Politics of Texas
For about a hundred years, from after
Texas is a majority Republican state with Republicans controlling every statewide office.[1] Texas Republicans have majorities in the State House and Senate, an entirely Republican Texas Supreme Court, control of both Senate seats in the US Congress. Texas is America's most-populous Republican state.[2] A number of political commentators had suggested that Texas is trending Democratic since 2016, however, Republicans have continued to win every statewide office through 2022.[3]
The 19th-century culture of the state was heavily influenced by the
History
Democratic dominance: 1845–mid-1990s
From
In the post-Civil War era, two of the most important Republican figures in Texas were African Americans
From 1902 through 1965, Texas had virtually
In the post-Reconstruction era, by the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the
Although black people made up 20 percent of the state population at the turn of the century, they were essentially excluded from formal politics.
Some of the most important American political figures of the 20th century, such as President
Increasing Republican strength: 1960–1990
Beginning in the late 1960s, Republican strength increased in Texas, particularly among residents of the expanding "country club suburbs" around Dallas and Houston. The election, to Congress, of Republicans such as John Tower, (who had switched from the Democratic Party) and George H. W. Bush in 1961 and 1966, respectively, reflected this trend. Nationally, outside of the South, Democrats supported the civil rights movement and achieved important passage of federal legislation in the mid-1960s. In the South, however, Democratic leaders had opposed changes to bring about black voting or desegregated schools and public facilities and in many places exercised resistance. Following the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, southern white voters began to align with the Republican Party, a movement accelerated after the next year, when Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, providing for federal enforcement of minorities' constitutional right to vote. Voter registration and turnout increased among blacks and Latinos in Texas and other states.
Unlike the rest of the South, however, Texas voters were never especially supportive of the various third-party candidacies of Southern Democrats. It was the only state in the former Confederacy to back Democrat Hubert Humphrey in the 1968 presidential election. During the 1980s, a number of conservative Democrats defected to the GOP, including Senator Phil Gramm, Congressman Kent Hance, and GOP Governor Rick Perry, who was a Democrat during his time as a state lawmaker.
Republican dominance: mid-1990s–present
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Year | Republican / Whig | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 5,890,347 | 52.01% | 5,259,126 | 46.44% | 175,813 | 1.55% |
2016 | 4,685,047 | 52.09% | 3,877,868 | 43.12% | 430,940 | 4.79% |
2012 | 4,569,843 | 57.13% | 3,308,124 | 41.35% | 121,690 | 1.52% |
2008 | 4,479,328 | 55.38% | 3,528,633 | 43.63% | 79,830 | 0.99% |
2004 | 4,526,917 | 61.09% | 2,832,704 | 38.22% | 51,144 | 0.69% |
2000 | 3,799,639 | 59.30% | 2,433,746 | 37.98% | 174,252 | 2.72% |
1996 | 2,736,167 | 48.76% | 2,459,683 | 43.83% | 415,794 | 7.41% |
1992 | 2,496,071 | 40.56% | 2,281,815 | 37.08% | 1,376,132 | 22.36% |
1988 | 3,036,829 | 55.95% | 2,352,748 | 43.35% | 37,833 | 0.70% |
1984 | 3,433,428 | 63.61% | 1,949,276 | 36.11% | 14,867 | 0.28% |
1980 | 2,510,705 | 55.28% | 1,881,147 | 41.42% | 149,785 | 3.30% |
1976 | 1,953,300 | 47.97% | 2,082,319 | 51.14% | 36,265 | 0.89% |
1972 | 2,298,896 | 66.20% | 1,154,291 | 33.24% | 19,527 | 0.56% |
1968 | 1,227,844 | 39.87% | 1,266,804 | 41.14% | 584,758 | 18.99% |
1964 | 958,566 | 36.49% | 1,663,185 | 63.32% | 5,060 | 0.19% |
1960 | 1,121,310 | 48.52% | 1,167,567 | 50.52% | 22,207 | 0.96% |
1956 | 1,080,619 | 55.26% | 859,958 | 43.98% | 14,968 | 0.77% |
1952 | 1,102,878 | 53.13% | 969,228 | 46.69% | 3,840 | 0.18% |
1948 | 303,467 | 24.29% | 824,235 | 65.97% | 121,730 | 9.74% |
1944 | 191,425 | 16.64% | 821,605 | 71.42% | 137,301 | 11.94% |
1940 | 212,692 | 18.91% | 909,974 | 80.92% | 1,865 | 0.17% |
1936 | 104,661 | 12.32% | 739,952 | 87.08% | 5,123 | 0.60% |
1932 | 97,959 | 11.35% | 760,348 | 88.06% | 5,119 | 0.59% |
1928 | 367,036 | 51.77% | 341,032 | 48.10% | 931 | 0.13% |
1924 | 130,023 | 19.78% | 484,605 | 73.70% | 42,881 | 6.52% |
1920 | 114,538 | 23.54% | 288,767 | 59.34% | 83,336 | 17.12% |
1916 | 64,999 | 17.45% | 286,514 | 76.92% | 20,948 | 5.62% |
1912 | 28,530 | 9.45% | 219,489 | 72.73% | 53,769 | 17.82% |
1908 | 65,666 | 22.35% | 217,302 | 73.97% | 10,789 | 3.67% |
1904 | 51,242 | 21.90% | 167,200 | 71.45% | 15,566 | 6.65% |
1900 | 130,641 | 30.83% | 267,432 | 63.12% | 25,633 | 6.05% |
1896 | 167,520 | 30.75% | 370,434 | 68.00% | 6,832 | 1.25% |
1892 | 81,144 | 19.22% | 239,148 | 56.65% | 101,853 | 24.13% |
1888 | 88,422 | 24.73% | 234,883 | 65.70% | 34,208 | 9.57% |
1884 | 93,141 | 28.63% | 225,309 | 69.26% | 6,855 | 2.11% |
1880 | 57,893 | 23.95% | 156,428 | 64.71% | 27,405 | 11.34% |
1876 | 44,800 | 29.96% | 104,755 | 70.04% | 0 | 0.00% |
1872 | 47,468 | 40.71% | 66,546 | 57.07% | 2,580 | 2.21% |
1860 | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 62,986 | 100.00% |
1856 | 0 | 0.00% | 31,169 | 66.59% | 15,639 | 33.41% |
1852 | 4,995 | 26.93% | 13,552 | 73.07% | 0 | 0.00% |
1848 | 4,509 | 29.71% | 10,668 | 70.29% | 0 | 0.00% |
Despite increasing Republican strength in national elections, after the 1990
In 1994, In the midst of the Republican Revolution, Democratic Governor Ann Richards lost her bid for re-election against Republican George W. Bush, ending an era in which Democrats controlled the governorship for all but eight of the past 120 years. Republicans have won the governorship ever since. In 1998, Bush won re-election in a landslide victory, with Republicans sweeping to victory in all the statewide races. Republicans won the Texas Senate for the first time since Reconstruction in 1996.[11][12]
After the 2000 census, the Republican-controlled state Senate sought to draw a congressional district map that would guarantee a Republican majority in the state's delegation. The Democrat-controlled state House desired to retain a plan similar to the existing lines. There was an impasse. With the Legislature unable to reach a compromise, the matter was settled by a panel of federal court judges, who ruled in favor of a district map that largely retained the status quo.[13][14] Republicans controlled the Legislative Redistricting Board, which defines the state legislative districts, by a majority of four to one. They used their voting strength to adopt maps for the state legislature that strongly favored them, as Democrats had done before.[15]
In
In December 2005, the
In 2018, Democratic Congressman Beto O'Rourke lost his Senate bid to the incumbent Ted Cruz by 2.6%, the best result for a Democratic Senate candidate since Lloyd Bentsen won in 1988.[21] O'Rourke's performance in 2018 led analysts to predict greater gains for the Democrats going into the 2020s.[22] In the 2020 elections, Texas voted for the Republican nominee for president Donald Trump by a narrower margin than in 2016, and re-elected the Republican incumbent senator, John Cornyn. In the 2022 governor race, the Republican governor Greg Abbott easily won reelection against Beto O'Rourke.[23]
Issues
Capital punishment
Texas has a reputation for strict "law and order" sentencing. Texas leads the nation in executions in raw numbers, with 578 executions from 1976 to 2022. The second-highest ranking state is Oklahoma at 119[24] A 2002 Houston Chronicle poll of Texans found that when asked "Do you support the death penalty?" 69.1% responded that they did, 21.9% did not support and 9.1% were not sure or gave no answer.
Secessionist sentiment
Texas has a long history with secession. It was originally a
Some Texans believe that because it joined the United States as a country, the Texas state constitution includes the right to
The United States Supreme Court's primary ruling on the legality of secession involved a case brought by Texas involving a Civil War era bonds transfer.
When, therefore, Texas became one of the United States, she entered into an indissoluble relation. All the obligations of perpetual union, and all the guaranties of republican government in the Union, attached at once to the State. The act which consummated her admission into the Union was something more than a compact; it was the incorporation of a new member into the political body. And it was final. The union between Texas and the other States was as complete, as perpetual, and as indissoluble as the union between the original States. There was no place for reconsideration or revocation, except through revolution or through consent of the States.[32]
However, as the issue of secession per se was not the one before the court, it has been debated as to whether this reasoning is merely dicta or a binding ruling on the question.[33] It is also worth noting that Salmon Chase was nominated by Abraham Lincoln and was a staunch anti-secessionist. It is unlikely that he or his Republican appointed court would have approved of the Confederacy and Texas' choice to join it.
The state's organized secessionist movement is growing, with a notable minority of Texans holding secessionist sentiments.[34] A 2009 poll found that 31% of Texans believe that Texas has the legal right to secede and form an independent country and 18% believe it should do so.[35] The Texas Nationalist Movement has been working towards Texas independence for 15 years. In January 2021, State Representative Kyle Biedermann filed HB 1359, which would bring a vote for Texas independence to the citizens of Texas in November 2021.[36]
Budget
Until 2010, Texas had weathered the Great Recession fairly well, buffered by its vast oil and gas industries. It avoided the housing industry meltdown and its unemployment rate continues to be below the national level. It benefited from having a two-year budget cycle, allowing officials create budget plans with more time to focus on issues of importance. However, Texas was impacted by the economic downturn just like many other states, and by 2011 was suffering from tens of billions of dollars in budget deficits. In order to deal with this deficit, a supermajority of Republicans led to a massive cost cutting spree.[37] In order to draw new businesses to the state, Texas has developed a program of tax incentives to corporations willing to move there.[38] These efforts, along with Texas focusing on developing their natural energy resources, has led to a surplus as Texas begins its next two year budget cycle.[39][40]
- Major revenue sources
For FY 2011, the top Texas revenue sources by category were approximately:[41] Federal Income: $42,159,665,863.56 Sales Tax: $21,523,984,733.17 Investments: $10,406,151,499.48 Other Revenue: $8,569,805,443.66 Licenses, Fees, Fines and Penalties: $7,741,880,095.57
As of 2008, Texas residents paid a total of $88,794 million dollars in income taxes.[42] This does not include Federal taxes paid by Texas businesses.
Besides sales tax, other taxes include franchise, insurance, natural gas, alcohol, cigarette and tobacco taxes. Texas has no personal state income tax.
- Major spending categories
For FY 2011, the top Texas State Agency spending categories were approximately:[43] Public Assistance Payments: $26,501,123,478.54 Intergovernmental Payments: $21,014,819,852.52 Interfund Transfers/Other: $12,319,487,032.40 Salaries and Wages: $8,595,912,992.82 Employee Benefits: $5,743,905,057.61
Current state political parties
- Republican Party of Texas (State Affiliate of Republican Party)
- Texas Democratic Party (State Affiliate of Democratic Party)
- Libertarian Party of Texas (State Affiliate of Libertarian Party)
- Constitution Party of Texas (State Affiliate of Constitution Party)
- Texas Independence Party (State Affiliate of Independence Party of America)
- Green Party of Texas (State Affiliate of Green Party of the United States)
- Reform Party of Texas (State Affiliate of Reform Party of the United States of America)
- Socialist Party of Texas (State Affiliate of Socialist Party USA)
- Communist Party of the United States of America)
- Southern Independence Party (State Specific)
- Confederate Party of Texas (state Specific)
Federal representation
Texas currently has 38
- Texas's 1st congressional district represented by Nathaniel Moran (R)
- Texas's 2nd congressional district represented by Dan Crenshaw (R)
- Texas's 3rd congressional district represented by Keith Self (R)
- Texas's 4th congressional district represented by Pat Fallon (R)
- Texas's 5th congressional district represented by Lance Gooden (R)
- Texas's 6th congressional district represented by Jake Ellzey (R)
- Texas's 7th congressional district represented by Lizzie Fletcher (D)
- Texas's 8th congressional district represented by Morgan Luttrell (R)
- Texas's 9th congressional district represented by Al Green (D)
- Texas's 10th congressional district represented by Michael Cloud (R)
- Texas's 11th congressional district represented by August Pfluger (R)
- Texas's 12th congressional district represented by Kay Granger (R)
- Texas's 13th congressional district represented by Ronny Jackson (R)
- Texas's 14th congressional district represented by Randy Weber (R)
- Texas's 15th congressional district represented by Monica De La Cruz (R)
- Texas's 16th congressional district represented by Veronica Escobar (D)
- Texas's 17th congressional district represented by Pete Sessions (R)
- Texas's 18th congressional district represented by Sheila Jackson Lee (D)
- Texas's 19th congressional district represented by Jodey Arrington (R)
- Texas's 20th congressional district represented by Joaquin Castro (D)
- Texas's 21st congressional district represented by Chip Roy (R)
- Texas's 22nd congressional district represented by Troy Nehls (R)
- Texas's 23rd congressional district represented by Tony Gonzales (R)
- Texas's 24th congressional district represented by Beth Van Duyne (R)
- Texas's 25th congressional district represented by Roger Williams (R)
- Texas's 26th congressional district represented by Michael Burgess (R)
- Texas's 27th congressional district represented by Michael Cloud (R)
- Texas's 28th congressional district represented by Henry Cuellar (D)
- Texas's 29th congressional district represented by Sylvia Garcia (D)
- Texas's 30th congressional district represented by Jasmine Crockett (D)
- Texas's 31st congressional district represented by John Carter (R)
- Texas's 32nd congressional district represented by Colin Allred (D)
- Mark Veasey(D)
- Texas's 34th congressional district represented by Vicente Gonzalez (D)
- Texas's 35th congressional district represented by Greg Casar (D)
- Texas's 36th congressional district represented by Brian Babin (R)
- Texas's 37th congressional district represented by Lloyd Doggett (D)
- Texas's 38th congressional district represented by Wesley Hunt (R)
Texas's two United States Senators are Republicans John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, serving since 2002 and 2013, respectively.
Texas is part of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas in the federal judiciary. The district's cases are appealed to the Houston-based United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
See also
Notes
- ^ "GOP's Abbott wins 3rd term as Texas governor, beats O'Rourke". Associated Press. 8 November 2022.
- ^ "Texas is Entering Third Decade of Republican Control". 23 November 2022.
- ^ "Republican victories show Texas is still far from turning blue". The Texas Tribune. 9 November 2022.
- ^ a b Maxwell (2009), p. 22.
- ^ a b Texas Politics: Historical Barriers to Voting, accessed 11 Apr 2008 Archived April 2, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Presidential Election Results". www.sos.state.tx.us.
- ^ W. Marvin Dulaney, "African Americans", Handbook of Texas Online, accessed 22 February 2014
- ISBN 089015855X.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: date and year (link - ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections - Presidential General Election Results Comparison - Texas". Uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
- ^ Kennedy, J. Michael (1990-11-07). "Democrat Richards Wins Bitter Contest With Williams : Texas: The governor's race was the state's longest, most expensive and perhaps most rancorous. GOP oilman's verbal gaffes damaged his chances". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
- from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
- ^ "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 2023-03-17.
- ProQuest 409171816. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
- ^ "Parties Agree Texas Redistricting Ruling Favors Democrats". Congress Daily AM. The Atlantic Monthly Group LLC. November 15, 2001. Retrieved March 17, 2023 – via Gale Academic OneFile.
- ^ 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.
- from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
- ^ 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.
- from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
- from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
- ^ Giroux, Greg. "Rodriguez's Upset Win in Texas 23 Yields Another Seat for Dems - New York Times". archive.nytimes.com. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
- ^ "Here's how Texas voted in every U.S. Senate election since 1961". The Texas Tribune. 2022-11-05. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
- ^ "Article from the Washington Post". The Washington Post. 2018-11-07. Retrieved 2018-11-09.
- ^ "2022 US Governor Election Results: Live Map". ABC News. November 9, 2022. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
- ^ "Executions by State and Region Since 1976". death penalty info. May 17, 2023.
- ^ Hoppe, Christy (April 18, 2009). "Despite state mythology, Texas lacks right to secede". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
- ^ "Ordinance of the Convention of Texas, signed July 4, 1845". Avalon.law.yale.edu. Retrieved 2017-09-13.
- ^ "The Annexation of Texas Joint Resolution of Congress March 1, 1845". Archives of the West: 1806-1848. PBS. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
- ^ "Avalon Project - Joint Resolution of the Congress of Texas, June 23, 1845". Avalon.law.yale.edu. Retrieved 2017-09-13.
- Texas State Library & Archives Commission. 2009-03-06. Retrieved 2010-12-29.
- ^ Schwartz (1995), p. 134.
- ^ Zuczek (2006), p. 649.
- Cornell University Law SchoolSupreme Court collection.
- ^ Currie (1985), p. 315.
- ^ "Perry's secession remarks light up blogosphere". San Antonio Express-News. Archived from the original on 2009-04-20. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
- ^ "In Texas, 31% Say State Has Right to Secede From U.S., But 75% Opt To Stay". Rasmussen Reports. Archived from the original on April 19, 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-17.
- ^ "TEXIT Referendum Bill Is Now Official". The TNM. 2021-01-26. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
- ^ Luhby, Tami (2011-01-19). "Even budget deficits are bigger in Texas". Money.cnn.com. Retrieved 2017-09-13.
- ^ Story, Louise (2012-12-02). "Lines Blur as Texas Gives Industries a Bonanza". The New York Times. Texas;Austin (Tex). Retrieved 2017-09-13.
- ^ Mildenberg, David (2013-01-07). "Texas Starts Budget Debate Flush With Energy Boom Cash". Bloomberg.
- ^ Fernandez, Manny (2013-01-08). "Texas Budget Surplus Proves as Contentious as a Previous Shortfall". The New York Times.
- ^ State Revenue by Category, Texas Transparency, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ State Spending by Category, Texas Transparency, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
References
- Cunningham, Sean P. Cowboy Conservatism: Texas and the Rise of the Modern Right. (2010).
- Currie, David (1985). The Constitution in the Supreme Court: The First Hundred Years, 1789-1888. University of Chicago Press.
- Maxwell, William Earl; Crain, Ernest; Santos, Adolfo (14 January 2009). Texas Politics Today 2009-2010 (14th ed.). Wadsworth. ISBN 978-0-495-57025-7.
- Schwartz, Bernard (1995). A History of the Supreme Court. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-509387-9.
- Zuczek, Richard (August 2006). Encyclopedia of the Reconstruction Era. Vol. A–L. Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-33074-3.
External links
- Texas Politics, the TxP project at the University of Texas at Austin