1872 Texas Senate election

none October 2025 1872 Texas Senate election no Texas legislative 1869 Texas Senate election 1869 1873 Texas Senate election 1873 12 of the 30 seats in the Texas Senate 16 November 5, 1872 Texas Democratic Party 9 10 15 5 28,398 56.54% Republican Party of Texas 19 18 13 5 21,377 42.56% Independent 2 2 2Both Independents are listed as Democrats in some sources 450 0.90% 300px #92C5DE Democratic hold #0671B0 Democratic gain#F48882 Republican hold#D3D3D3 No election President Pro Tempore Webster Flanagan Republican Edward B. Pickett Democratic The 1872 Texas Senate elections took place as part of the biennial United States elections. Texas voters elected state senators in 10 of the 30 State Senate districts to six-year teams, as well as two more senators for unexpired terms in special elections. The winners of this election served in the 13th Texas Legislature. Democrats won a majority, which they would hold until after the 1996 elections. Background Republicans won a majority of seats in the 1869 elections, and alongside their control of the House of Representatives and governorship, enacted a number of Reconstruction policies, including the ratification of the 14th and 15th amendments to the U.S. Constitution, a requirement for readmission to the Union and the resumption of congressional representation. They also elected Republicans Morgan C. Hamilton and James W. Flanagan to the U.S. Senate. On March 30, 1870, Texas was readmitted to the Union. Following the state's readmission, the legislature turned towards state policy in a special session. The Radical Republican majority dramatically reshaped the state government, centralizing power, raising taxes, and overhauling the state's education system. Many of the state's new policies, especially the higher taxes and rights granted to freedmen, enraged the state's White population. Rump Senate The legislature created a state police force to address the rampant crime across the state, much of it perpetrated by white supremacist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan.Association Texas State Historical Reconstruction Era in Texas: Political, Social, and Economic Changes https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/reconstruction 2025-10-09 Texas State Historical Association en The passage of this bill proved especially controversial, prompting conservative Senators to break quorum, leaving only 15 Radical Senators unable to pass legislation. The state then arrested the missing Senators, but only four were brought back to the chambers, enough to re-establish quorum. What became known as the "Rump Senate" then passed the bill.Association Texas State Historical Understanding the Rump Senate of the Twelfth Texas Legislature https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/rump-senate 2025-10-09 Texas State Historical Association en The education system became far more centralized, although it was segregated over the objections of the state's Black legislators. They also debated policies such as railroad construction and Native American removal. Special elections Democrats gained one seat during the legislative session after Republican Mijamin Priest was declared ineligible to serve. Democrat James Dillard won the ensuing special election, flipping the 3rd district.Mijamin Priest https://lrl.texas.gov/legeleaders/members/memberDisplay.cfm?memberID=4379 2025-10-09 lrl.texas.gov Republicans retained two of their own seats in other special elections held during the 12th legislature. Radical Republican Reinhard Hillebrand succeeded Enoch Leach Alford, who had been expelled for his role in a Democratic-led quorum bust, and Robert Tendick succeeded Abner Foster, who had died in March 1870.Spaw, p. 100, 105 Two more special elections were held concurrently with the general election. One seat became vacant due to the death of Senate President Pro Tempore Don Campbell died, and another when Republican Theodor Rudolph Hertzberg resigned to accept an appointment by governor Edmund J. Davis.Spaw Patsy McDonald https://books.google.com/books?id=9UIfOm5_9mQC The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889 February 1, 1999 Texas A&M University Press 978-0-89096-857-4 145 enAssociation Texas State Historical The Life and Legacy of Theodor Rudolph Hertzberg: Texas Businessman and Diplomat https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/hertzberg-theodor-rudolph 2025-10-09 Texas State Historical Association en Results Democrats won control of the chamber with the help of the two conservative Independents who were not up for re-election, although they failed to win a majority of seats. Democratic control of the chamber would last until the 1996 elections.December 12, 1996 Rep. Stockman loses in Texas Congress runoff GOP claims majority in one house of state legislature, 1st since 1872 https://www.baltimoresun.com/1996/12/12/rep-stockman-loses-in-texas-congress-runoff-gop-claims-majority-in-one-house-of-state-legislature-1st-since-1872/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20230317043229/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1996-12-12-1996347131-story.html March 17, 2023 March 17, 2023 The Baltimore Sun Detailed results by district Candidates are not listed with political parties in the results. The parties of all victorious candidates are known, and the parties of others may be assumed by the presence of candidates running in the concurrent House election in the same district."Records of the Executive Office": E. J. Davis, Richard Coke January 8, 1870 – February 9, 1874 1036–1041 District 3 District 3 election Democratic Party (United States) James Eldrage Dillard (incumbent) 1,769 61.36% Republican Party (United States) W. H. Waddell 742 25.74% Independent (United States) A. J. Coriplanck 372 12.90% 2,883 100.0% Texas Democratic Party District 4 District 4 election Democratic Party (United States) Thomas J. Word 2,352 63.07% Republican Party (United States) J. H. Morrison 1,377 36.93% 3,729 100.0% Texas Democratic Party Republican Party of Texas District 6 District 6 election Democratic Party (United States) John Lane Henry 2,080 52.01% Republican Party (United States) J. W. Butler 1,919 47.99% 3,999 100.0% Texas Democratic Party District 8 (special) District 8 special election Democratic Party (United States) Hamilton Jacob Avinger 2,120 52.89% Republican Party (United States) John G. Boyle 1,888 47.11% 4,008 100.0% Texas Democratic Party Republican Party of Texas District 13 District 13 election Republican Party (United States) Francis Gray Franks 1,875 45.43% Democratic Party (United States) E. G. Metze 1,352 32.76% Republican Party (United States) Walter Moses Burton 896 21.71% 4 0.10% 4,127 100.0% Republican Party of Texas District 14 District 14 election Republican Party (United States) James Glover Tracy 2,823 53.07% Democratic Party (United States) Charles Bellinger Stewart 2,496 46.93% 5,319 100.0% Republican Party of Texas District 15 District 15 election Republican Party (United States) Edward T. Randle 3,115 54.85% Democratic Party (United States) G. M. Patrick 2,539 44.71% Independent (United States) Travis Henderson 24 0.42% 1 0.02% 5,679 100.0% Republican Party of Texas District 23 District 23 election Democratic Party (United States) Andrew J. Ball 1,690 61.32% Democratic Party (United States) George R. Shannon (incumbent) 787 28.56% Republican Party (United States) J. C. Rushing 237 8.60% Independent (United States) Thomas H. Hickox 39 1.42% 3 0.11% 2,756 100.0% Texas Democratic Party District 24 District 24 election Democratic Party (United States) George Preston Finlay 1,805 55.92% Republican Party (United States) F. E. Grothaus 1,423 44.08% 3,228 100.0% Texas Democratic Party Republican Party of Texas District 26 District 26 election Democratic Party (United States) Joseph D. Sayers 2,269 51.97% Republican Party (United States) F. Seydler 2,096 48.01% 1 0.02% 4,366 100.0% Texas Democratic Party Republican Party of Texas District 28 District 28 election Democratic Party (United States) Nathan George Shelley 4,645 72.86% Republican Party (United States) James Davidson 1,724 27.04% 6 0.09% 6,375 100.0% Texas Democratic Party District 29 (special) District 29 special election Democratic Party (United States) Henry Clay King 2,494 66.40% Republican Party (United States) J. W. VanShyle 1,262 33.60% 3,756 100.0% Texas Democratic Party Republican Party of Texas Notes References Texas Senate Texas Category:Texas Senate elections