 | |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
15 of the 31 seats in theTexas Senate 16 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||
 Senate results by district Democratic hold Republican hold Republican gain | |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
The1984 Texas Senate elections took place as part of thebiennialUnited States elections. Texas voters elected state senators in 15 of the 31State Senate. The winners of this election served in the69th Texas Legislature.
Democrats had controlled theTexas Senate since the1872 elections.[1] The Legislature passedredistricting bills in 1981, but Republican governorBill Clements vetoed the state Senate map. The Legislative Redistricting Board, made up entirely of Democrats, was then tasked with drawing the map for the chamber. Despite this partisan unanimity, stark divisions came about on the Board due to each member's own goals, ranging from incumbency protection to the expansion of minority representation. Each member's potential gubernatorial ambitions also underscored the debate. The Board eventually passed a map in a 4–1 vote, with Comptroller Bob Bullock dissenting.[2]
The Senate maps passed by the Board were challenged by a lawsuit inTerrazas v. Clements.[3] Additionally, theJustice Department blocked both maps for violating the Voting Rights Act.[4] Given the imminence of the March primary, the courts allowed the maps to be used for the 1982 elections.[5] In 1983, the legislature adopted a modified version of the court's map. They addressed objections from the Justice Department and theMexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, changing eight Senate districts but avoiding a full redrawing, which would have necessitated re-electing all senators. The courts approved the plan.[6][7]
Republicans gained one seat from the Democrats, flipping the26th district inSan Antonio.[8]Cyndi Taylor Krier flipped the seat, becoming the first Republican and first woman fromBexar County ever elected the Senate. At the time, she was considered aprogressive Republican due to her support of theEqual Rights Amendment andabortion rights.[9]
| District | Democratic | Republican | Total | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
| District 1 | - | 100.00% | - | - | - | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 2 | 87,233 | 50.60% | 85,171 | 49.40% | 172,404 | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 3 | - | 100.00% | - | - | - | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 4 | - | 100.00% | - | - | - | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 8 | - | - | - | 100.00% | - | 100.00% | Republican hold |
| District 9 | - | 100.00% | - | - | - | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 14 | 136,373 | 59.42% | 93,132 | 40.58% | 229,505 | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 17 | - | - | - | 100.00% | - | 100.00% | Republican hold |
| District 20 | - | 100.00% | - | - | - | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 22 | - | 100.00% | - | - | - | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 24 | - | 100.00% | - | - | - | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 26 | 60,077 | 38.75% | 94,945 | 61.25% | 155,022 | 100.00% | Republicangain |
| District 28 | 99,672 | 64.10% | 55,816 | 35.90% | 155,488 | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 30 | - | 100.00% | - | - | - | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 31 | - | 100.00% | - | - | - | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| Total | – | – | – | – | – | 100.00% | Source:[10] |
 | ThisTexas elections-related article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
