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| Turnout | 33.7% (of registered voters) 25.0% (of voting age population)[1] | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Abbott: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Davis: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Tie: 40–50% 50% No data | |||||||||||||||||
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The2014 Texas gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 2014, to elect thegovernor of Texas. IncumbentRepublican governorRick Perry, who had served since the resignation of then-GovernorGeorge W. Bush on December 21, 2000, declined to run for an unprecedented fourth full term, making this the firstopen election for governor of the state since1990.
The election took place between nominees who were selected on March 4, 2014: RepublicanState Attorney GeneralGreg Abbott and DemocraticState SenatorWendy Davis. Also on the ballot wereLibertarian Party candidate Kathie Glass[2] andGreen Party candidate Brandon Parmer.[3] Abbott was projected to carry the election, and ultimately won handily with a 20.4 percentage point advantage.[4] As of 2022, this is the most recent gubernatorial election in whichBexar,Harris andHays counties voted Republican and in whichFrio,Jim Wells, andVal Verde counties voted Democratic. Exit polls showed Abbott winning Whites (72% to 25%), while Davis received majorities among African Americans (92% to 7%) and Hispanics (55% to 44%). Abbott won roughly half of Hispanic men, 54% of all women, and 62% of married women.[5]
Abbott took office on January 20, 2015, as the 48th governor of Texas.
Organizations
Individuals
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Greg Abbott | Lisa Fritsch | Larry Kilgore | Miriam Martinez | Tom Pauken | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UoT/Texas Tribune[20] | February 7–17, 2014 | 461 | ± 4.56% | 90% | 4% | 1% | 5% | — | — | — |
| UoT/Texas Tribune[21] | October 18–27, 2013 | 519 | ± 5.02% | 50% | 3% | 1% | 2% | 2% | — | 42% |
| Texas Lyceum[22] | September 6–20, 2013 | 279 | ± 5.87% | 22% | — | 2% | 1% | 0% | — | 74% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Rick Perry | Greg Abbott | Someone else | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[23] | June 28–July 1, 2013 | 318 | ± ?% | 46% | 34% | — | 20% |
| 44% | — | 39% | 17% | ||||
| UoT/Texas Tribune[24] | May 31–June 9, 2013 | 492 | ± 5.27% | 45% | 19% | 11% | 25% |
| UoT/Texas Tribune[25] | February 15–24, 2013 | 549 | ± 4.18% | 49% | 17% | — | 31% |
| Public Policy Polling[26] | January 24–27, 2013 | 400 | ± 4.9% | 47% | — | 41% | 13% |
| 41% | 38% | — | 20% | ||||
| Burnt Orange Report[27] | May 15–16, 2012 | 462 | ± 4.6% | 42% | 35% | 7% | 16% |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Greg Abbott | 1,224,014 | 91.48 | |
| Republican | Lisa Fritsch | 59,221 | 4.42 | |
| Republican | Miriam Martinez | 35,585 | 2.65 | |
| Republican | Larry Kilgore | 19,055 | 1.42 | |
| Total votes | 1,337,875 | 100 | ||
Politicians
Organizations
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Wendy Davis | Ray Madrigal | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UoT/Texas Tribune[20] | February 7–17, 2014 | 263 | ± 6.04% | 87% | 13% | — | — |

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Wendy Davis | 432,595 | 78.08 | |
| Democratic | Ray Madrigal | 121,419 | 21.91 | |
| Total votes | 554,014 | 100 | ||
Kathie Glass was nominated at the 2014 party convention.[2]
The first of two confirmed gubernatorial debates between Wendy Davis and Greg Abbott took place at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance at 18:00 on Friday, September 19, co-hosted byKGBT-TV,The Monitor andKTLM-TV.[54] KGBT-TV posted the complete video online and can be viewedhere.[55] The debate took place in Edinburg, Texas, and it gave both candidates an opportunity to appeal to the Hispanic community, a grouping seen byReuters as an "increasingly important voting bloc in Texas."[56] The second debate took place on September 30 and was also postedonline.
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[57] | Likely R | November 3, 2014 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[58] | Safe R | November 3, 2014 |
| Rothenberg Political Report[59] | Safe R | November 3, 2014 |
| Real Clear Politics[60] | Likely R | November 3, 2014 |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Greg Abbott (R) | Wendy Davis (D) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CBS News/NYT/YouGov[61] | October 16–23, 2014 | 3,987 | ± 3% | 57% | 37% | 0% | 6% |
| UoT/Texas Tribune[62] | October 10–19, 2014 | 866 | ± 3.6% | 54% | 38% | 8%[63] | — |
| Survey Research Center[64] | September 22–October 16, 2014 | 781 | ± 3.5% | 47% | 32% | 2%[65] | 17% |
| Crosswind Communications[66] | October 9–12, 2014 | 500 | ± 4.33% | 52% | 31% | 0% | 16% |
| Rasmussen Reports[67] | October 1–2, 2014 | 840 | ± 3.5% | 51% | 40% | 3% | 7% |
| CBS News/NYT/YouGov[68] | September 20–October 1, 2014 | 4,177 | ± 2% | 54% | 40% | 0% | 5% |
| Texas Lyceum[69] | September 11–25, 2014 | 666 | ± 3.8% | 49% | 40% | 4%[70] | 8% |
| Benenson*[71] | September 2–4, 2014 | 800 | ± 3.5% | 46% | 38% | — | 16% |
| WPA Opinion Research^[72] | September 3, 2014 | ? | ± ? | 53% | 35% | — | 12% |
| CBS News/NYT/YouGov[73] | August 18–September 2, 2014 | 4,189 | ± 2% | 56% | 38% | 2% | 5% |
| Rasmussen Reports[74] | August 4–5, 2014 | 850 | ± 3.5% | 48% | 40% | 3% | 9% |
| CBS News/NYT/YouGov[75] | July 5–24, 2014 | 4,320 | ± 3.7% | 54% | 37% | 1% | 9% |
| UoT/Texas Tribune[76] | May 30–June 8, 2014 | 1,200 | ± 2.83% | 44% | 32% | 7%[77] | 17% |
| Texas Tech University[78] | April 14–17, 2014 | 454 | ± 4.6% | 54% | 25% | 6% | 15% |
| Public Policy Polling[79] | April 10–13, 2014 | 559 | ± 4.1% | 51% | 37% | — | 13% |
| Emerson College[80] | March 7–12, 2014 | 494 | ± ? | 49% | 42% | — | 9% |
| Rasmussen Reports[81] | March 3–4, 2014 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 53% | 41% | 1% | 4% |
| UoT/Texas Tribune[20] | February 7–17, 2014 | 1,200 | ± 2.83% | 47% | 36% | — | 17% |
| Public Policy Polling[82] | November 1–4, 2013 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 50% | 35% | — | 15% |
| 47% | 37% | 9% | 8% | ||||
| UoT/Texas Tribune[21] | October 18–27, 2013 | 1,200 | ± 3.3% | 40% | 34% | — | 25% |
| 40% | 35% | 5%[83] | 20% | ||||
| Texas Lyceum[22] | September 6–20, 2013 | 798 | ± 3.47% | 29% | 21% | — | 50% |
| Public Policy Polling[23] | June 28–July 1, 2013 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 48% | 40% | — | 12% |
| Public Policy Polling[26] | January 24–27, 2013 | 400 | ± 4.9% | 46% | 34% | — | 20% |
With Castro
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Greg Abbott (R) | Julian Castro (D) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[23] | June 28–July 1, 2013 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 48% | 34% | — | 18% |
| Public Policy Polling[26] | January 24–27, 2013 | 400 | ± 4.9% | 46% | 36% | — | 18% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Rick Perry (R) | Julian Castro (D) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[23] | June 28–July 1, 2013 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 50% | 43% | — | 8% |
| Public Policy Polling[26] | January 24–27, 2013 | 400 | ± 4.9% | 47% | 42% | — | 11% |
With Davis
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Tom Pauken (R) | Wendy Davis (D) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UoT/Texas Tribune[21] | October 18–27, 2013 | 1,200 | ± 3.3% | 34% | 38% | — | 28% |
| 33% | 36% | 6% | 25% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Rick Perry (R) | Wendy Davis (D) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[23] | June 28–July 1, 2013 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 53% | 39% | — | 8% |
| Public Policy Polling[26] | January 24–27, 2013 | 400 | ± 4.9% | 47% | 41% | — | 13% |
With Parker
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Greg Abbott (R) | Annise Parker (D) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[23] | June 28–July 1, 2013 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 50% | 31% | — | 20% |
| Public Policy Polling[26] | January 24–27, 2013 | 400 | ± 4.9% | 47% | 35% | — | 18% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Rick Perry (R) | Annise Parker (D) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[23] | June 28–July 1, 2013 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 52% | 35% | — | 13% |
| Public Policy Polling[26] | January 24–27, 2013 | 400 | ± 4.9% | 47% | 40% | — | 13% |
With White
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Greg Abbott (R) | Bill White (D) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[23] | June 28–July 1, 2013 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 48% | 36% | — | 16% |
| Public Policy Polling[26] | January 24–27, 2013 | 400 | ± 4.9% | 46% | 39% | — | 15% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Rick Perry (R) | Bill White (D) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[23] | June 28–July 1, 2013 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 50% | 40% | — | 10% |
| Public Policy Polling[26] | January 24–27, 2013 | 400 | ± 4.9% | 44% | 47% | — | 9% |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Greg Abbott | 2,796,547 | 59.27% | +4.30% | |
| Democratic | Wendy Davis | 1,835,596 | 38.90% | −3.40% | |
| Libertarian | Kathie Glass | 66,543 | 1.41% | −0.78% | |
| Green | Brandon Parmer | 18,520 | 0.39% | 0.00% | |
| Independent | Sarah M. Pavitt (write-in) | 1,062 | 0.02% | N/A | |
| Total votes | 4,718,268 | 100.0% | N/A | ||
| Republicanhold | |||||
Abbott won 25 of 36 congressional districts.[85][b]
| District | Abbott | Davis | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 77% | 23% | Louie Gohmert |
| 2nd | 64% | 36% | Ted Poe |
| 3rd | 66% | 34% | Sam Johnson |
| 4th | 77% | 23% | Ralph Hall (113th Congress) |
| John Ratcliffe (114th Congress) | |||
| 5th | 67% | 33% | Jeb Hensarling |
| 6th | 59% | 41% | Joe Barton |
| 7th | 61% | 39% | John Culberson |
| 8th | 79% | 21% | Kevin Brady |
| 9th | 24% | 76% | Al Green |
| 10th | 60% | 40% | Michael McCaul |
| 11th | 85% | 15% | Mike Conaway |
| 12th | 66% | 34% | Kay Granger |
| 13th | 84% | 16% | Mac Thornberry |
| 14th | 61% | 39% | Randy Weber |
| 15th | 47% | 53% | Rubén Hinojosa |
| 16th | 40% | 60% | Beto O'Rourke |
| 17th | 64% | 36% | Bill Flores |
| 18th | 24% | 76% | Sheila Jackson Lee |
| 19th | 82% | 18% | Randy Neugebauer |
| 20th | 43% | 57% | Joaquín Castro |
| 21st | 60% | 40% | Lamar Smith |
| 22nd | 65% | 35% | Pete Olson |
| 23rd | 57% | 43% | Pete Gallego (113th Congress) |
| Will Hurd (114th Congress) | |||
| 24th | 63% | 37% | Kenny Marchant |
| 25th | 60% | 40% | Roger Williams |
| 26th | 69% | 31% | Michael Burgess |
| 27th | 65% | 35% | Blake Farenthold |
| 28th | 46% | 54% | Henry Cuellar |
| 29th | 37% | 63% | Gene Green |
| 30th | 21% | 79% | Eddie Bernice Johnson |
| 31st | 63% | 37% | John Carter |
| 32nd | 58% | 42% | Pete Sessions |
| 33rd | 30% | 70% | Marc Veasey |
| 34th | 47% | 53% | Filemon Vela Jr. |
| 35th | 36% | 64% | Lloyd Doggett |
| 36th | 76% | 24% | Steve Stockman (113th Congress) |
| Brian Babin (114th Congress) |