2002 United States Senate election in Texas
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County results Cornyn: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Kirk: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||
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Elections in Texas |
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Government |
The 2002 United States Senate election in Texas was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Phil Gramm decided to retire, instead of seeking a fourth term. State Attorney General Republican John Cornyn won the open seat. This was the first open-seat election since 1984.
Democratic primary
- Ron Kirk, Mayor of Dallas
- Victor Morales, Teacher, Navy Veteran, 1996 Senate nominee
- Ken Bentsen Jr., U.S. representative, nephew of former US Senator Lloyd Bentsen
Primary
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Victor M. Morales | 317,048 | 33.2 | |
Democratic | Ron Kirk | 316,052 | 33.1 | |
Democratic | Ken Bentsen | 255,501 | 26.8 | |
Democratic | Gene Kelly | 44,038 | 4.6 | |
Democratic | Ed Cunningham | 22,016 | 2.3 | |
Total votes | 954,655 | 100.0 |
Runoff
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Ron Kirk | 370,878 | 59.8 | |
Democratic | Victor M. Morales | 249,423 | 40.2 | |
Total votes | 620,301 | 100.0 |
Republican primary
- Attorney General of Texas
Primary
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | John Cornyn | 478,825 | 77.3 | |
Republican | Bruce Rusty Lang | 46,907 | 7.6 | |
Republican | Douglas Deffenbaugh | 43,611 | 7.0 | |
Republican | Dudley F. Mooney | 32,202 | 5.2 | |
Republican | Lawrence Cranberg | 17,757 | 2.9 | |
Total votes | 619,302 | 100.0 |
General election
Campaign
Despite the fact that Texas is a
San Antonio mayor Henry Cisneros, former Governor Ann Richards and former U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen.[3][4]
Cornyn was criticized for taking campaign money from
conflicts of interest for Kirk while he was mayor.[6]
An October
Dallas Morning News poll had Cornyn leading 47% to 37%.[7] A record $18 million was spent in the election.[8]
Debates
No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Republican
|
Democratic
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
||||||
John Cornyn | Ron Kirk | |||||
1 | Oct. 18, 2002 | Houston Chronicle KHOU |
Greg Hurst | C-SPAN | P | P |
2 | Oct. 23, 2002 | Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation
KERA-TV Texas Association of Broadcasters Texas Monthly The Dallas Morning News TXCN Univision WFAA |
John McCaa | C-SPAN | P | P |
Predictions
Source | Ranking | As of |
---|---|---|
Sabato's Crystal Ball[9]
|
Lean R | November 4, 2002 |
Polling
Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
John Cornyn (R) |
Ron Kirk (D) |
Other / Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SurveyUSA | October 29–31, 2002 | 683 (LV) | ± 3.9% | 53% | 45% | 2% |
Results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | John Cornyn | 2,496,243 | 55.30% | +0.52% | |
Democratic | Ron Kirk | 1,955,758 | 43.33% | -0.61% | |
Libertarian | Scott Jameson | 35,538 | 0.79% | -0.14% | |
Green
|
Roy Williams | 25,051 | 0.55% | N/A | |
Write-in | James W. Wright | 1,422 | 0.03% | N/A | |
Majority | 540,485 | 11.97% | +1.13% | ||
Turnout | 4,514,012 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
- Atascosa (Largest city: Pleasanton)
- Bastrop (Largest city: Elgin)
- Brewster (Largest city: Alpine)
- Cottle (Largest city: Paducah)
- Fannin (Largest city: Bonham)
- Galveston (Largest city: Galveston)
- Knox (Largest city: Munday)
- Milam (Largest city: Rockdale)
- Palo Pinto (Largest city: Mineral Wells)
- Red River (Largest city: Clarksville)
- Stonewall (Largest city: Aspermont)
- Trinity (Largest city: Trinity)
- Waller (Largest city: Hempstead)
- Robertson (Largest city: Hearne)
- San Antonio)
- Calhoun (largest city: Port Lavaca)
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
- Pecos (Largest city: Fort Stockton)
- San Augustine (Largest city: San Augustine)
- San Patricio (Largest city: Portland)
- Hudspeth (Largest city: Fort Hancock)
- Refugio (Largest city: Refugio)
- Dallas)
See also
- 2002 United States Senate election
Notes
- ^ Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear
References
- ProQuest 395977920.
- ^ Newsbank [dead link]
- ^ Parrott, Susan (April 8, 2002). "Kirk looks ahead to race with Cornyn". Plainview Herald. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- ^ Gott, Natalie (April 4, 2002). "Richards campaigns with Kirk in Austin". Midland Reporter-Telegram. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- ^ Robinson, Clay; Graves, Rachel (September 25, 2002). "Kirk, Cornyn exchange barbs over Enron, fund raising". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- ^ Robinson, Clay (August 20, 2002). "Wife's lucrative board job issue in Kirk's Senate bid". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- ProQuest 330127613.
- ^ "Summary". OpenSecrets.
- ^ "Senate Races". www.centerforpolitics.org. November 4, 2002. Archived from the original on November 18, 2002. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
- ^ "2002 ELECTION STATISTICS".