexar, El Paso, and Sutton
Quico Canseco, official portrait, 112th Congress.jpg
Quico Canseco
(San Antonio)		 Republican January 3, 2011 –
January 3, 2013		 112th Elected in 2010.
Lost re-election.
Pete Gallego official portrait.jpg
Pete Gallego
(Alpine)		 Democratic January 3, 2013 –
January 3, 2015		 113th Elected in 2012.
Lost re-election.		2013–2023
Texas US Congressional District 23 (since 2013).tif
Brewster, Crane, Crockett, Culberson, Dimmit, Edwards, Frio, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Kinney, Loving, Maverick, Medina, Pecos, Presidio, Reagan, Reeves, Schleicher, Sutton, Terrell, Upton, Uvalde, Val Verde, Ward, Winkler, and Zavala; parts of Bexar, El Paso, and La Salle [11]
Will Hurd Texas.jpg
Will Hurd
(San Antonio)		 Republican January 3, 2015 –
January 3, 2021		 114th
115th
116th 		Elected in 2014.
Re-elected in 2016.
Re-elected in 2018.
Retired.
Tony-Gonzales-Congress.jpg
Tony Gonzales
(San Antonio)		 Republican January 3, 2021 –
present		 117th
118th 		Elected in 2020.
Re-elected in 2022.
2023–present
Texas US Congressional District 23 (since 2021).tif

Bexar (part), Brewster, Crane, Crockett, Culberson, Dimmit, Edwards, El Paso (part), Frio, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Kinney, La Salle, Loving, Maverick, Medina, Pecos, Presidio, Reagan, Reeves, Schleicher, Sutton, Terrell, Upton, Uvalde, Val Verde, Ward, Winkler, and Zavala [12]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Geography, US Census Bureau. "Congressional Districts Relationship Files (state-based)". www.census.gov.
  2. 1 2 Center for New Media & Promotion (CNMP), US Census Bureau. "My Congressional District". www.census.gov.
  3. ↑ "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". Cook Political Report. July 12, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Just 47 House districts flipped in the last three presidential elections. What do they tell us?".
  5. ↑ "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". Cook Political Report. July 12, 2022. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  6. ↑ "TX 2022 Congressional". Dave’s Redistricting App. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  7. ↑ "NRCC Memo Reveals 24 Democratic Targets". Roll Call. March 6, 2008. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
  8. ↑ "2010 General Election, Election Night Returns, Unofficial Elections Results As Of: 11/3/2010 12:14:58 PM". Texas Secretary of State. November 3, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2010.[ permanent dead link ]
  9. ↑ "Texas Election Results". Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Texas Election Results: 23rd Congressional District". The New York Times. November 3, 2020. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  11. ↑ "District Population Analysis with County Subtotals | CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS - PLANC2100" (PDF). Capitol Data Portal. Texas Legislative Council. August 26, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 27, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  12. ↑ "District Population Analysis with County Subtotals | CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS - PLANC2193" (PDF). Capitol Data Portal. Texas Legislative Council. October 17, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 25, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2023.

Further reading

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