2008 Texas House of Representatives election

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2008 Texas House of Representatives election
← 2006 November 4, 2008 2010 →
All 150 seats in the Texas House of Representatives
76 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Rep
Dem
Leader Tom Craddick
(ousted as leader) 		Jim Dunnam
Party Republican Democratic
Leader since January 9, 1973 January 14, 2003
Leader's seat 82nd 57th
Last election 81 69
Seats before 79 71
Seats won 76 74
Seat change Decrease 3 Increase 3
Popular vote 3,828,577 2,965,717
Percentage 53.99% 41.82%
Swing Increase 0.48% Increase 1.31%
     Republican hold      Democratic hold
     Republican gain      Democratic gain

Republican:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      ≥90%

Democratic:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      ≥90%
Speaker before election

Tom Craddick
Republican

Elected Speaker

Joe Straus
Republican

The 2008 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 81st Texas Legislature. State representatives serve for two-year terms. Republicans maintained control of the House, losing three seats to the Democrats.

Background[edit]

Following the 2002 elections, the Republicans gained control of the House, giving them a governmental trifecta for the first time since Reconstruction.[1][2] Democrats made significant gains in the 2006 elections, and they gained two more seats following them, one due to a special election, and another due to the defection of Republican Kirk England to the Democratic Party.[3][4] Democrats needed to gain five seats from the Republicans to win control of the chamber.

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Results[edit]

Democrats gained a net of three seats from the Republicans, failing to take control of the chamber, but leaving Republicans with a very narrow majority.[5]

Statewide[edit]

Summary of the November 4, 2008 Texas House of Representatives election results
Party Candi-
dates 		Votes % Seats +/–
Republican Party 97 3,828,577 53.99% 76 Decrease3
Democratic Party 111 2,965,717 41.82% 74 Increase3
Libertarian Party 84 319,020 4.50% 0 –
Total 7,090,830 100.00% 150 –
Popular vote
Republican
 
 53.99%
Democratic
 
 41.82%
Libertarian
 
 4.50%
House seats won
Republican
 
 50.67%
Democratic
 
 49.33%

Close races[edit]

  1. District 105, 0.04%
  2. District 11, 0.20%
  3. District 101, 1.12% (gain)
  4. District 52, 1.19% (gain)
  5. District 133, 1.24% (gain)
  6. District 144, 2.30% (tipping-point district)
  7. District 47, 2.40%
  8. District 32, 3.33% (gain)
  9. District 107, 3.50%
  10. District 3, 3.68%
  11. District 96, 4.73% (gain)
  12. District 102, 6.02% (gain)
  13. District 34, 6.28%
  14. District 78, 6.42% (gain)
  15. District 85, 6.76%
  16. District 1, 8.59%

Notable races[edit]

2008 Texas' 85th state house district results by county:
Map Legend
  •   Heflin—70–80%
  •   Heflin—60–70%
  •   Heflin—50–60%
  •   Castro—50–60%

District 85: District 85, located in West Texas near Lubbock, had been held by Democrat Pete Laney for decades, but his retirement in 2006 left the seat highly vulnerable for a Republican pickup as the area had swung rapidly towards the Republicans since the 1990s. In fact, no Democrat had won any of the counties contained within the district in a presidential election since 1996. Despite this swing, Democrat Joe Heflin managed to win the open seat with 49.01% of the vote in 2006.[6] The seat was again vulnerable in 2008, but Heflin managed to win re-election with 53.38%, severely outperforming Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, who only won 27.33% of the district's vote in the concurrent presidential election.[7][8] Heflin performed best in Crosby County, his home county.[9][10]

Texas's 85th state house district election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Joe Heflin 22,865 53.38%
Republican Issac M. Castro 19,970 46.62%
Total votes 42,835 100.00%
Democratic hold

District 97: A special election was held on November 6, 2007, to fill the unexpired term of Rep. Anna Mowery. Dan Barret, who had lost the seat to Mowery in 2006,[6] ran against 6 Republicans in the jungle primary, securing a plurality of 31.53% of the vote.[11] A runoff was held on December 18, 2007, between Barret and second-place finisher, Mark M. Shelton in which Barret won an upset victory with 52.19% of the vote.[3] As the legislative session had already ended, Barret did not spend any time legislating during his term. He was later defeated by Shelton in the 2008 general election, only securing 42.75% of the vote.

Texas's 97th state house district special election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Dan Barrett 5,575 31.53%
Republican Mark M. Shelton 4,049 22.90%
Republican Bob Leonard 3,294 18.63%
Republican Craig Goldman 2,947 16.67%
Republican Jeff Humber 925 5.23%
Republican Chris Hatch 515 2.91%
Republican James Dean Schull 375 2.12%
Total votes 17,680 100.00%
Texas's 97th state house district special election runoff
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Dan Barrett 5,365 52.19%
Republican Mark M. Shelton 4,915 47.81%
Total votes 10,280 100.00%
Democratic gain from Republican Swing 19.49%

District 106: Representative Kirk England was re-elected in 2006 as a Republican with 49.16% of the vote.[12] On September 20, 2007, he announced that he would switch parties and seek re-election as a Democrat.[4] He would later go on to win re-election in 2008 with 55.49% of the vote before losing re-election by 204 votes in 2010 to Republican Rodney E. Anderson.[13]

Texas's 106th state house district election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kirk England 21,484 55.49%
Republican Karen Wiegman 16,362 42.26%
Libertarian Gene Freeman 869 2.24%
Total votes 38,715 100.00%
Democratic hold

Results by district[edit]

District Democratic Republican Libertarian Total Result
Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes %
District 1 29,598 53.59% 24,853 45.00% 781 1.41% 55,232 100.00% Democratic hold
District 2 - - 39,258 85.04% 6,906 14.96% 46,164 100.00% Republican hold
District 3 26,763 51.84% 24,864 48.16% - - 51,627 100.00% Democratic hold
District 4 22,049 35.18% 39,250 62.62% 1,383 2.21% 62,682 100.00% Republican hold
District 5 - - 47,309 100.00% - - 47,309 100.00% Republican hold
District 6 - - 44,476 87.77% 6,196 12.23% 50,672 100.00% Republican hold
District 7 - - 40,671 88.34% 5,368 11.66% 46,039 100.00% Republican hold
District 8 - - 34,524 100.00% - - 34,524 100.00% Republican hold
District 9 18,448 35.40% 32,704 62.76% 961 1.84% 52,113 100.00% Republican hold
District 10 - - 49,401 85.52% 8,366 14.48% 57,767 100.00% Republican hold
District 11 26,054 49.29% 25,934 49.06% 875 1.66% 52,863 100.00% Democratic hold
District 12 28,760 57.06% 21,647 42.94% - - 50,407 100.00% Democratic hold
District 13 - - 41,376 100.00% - - 41,376 100.00% Republican hold
District 14 - - 37,236 82.20% 8,063 17.80% 45,299 100.00% Republican hold
District 15 - - 69,661 100.00% - - 69,661 100.00% Republican hold
District 16 - - 49,263 100.00% - - 49,263 100.00% Republican hold
District 17 25,583 42.85% 32,238 53.99% 1,889 3.16% 59,710 100.00% Republican gain
District 18 14,901 31.46% 32,465 68.54% - - 47,366 100.00% Republican hold
District 19 17,306 33.99% 32,545 63.92% 1,064 2.09% 50,915 100.00% Republican hold
District 20 26,907 30.53% 57,029 64.71% 4,199 4.76% 88,135 100.00% Republican hold
District 21 32,208 100.00% - - - - 32,208 100.00% Democratic hold
District 22 31,169 94.46% - - 1,827 5.54% 32,996 100.00% Democratic hold
District 23 31,195 86.80% - - 4,743 13.20% 35,938 100.00% Democratic hold
District 24 - - 47,378 86.31% 7,515 13.69% 54,893 100.00% Republican hold
District 25 - - 33,404 85.96% 5,454 14.04% 38,858 100.00% Republican hold
District 26 - - 45,679 100.00% - - 45,679 100.00% Republican hold
District 27 48,415 65.56% 25,434 34.44% - - 73,849 100.00% Democratic hold
District 28 32,089 38.02% 50,824 60.22% 1,484 1.76% 84,397 100.00% Republican hold
District 29 26,433 39.53% 40,439 60.47% - - 66,872 100.00% Republican hold
District 30 - - 38,869 100.00% - - 38,869 100.00% Republican hold
District 31 24,170 100.00% - - - - 24,170 100.00% Democratic hold
District 32 25,994 46.80% 27,844 50.13% 1,705 3.07% 55,543 100.00% Republican gain
District 33 24,582 59.04% 14,792 35.53% 2,261 5.43% 41,635 100.00% Democratic hold
District 34 21,188 53.14% 18,684 46.86% - - 39,872 100.00% Democratic hold
District 35 29,458 100.00% - - - - 29,458 100.00% Democratic hold
District 36 24,598 100.00% - - - - 24,598 100.00% Democratic hold
District 37 19,695 100.00% - - - - 19,695 100.00% Democratic hold
District 38 25,476 100.00% - - - - 25,476 100.00% Democratic hold
District 39 23,879 100.00% - - - - 23,879 100.00% Democratic hold
District 40 24,103 100.00% - - - - 24,103 100.00% Democratic hold
District 41 23,438 64.86% 12,025 33.28% 671 1.86% 36,134 100.00% Democratic hold
District 42 31,129 100.00% - - - - 31,129 100.00% Democratic hold
District 43 25,771 87.20% - - 3,782 12.80% 29,553 100.00% Democratic hold
District 44 - - 46,686 82.42% 9,959 17.58% 56,645 100.00% Republican hold
District 45 43,926 59.31% 27,729 37.44% 2,411 3.26% 74,066 100.00% Democratic hold
District 46 34,353 86.52% - - 5,351 13.48% 39,704 100.00% Democratic hold
District 47 45,314 51.20% 43,190 48.80% - - 88,504 100.00% Democratic hold
District 48 39,748 53.75% 31,028 41.96% 3,174 4.29% 73,950 100.00% Democratic hold
District 49 54,284 100.00% - - - - 54,284 100.00% Democratic hold
District 50 45,456 62.97% 23,681 32.80% 3,055 4.23% 72,192 100.00% Democratic hold
District 51 29,384 89.52% - - 3,440 10.48% 32,824 100.00% Democratic hold
District 52 34,898 48.61% 34,047 47.42% 2,854 3.97% 71,799 100.00% Democratic gain
District 53 - - 47,847 88.89% 5,983 11.11% 53,830 100.00% Republican hold
District 54 - - 33,690 78.04% 9,478 21.96% 43,168 100.00% Republican hold
District 55 24,290 43.38% 30,189 53.92% 1,509 2.70% 55,988 100.00% Republican hold
District 56 - - 44,067 86.38% 6,946 13.62% 51,013 100.00% Republican hold
District 57 28,291 87.83% - - 3,920 12.17% 32,211 100.00% Democratic hold
District 58 14,749 26.21% 39,697 70.55% 1,825 3.24% 56,271 100.00% Republican hold
District 59 16,546 35.81% 28,482 61.64% 1,178 2.55% 46,206 100.00% Republican hold
District 60 13,195 23.24% 43,588 76.76% - - 56,783 100.00% Republican hold
District 61 16,308 24.20% 48,879 72.53% 2,205 3.27% 67,392 100.00% Republican hold
District 62 17,365 31.60% 37,588 68.40% - - 54,953 100.00% Republican hold
District 63 19,883 22.66% 64,048 72.98% 3,831 4.37% 87,762 100.00% Republican hold
District 64 28,195 39.40% 40,758 56.95% 2,613 3.65% 71,566 100.00% Republican hold
District 65 - - 47,471 79.67% 12,114 20.33% 59,585 100.00% Republican hold
District 66 - - 45,421 85.00% 8,015 15.00% 53,436 100.00% Republican hold
District 67 - - 30,558 78.46% 8,390 21.54% 38,948 100.00% Republican hold
District 68 - - 41,543 100.00% - - 41,543 100.00% Republican hold
District 69 31,925 86.19% - - 5,114 13.81% 37,039 100.00% Democratic hold
District 70 - - 73,450 86.21% 11,751 13.79% 85,201 100.00% Republican hold
District 71 - - 40,381 88.31% 5,346 11.69% 45,727 100.00% Republican hold
District 72 - - 37,010 86.94% 5,560 13.60% 42,570 100.00% Republican hold
District 73 21,732 25.97% 58,118 69.44% 3,846 4.60% 83,696 100.00% Republican hold
District 74 26,235 64.19% 14,633 35.81% - - 40,868 100.00% Democratic hold
District 75 26,806 71.36% 10,758 28.64% - - 37,564 100.00% Democratic hold
District 76 26,632 100.00% - - - - 26,632 100.00% Democratic hold
District 77 21,444 100.00% - - - - 21,444 100.00% Democratic hold
District 78 26,176 51.53% 22,918 45.11% 1,706 3.36% 50,800 100.00% Democratic gain
District 79 27,604 100.00% - - - - 27,604 100.00% Democratic hold
District 80 30,676 100.00% - - - - 30,676 100.00% Democratic hold
District 81 - - 32,973 90.15% 3,603 9.85% 36,576 100.00% Republican hold
District 82 18,870 35.31% 33,202 62.12% 1,372 2.57% 53,444 100.00% Republican hold
District 83 - - 53,411 100.00% - - 53,411 100.00% Republican hold
District 84 - - 32,949 100.00% - - 32,949 100.00% Republican hold
District 85 22,865 53.38% 19,970 46.62% - - 42,835 100.00% Democratic hold
District 86 10,917 18.27% 47,031 78.69% 1,820 3.05% 59,768 100.00% Republican hold
District 87 - - 28,546 84.80% 5,115 15.20% 33,661 100.00% Republican hold
District 88 - - 41,053 100.00% - - 41,053 100.00% Republican hold
District 89 - - 69,628 100.00% - - 69,628 100.00% Republican hold
District 90 16,984 70.29% 7,180 29.71% - - 24,164 100.00% Democratic hold
District 91 19,567 35.91% 33,383 61.27% 1,535 2.82% 54,485 100.00% Republican hold
District 92 21,038 36.28% 36,955 63.72% - - 57,993 100.00% Republican hold
District 93 27,538 57.21% 19,582 40.68% 1,011 2.10% 48,131 100.00% Democratic hold
District 94 - - 39,915 84.81% 7,147 15.19% 47,602 100.00% Republican hold
District 95 39,150 95.52% - - 1,838 4.48% 40,988 100.00% Democratic hold
District 96 41,977 51.30% 38,108 46.57% 1,737 2.12% 81,822 100.00% Democratic gain
District 97 29,206 42.75% 37,800 55.33% 1,306 1.91% 68,312 100.00% Republican gain
District 98 25,855 26.64% 68,345 70.43% 2,845 2.93% 97,045 100.00% Republican hold
District 99 23,135 32.41% 46,254 64.80% 1,993 2.79% 71,382 100.00% Republican hold
District 100 27,903 93.44% - - 1,958 6.56% 29,861 100.00% Democratic hold
District 101 23,713 50.56% 23,192 49.44% - - 46,905 100.00% Democratic gain
District 102 21,675 53.01% 19,210 46.99% - - 40,885 100.00% Democratic gain
District 103 14,825 88.31% - - 1,963 11.69% 16,788 100.00% Democratic hold
District 104 16,655 100.00% - - - - 16,655 100.00% Democratic hold
District 105 19,838 48.68% 19,857 48.72% 1,061 2.60% 40,756 100.00% Republican hold
District 106 21,484 55.49% 16,362 42.26% 869 2.24% 38,715 100.00% Democratic hold
District 107 25,374 50.45% 23,616 46.95% 1,309 2.60% 50,299 100.00% Democratic hold
District 108 21,737 39.39% 33,442 60.61% - - 55,179 100.00% Republican hold
District 109 59,472 94.15% - - 3,692 5.85% 63,164 100.00% Democratic hold
District 110 30,869 100.00% - - - - 30,869 100.00% Democratic hold
District 111 43,685 79.05% 10,685 19.32% 901 1.63% 55,260 100.00% Democratic hold
District 112 21,919 39.64% 30,998 56.07% 2,372 4.29% 55,289 100.00% Republican hold
District 113 21,232 41.49% 29,938 58.51% - - 51,170 100.00% Republican hold
District 114 - - 31,393 100.00% - - 31,393 100.00% Republican hold
District 115 - - 35,635 81.18% 8,262 18.82% 43,897 100.00% Republican hold
District 116 27,540 85.53% - - 4,661 14.47% 32,201 100.00% Democratic hold
District 117 28,675 57.03% 21,607 42.97% - - 50,282 100.00% Democratic hold
District 118 24,169 59.93% 14,747 36.57% 1,414 3.51% 40,330 100.00% Democratic hold
District 119 29,867 100.00% - - - - 29,867 100.00% Democratic hold
District 120 32,601 100.00% - - - - 32,601 100.00% Democratic hold
District 121 - - 44,471 79.62% 11,380 20.38% 55,852 100.00% Republican hold
District 122 30,953 29.90% 68,371 66.04% 4,212 4.07% 103,536 100.00% Republican hold
District 123 27,040 100.00% - - - - 27,040 100.00% Democratic hold
District 124 36,557 100.00% - - - - 36,557 100.00% Democratic hold
District 125 36,003 100.00% - - - - 36,003 100.00% Democratic hold
District 126 21,179 38.42% 32,748 59.40% 1,204 2.18% 55,131 100.00% Republican hold
District 127 21,987 32.29% 44,698 65.65% 1,402 2.06% 68,087 100.00% Republican hold
District 128 - - 28,439 100.00% - - 28,439 100.00% Republican hold
District 129 23,722 41.48% 33,462 58.52% - - 57,184 100.00% Republican hold
District 130 - - 63,945 87.62% 9,301 12.38% 72,976 100.00% Republican hold
District 131 35,026 100.00% - - - - 35,026 100.00% Democratic hold
District 132 - - 43,817 82.44% 9,334 17.56% 53,151 100.00% Republican hold
District 133 20,219 50.62% 19,722 49.38% - - 39,941 100.00% Democratic gain
District 134 37,892 55.46% 28,843 42.22% 1,585 2.32% 68,320 100.00% Democratic hold
District 135 18,733 39.95% 27,382 58.39% 778 1.66% 46,893 100.00% Republican hold
District 136 - - 41,117 87.10% 6,087 12.90% 47,204 100.00% Republican hold
District 137 12,233 89.25% - - 1,473 10.75% 13,706 100.00% Democratic hold
District 138 15,052 40.99% 21,666 59.01% - - 36,718 100.00% Republican hold
District 139 35,220 100.00% - - - - 35,220 100.00% Democratic hold
District 140 13,348 100.00% - - - - 13,348 100.00% Democratic hold
District 141 32,747 87.72% 8,197 19.70% 656 1.58% 41,600 100.00% Democratic hold
District 142 35,159 100.00% - - - - 35,159 100.00% Democratic hold
District 143 11,881 70.69% 4,647 27.65% 278 1.65% 16,806 100.00% Democratic hold
District 144 19,078 48.85% 19,980 51.15% - - 39,058 100.00% Republican hold
District 145 16,946 70.35% 5,877 29.65% - - 19.823 100.00% Democratic hold
District 146 41,669 100.00% - - - - 41,669 100.00% Democratic hold
District 147 35,951 92.23% - - 3,030 7.77% 38,981 100.00% Democratic hold
District 148 21,535 66.24% 10,975 33.76% - - 32,510 100.00% Democratic hold
District 149 25,562 56.34% 19,806 43.66% - - 45,371 100.00% Democratic hold
District 150 22,916 33.53% 43,916 64.35% 1,449 2.12% 68,337 100.00% Republican hold
Total 2,965,717 41.82% 3,828,577 53.99% 319,020 4.50% 7,090,830 100.00%

References[edit]

  1. ^ 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. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ a b "Special Runoff Election State Representative District 97". elections.sos.state.tx.us. December 18, 2007. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Nichols, Lee (September 19, 2007). "Rep. England to Turn Democrat". www.austinchronicle.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  5. ^ "Race Summary Report 2008 General Election". elections.sos.state.tx.us. November 4, 2008. Archived from the original on April 27, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Race Summary Report 2006 General Election". elections.sos.state.tx.us. November 7, 2007. Archived from the original on January 5, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  7. ^ "Texas: Presidential County Results - Election Results 2008 - The New York Times". www.nytimes.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  8. ^ Hamilton, Reeve (October 8, 2010). "The Hunted". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  9. ^ "State Representative District 85". elections.sos.state.tx.us. November 4, 2008. Archived from the original on January 12, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  10. ^ Lewis, Kevin (October 6, 2010). "Landtroop, Heflin report campaign donations". Plainview Herald. Archived from the original on January 12, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  11. ^ "Special Election State Representative District 97". elections.sos.state.tx.us. November 6, 2007. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  12. ^ "Office of the Secretary of State Race Summary Report 2010 General Election". elections.sos.state.tx.us. Archived from the original on December 30, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  13. ^ "2010 General Election". elections.sos.state.tx.us. November 2, 2010. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
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