Texas 2020 Election Results

General Election Recap

Because of the pandemic, the Governor extended early voting by six days.  This extension not only gave voters more time to early vote, but it gave journalist and political analysts more time to examine election data to try to predict a winner.  However, up until Election Day, there was no way to predict the outcome.

Since 2016, Texas added 1.8 million registered voters to the voter rolls and hit an all-time record high of 16.9 million registered voters.  During the early voting period, almost 9.7 million people, or 57.3% of registered voters in the state, voted early.  This was a 47% increase from the number of voters who voted early in the 2016 general election.  In fact, before Election Day, 735,000 more people had voted early this year in Texas than had voted in the entire 2016 presidential election.

On Election Day, over 1.4 million people voted in Texas, making this the highest election turnout our state has ever seen with over 11.1 million people in total voting.  While the Democrats were hopeful for big wins in Texas, that was not the case in last night’s election.  2021 in Texas state politics will look very similar to 2020. 

Presidential Race

President Trump defeated former Vice President Biden by 6 points, 52% to 46%. While Texas’s entire 38 Electoral College votes went to Trump, it is interesting to note that Trump won Texas by 9 points in 2016. 

U.S. Senate Race

Senator John Cornyn defeated MJ Hegar 54%-44%. Beto O’Rourke came within 2 percentage points of defeating Senator Ted Cruz in 2018, some had thought this race would be closer.  However, Hegar, a political newcomer, could not defeat our state’s most senior Senator and Senator Cornyn will be going back to Washington to serve his 4th term.   

Congress

Texas will get 7 new representatives in Congress in January.  There were 7 open races and Republicans won each of them.  No member of the Texas Congressional delegation lost his or her race. 

Most people were watching the open seat created by Congressman Will Hurd (R-Helotes)’s retirement from Congressional swing district 23.   Tony Gonzalez (S-San Antonio) was able to defeat Gina Ortiz-Jones (D-San Antonio).  With Gonzalez’s win, the Democrats were not able to pick up any of the open Republican seats.  

Statewide Elections

Republican candidates were able to retain all Supreme Court and Court of Appeals races, as well as a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission. 

Texas House Races

There will be at least 13 new members in the Texas House since the last legislative session. 7 were open seats, 4 members lost their primaries and 2 incumbent Representatives lost his or her general race yesterday. 

• The Republican’s lost one seat.  Sarah Davis (R- Bellaire) was defeated by Ann Johnson.
• On the Democratic side, one seat was lost in the Katy area.  Democratic Rep. Gina Calanni lost to Republican Mike Schofield.  Schofield previously held this seat in 2017, but it flipped Democratic in 2019.  Now it will flip back to be a Republican district. 

Thus, come January, the Texas House will be comprised of 83 Republicans and 67 Democrats.  Representative Dade Phelan announced today that he has the votes to win Speaker, however, Representative Ashby is still in the race. Members will officially vote to nominate the Speaker on the first day of the legislative session in January.

Texas Senate

In the Senate, only one incumbent lost his election.  Senator Pete Flores (R-Pleasanton) was defeated by state Representative Roland Gutierrez (D-San Antonio).  This race became one to watch because while Senate District 19 was a long-time Democratic district, Senator Flores, a Republican, was able to win this seat in a special election in 2018.  With Gutierrez’s win, the Texas Senate picks up a Democratic seat. 

Next session, there will be 18 Republican and 13 Democratic Senators.  This election could have an effect on the way the Senate operates next session as it takes at least 13 members to stop legislation from hitting the Senate floor for a vote and Democrats have 13 seats. 

A full list of election winners at this time can be found below:

U.S. Senate

John Cornyn – R (Incumbent)

U.S. House District 1
R	Louie Gohmert Incumbent
U.S. House District 2
R	Dan Crenshaw Incumbent
U.S. House District 3
R	Van Taylor Incumbent
U.S. House District 4
R	Pat Fallon
U.S. House District 5
R	Lance Gooden Incumbent
U.S. House District 6
R	Ron Wright Incumbent
U.S. House District 7
D	Lizzie Fletcher Incumbent
U.S. House District 8
R	Kevin Brady Incumbent
U.S. House District 9
D	Al Green Incumbent
U.S. House District 10
R	Michael T. McCaul Incumbent
U.S. House District 11
R	August Pfluger
U.S. House District 12
R	Kay Granger Incumbent
U.S. House District 13
R	Ronny Jackson
U.S. House District 14
R	Randy Weber Incumbent
U.S. House District 15
D	Vicente Gonzalez Incumbent
U.S. House District 16
D	Veronica Escobar Incumbent
U.S. House District 17
R	Pete Sessions
U.S. House District 18
D	Sheila Jackson Lee Incumbent
U.S. House District 19
R	Jodey Arrington Incumbent
U.S. House District 20
D	Joaquin Castro Incumbent
U.S. House District 21
R	Chip Roy Incumbent
U.S. House District 22
R	Troy Nehls
U.S. House District 23
R	Tony Gonzales
U.S. House District 24
R	Beth Van Duyne – currently leading
D	Candace Valenzuela
U.S. House District 25
R	Roger Williams Incumbent
U.S. House District 26
R	Michael C. Burgess Incumbent
U.S. House District 27
R	Michael Cloud Incumbent
U.S. House District 28
D	Henry Cuellar Incumbent
U.S. House District 29
D	Sylvia R. Garcia Incumbent
U.S. House District 30
D	Eddie Bernice Johnson Incumbent
U.S. House District 31
R	John Carter Incumbent
U.S. House District 32
D	Colin Allred Incumbent
U.S. House District 33
D	Marc Veasey Incumbent
U.S. House District 34
D	Filemon B. Vela Incumbent
U.S. House District 35
D	Lloyd Doggett Incumbent
U.S. House District 36
R	Brian Babin Incumbe

 

Railroad Commissioner

James “Jim” Wright – R

Supreme Court of Texas

Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice

Nathan L. Hecht – R (Incumbent)

Texas Supreme Court Place 6

Jane Bland – R (Incumbent)

Texas Supreme Court Place 7

Jeffrey S. Boyd – R (Incumbent)

Texas Supreme Court Place 8

Brett Busby – R (Incumbent)

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3

Bert Richardson – R (Incumbent)

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4

Kevin Yeary – R (Incumbent)

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 9

David Newell – R (Incumbent)

Texas Senate

Texas Senate District 1
R	Bryan Hughes Incumbent
Texas Senate District 4
R	Brandon Creighton Incumbent
Texas Senate District 6
D	Carol Alvarado Incumbent
Texas Senate District 11
R	Larry Taylor Incumbent
Texas Senate District 12
R	Jane Nelson Incumbent
Texas Senate District 13
D	Borris L. MilesIncumbent
Texas Senate District 18
R	Lois Kolkhorst Incumbent
Texas Senate District 19
D	Roland Gutierrez – Flipped Seat
Texas Senate District 20
D	Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa Incumbent
Texas Senate District 21
D	Judith Zaffirini Incumbent
Texas Senate District 22
R	Brian Birdwell Incumbent
Texas Senate District 24
R	Dawn Buckingham Incumbent
Texas Senate District 26
D	José Menéndez Incumbent
Texas Senate District 27
D	Eddie Lucio, Jr. Incumbent
Texas Senate District 28
R	Charles Perry Incumbent
Texas Senate District 29
D	César J. Blanco

Texas House

Texas House District 2
R	Bryan Slaton
Texas House District 3
R	Cecil Bell Jr. Incumbent
Texas House District 4
R	Keith Bell Incumbent
Texas House District 5
R	Cole Hefner Incumbent
Texas House District 6
R	Matt Schaefer Incumbent
Texas House District 8
R	Cody Harris Incumbent
Texas House District 10
R	J.K. “Jake” Ellzey
Texas House District 11
R	Travis Clardy Incumbent
Texas House District 14
R	John Raney Incumbent
Texas House District 15
R	Steve Toth Incumbent
Texas House District 17
R	John P. Cyrier Incumbent
Texas House District 20
R	Terry M. Wilson Incumbent
Texas House District 22
D	Joe Deshotel Incumbent
Texas House District 23
R	Mayes Middleton Incumbent
Texas House District 24
R	Greg Bonnen Incumbent
Texas House District 25
R