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 County results Tower: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Krueger: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Tie: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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The1978 United States Senate election in Texas was held on November 7, 1978. IncumbentRepublican U.S. SenatorJohn Tower narrowly won re-election to a fourth term. This is the closest that a Texas Democrat has come to defeating an incumbent Republican U.S. Senator.[1]
Senator Tower was unopposed for re-nomination.
Krueger and Christie had contrasting styles, and many voters were undecided until late in the campaign.[3]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bob Krueger | 853,460 | 54.67 | |
| Democratic | Joe Christie | 707,738 | 45.33 | |
| Total votes | 1,561,198 | 100.0 | ||
Krueger held a narrow lead in the polls late in the race, although the race was considered to be a 'toss-up.' On the issues, Tower attacked Krueger for voting for aconstitutional amendment that would have granted U.S. senators to the District of Columbia, while Krueger attacked Tower for being an ineffective representative and a drunk. As a result of the charge, Tower refused to shake Krueger's hand at a joint appearance.[5]
Republicans celebrated the result in this election year as the 'best in a century' despite the narrow win. One analysis in The New York Times cites the growing urban middle-class voters in Houston who migrated from the Northeast as the reason for Tower being able to pull ahead and win.[6]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Tower (incumbent) | 1,151,376 | 49.79% | |
| Democratic | Bob Krueger | 1,139,149 | 49.26% | |
| Raza Unida | Luis Diaz de Leon | 17,869 | 0.77% | |
| Socialist Workers | Miguel Pendas | 4,018 | 0.17% | |
| N/A | Write-ins | 128 | 0.01% | |
| Republicanhold | ||||
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