The1872 Texas Senate elections took place as part of the biennialUnited States elections. Texas voters elected state senators in 10 of the 30State Senate districts to six-year teams, as well as two more senators for unexpired terms inspecial elections. The winners of this election served in the13th Texas Legislature. Democrats won a majority, which they would hold until after the1996 elections.
Republicans won a majority of seats in the1869 elections, and alongside their control of the House of Representatives and governorship, enacted a number of Reconstruction policies, including the ratification of the14th and15th amendments to theU.S. Constitution, a requirement for readmission to the Union and the resumption of congressional representation. They also elected RepublicansMorgan C. Hamilton andJames W. Flanagan to theU.S. Senate. On March 30, 1870, Texas was readmitted to the Union.
Following the state's readmission, the legislature turned towards state policy in a special session. TheRadical Republican majority dramatically reshaped the state government, centralizing power, raising taxes, and overhauling the state's education system. Many of the state's new policies, especially the higher taxes and rights granted tofreedmen, enraged the state's White population.[1]
The legislature created a state police force to address the rampant crime across the state, much of it perpetrated bywhite supremacist groups such as theKu Klux Klan.[1] The passage of this bill proved especially controversial, prompting conservative Senators to break quorum, leaving only 15 Radical Senators unable to pass legislation. The state then arrested the missing Senators, but only four were brought back to the chambers, enough to re-establish quorum. What became known as the "Rump Senate" then passed the bill.[2] The education system became far more centralized, although it was segregated over the objections of the state'sBlack legislators. They also debated policies such as railroad construction andNative American removal.
Democrats won control of the chamber with the help of the two conservative Independents who were not up for re-election, although they failed to win a majority of seats.[1] Democratic control of the chamber would last until the1996 elections.[6]
Candidates are not listed with political parties in the results. The parties of all victorious candidates are known, and the parties of others may be assumed by the presence of candidates running in the concurrent House election in the same district.[7]
