1978 Texas Senate election

none September 2025 1978 Texas Senate election no Texas Democratic Party 28 27 27 637,452 80.46% 8.21% Texas legislative 1976 Texas Senate election 1976 1980 Texas Senate election 1980 15 of the 31 seats in the Texas Senate 16 November 7, 1978 Republican Party of Texas 3 4 12 4 149,855 18.92% 8.75% 300px Senate results by district#92C5DE Democratic hold #F48882 Republican hold#D3D3D3 No election President Pro Tempore Democratic Democratic The 1978 Texas Senate elections took place as part of the biennial United States elections. Texas voters elected state senators 15 of the 31 State Senate districts. The winners of this election served in the 66th Texas Legislature for four-year terms. Background Democrats had controlled the Texas Senate since the 1872 elections.May Janice C. The Evolution of the Texas Legislature: A Historical Overview https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/texas-legislature Texas State Historical Association 18 September 2025 en Long a part of the Solid South, Republicans had gained a foothold in the state in the past two decades, electing U.S. Senator John Tower in 1961 and electing Richard Nixon with 66% of the vote in 1972, but these gains rarely made much impact in downballot, local races. Democrats had controlled every statewide office since the end of Reconstruction and controlled large supermajorities in the legislature. Even these small numbers were an improvement from the past two decades, however, such as after the 1964 election when they held a single seat in the House and none in the Senate.Kingston 1979, p. 534 District 31 special election 1977 31st district special election Texas presidential no 1976 Texas Senate election#District 31 1976 1980 Texas Senate election#District 31 1980 Bob Price Republican Party (United States) 15,199 50.40% Bob Simpson Democratic Party (United States) 14,958 49.60% 1977 Texas's 31st senate district special election runoff results map by county.svg 250px County resultsPrice: #e27f7f 50–60% #d75d5d 60–70% #d72f30 70–80%Simpson: #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #584cde 70–80% Texas Senator Max Sherman Democratic Party Bob Price Republican Party December 10, 1977 Democrat Max Sherman resigned in September 1977, and a special election was called, to be held concurrently with the November general election. No candidate received a majority of the vote, so a runoff was held in December.Max Sherman https://lrl.texas.gov/legeleaders/members/memberdisplay.cfm?memberID=557 September 29, 2025 Legislative Reference Library of Texas Former Republican Congressman Bob Price narrowly won the runoff, flipping the seat.August 26, 2004 Former congressman, farmer, rancher dies https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/user/login?destination=document-view%3Fp%3DAMNEWS%26docref%3Dnews/104B7C4A12920ED3%26f%3Dbasic 2025-09-29 The Amarillo Globe-News1977 District 31 special electionSpecial election returns for State Legislature, 1977, Texas Secretary of State election registers. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Bob Simpson Democratic Party (United States) 8,825 25.19% Bob Price Republican Party (United States) 8,079 23.06% Jim Brandon Republican Party (United States) 7,011 20.01% Mel Phillips Jr. Democratic Party (United States) 6,018 17.18% Burk Whittenburg Democratic Party (United States) 5,096 14.55% 35,029 100.00% 1977 District 31 special election runoff Bob Price Republican Party (United States) 15,199 50.40% Bob Simpson Democratic Party (United States) 14,958 49.60% 30,157 100.00% Republican Party (United States) Democratic Party (United States) Results Despite the upset victory of Republican Bill Clements in the concurrent gubernatorial election, Republicans made no gains in the chamber. They held the one seat the controlled prior to the election and flipped no others. Combined with their special election victory in District 31, they entered the 66th Legislature with four members, up one from the start of the 65th Legislature.Kingston 1979, p. 535 Results by district +DistrictDemocraticRepublicanRaza UnidaTotalResultVotes%Votes%Votes%Votes%District 155,618100.00% - - - -55,618100.00%Democratic holdDistrict 255,625100.00% - - - -55,625100.00%Democratic holdDistrict 356,513100.00% - - - -56,513100.00%Democratic holdDistrict 67,299100.00% - - - -7,299100.00%Democratic holdDistrict 1034,55966.70%17,25133.30% - -51,810100.00%Democratic holdDistrict 116,439100.00% - - - -6,439100.00%Democratic holdDistrict 1235,42946.76%40,34653.24% - -75,775100.00%Republican holdDistrict 1477,682100.00% - - - -77,682100.00%Democratic holdDistrict 2152,93761.71%27,93432.57%4,9085.72%85,779100.00%Democratic holdDistrict 2330,25070.86%12,43829.14% - -42,688100.00%Democratic holdDistrict 2564,427100.00% - - - -64,427100.00%Democratic holdDistrict 2643,37964.05%24,34535.95% - -67,724100.00%Democratic holdDistrict 2736,442100.00% - - - -36,442100.00%Democratic holdDistrict 2849,42064.21%27,54135.79% - -76,961100.00%Democratic holdDistrict 3031,433100.00% - - - -31,433100.00%Democratic holdTotal637,45280.46%149,85518.92%4,9080.62%792,215100.00% Source:Kingston 1979, pp. 546Election Returns: November 7, 1978, Texas Secretary of State election registers. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission. References Further reading Kingston, Mike (1979). Texas Almanac, 1980-1981. Dallas, Texas: The Dallas Morning News. Category:1978 Texas elections Texas Senate election Category:Texas Senate elections