President Reagan and Vice President George Bush are shown at the Republican National Convention in Dallas in
August of 1984. This was the first time the Republican Party had held its convention in Texas. The Democrats held thek
convention in Houston in 1928. Associated Press Photo
Politics In Texas
1984 can be characterized as the Year of Ronald
Reagan in Texas. The popular conservative Republican
president swept the state in the general election, and, in
the process, carried record numbers of GOP candi-
dates into office on his coattails.
The most stunning upsets occurred in the state's
congressional delegation in which Republicans gained
four seats and now hold 10 of 27 positions. Three Demo-
cratic incumbents lost to GOP challengers. Tom Van-
dergriff of Arlington lost to Richard Armey of Lewis-
ville in the 26th district; Jack Hightower of Vernon, a
five-term veteran of Congress, fell to Beau Boulter of
Amarillo in the 13th district; and William Patman, a
four-year incumbent, was defeated by Mac Sweeney of
Wharton in the 14th district. In addition, Larry Combest
of Lubbock won the 19th district seat that was vacated
by Democrat Kent Hance, who ran for the U.S. Senate.
Republicans Joe Barton of Ennis in the 6th district and
Tom DeLay of Sugerland in the 22nd district won seats
vacated by Republicans Phil Gramm and Ron Paul,
both of whom ran for the U.S. Senate.
Republican Gramm easily defeated Lloyd Doggett
for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by John Tower. Repub-
licans have held this seat since Tower defeated a field of
more than 70 candidates in a special election in 1961 to
become the first popularly elected Republican senator
from Texas.
Republican legislative candidates also benefitted
from the president's popularity. In the Texas Legisla-
ture, Republicans now hold 51 of 150 House seats, up
from 37 in 1983, and six of 31 Senate seats, a gain of one.
Both represent the party's high since Reconstruction
more than a century ago.
Former Texas Atty. Gen. John Hill, a Democrat who
lost a close gubernatorial race to Republican William P.
Clements Jr. in 1978, was elected chief justice of the
Texas Supreme Court. Clements was the state's only
Republican governor since Reconstruction.
Reagan's coattails proved long for Republicans
running for local offices, too. In 1984, 434 Texas Republi.
cans were elected to public offices ranging downtocon
stable. That was a 56 percent increase over the278elect-
ed in 1982, according to the party's state headquarters
in Austin.
In urban areas like Houston, Dallas, San Antonio
and Fort Worth, there is evidence of widespread lever.
pulling in Republican districts, indicating to some offi-
cials that there is a basic party realignment taking
place in traditionally Democratic Texas. One gaugeis
the straight-ticket voting that cost several incumbent
Democratic judges their seats in Dallas and Harris
Counties. Some longtime Democrats complain that the
national party has become too liberal and too irrespon-
sive to conservative opinion. The realignment theory
will be put to the test in future elections.
Primaries' Results
Republicans had spirited primaries acrossthestate
as the party fielded more candidates than ever for local
offices. In the party's major statewide race, Phil
Gramm, a Democrat-turned-Republican congressman
from College Station, easily defeated three challengers
for the nomination. The conservative Republican In
turn rode the Reagan tide to victory over Democrat
Lloyd Doggett, a liberal, in the fall.
The major upsets came in the Democratic primary.
Former congressman Bob Krueger of New Braunfels
had run former Sen. Tower a close race in 1978 andwas
the odds-on favorite to get the Democratic nomination
in 1984. Facing five challengers, however, the moderate
ia
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