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16 of the 31 seats in theTexas Senate 16 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||
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 Democratic hold Democratic gain Republican hold Republican gain | |||||||||||||||||||
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The1980 Texas Senate elections took place as part of thebiennialUnited States elections. Texas voters elected state senators 16 of the 31State Senate districts. The winners of this election served in the67th Texas Legislature for two-year terms, with all senators up for election in1982.
Democrats had controlled theTexas Senate since the1872 elections.[1] Texas had historically been a solidly-Democratic state, owing to its history as a part of theSolid South, but this changed dramatically in the 1970s. RepublicanRichard Nixonwon the state in alandslide in the1972 presidential election andBill Clements became the first Republican to win thegovernorship in over 100 years in anarrow 1978 victory. These victories rarely extended far down the ballot, however, with Democrats still holding largesupermajorities in both houses of thelegislature.[2]
The most controversial bill to come up during the regular session of the66th legislature was a bill to split the state'sprimary election, creating a separate March primary for the state's presidential nominating delegates while retaining a May primary date for all other offices.[3] Supporters argued it would give the state more influence in presidential politics, while critics accused them of using the measure to support former governorJohn Connally, who had recentlyswitched to the Republican Party, in his1980 presidential campaign. A split primary would have allowedconservative Democrats to vote in the Republican presidential primary while voting in the Democratic primary for other offices.[4] Twelve liberal Democratic Senators left the capitol in May 1979 to breakquorum, preventing the chamber from conducting any business. They continued to do so for over four days until Republicans and conservative Democrats agreed to drop the bill.[5]
Republicans made a net gain of three seats from the Democrats, bringing their caucus to seven out of thirty-one seats. This large shift came on the coattails ofRonald Reagan'slandslide victory in the state in the1980 presidential election. Republicans won their largest share of legislative seats since the end ofReconstruction over 100 years prior.[6]
Among the defeated Democrats was longtimeGalveston SenatorBabe Schwartz, a fixture of the Senate's liberal "yellow-dog" faction who was a leader of the "Killer Bees" whobroke quorum during the 1979 legislative session.[6][7] Two other members of the "Killer Bees," Gene Jones ofGarland and Ron Clower ofHouston, also lost re-election.
| District | Democratic | Republican | Libertarian | Total | Result | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
| District 4 | - | 100.00% | - | - | - | - | - | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 5 | 104,362 | 65.84% | 54,157 | 34.16% | - | - | 158,519 | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 7 | 67,691 | 46.99% | 74,368 | 51.63% | 1,987 | 1.38% | 144,046 | 100.00% | Republicangain |
| District 8 | 36,090 | 27.42% | 91,457 | 69.48% | 4,093 | 3.11% | 131,640 | 100.00% | Republican hold |
| District 9 | 71,342 | 46.15% | 83,249 | 53.85% | - | - | 154,591 | 100.00% | Republicangain |
| District 13 | - | - | - | 100.00% | - | - | - | 100.00% | Republican hold |
| District 15 | 56,480 | 55.20% | 43,670 | 42.68% | 2,168 | 2.12% | 102,318 | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 16 | 54,979 | 46.54% | 60,191 | 50.95% | 2,974 | 2.52% | 118,144 | 100.00% | Republicangain |
| District 17 | 70,997 | 49.73% | 71,775 | 50.27% | - | - | 142,772 | 100.00% | Republicangain |
| District 18 | 81,538 | 65.46% | 43,031 | 34.54% | - | - | 124,569 | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 19 | 70,132 | 71.77% | 27,588 | 28.23% | - | - | 97,720 | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 20 | 72,611 | 58.00% | 52,587 | 42.00% | - | - | 125,198 | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 22 | 95,552 | 57.57% | 70,431 | 42.43% | - | - | 165,983 | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 24 | - | 100.00% | - | - | - | - | - | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 29 | - | 100.00% | - | - | - | - | - | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 31 | 91,043 | 65.35% | 48,268 | 34.65% | - | - | 139,311 | 100.00% | Democraticgain |
| Total | – | – | – | – | 11,222 | – | – | 100.00% | Source:[8] |
