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Texas State Senate elections, 2020

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2020 Texas
Senate Elections
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GeneralNovember 3, 2020
PrimaryMarch 3, 2020
Primary runoffJuly 14, 2020
Past Election Results
2018・2016・2014
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2020 Elections
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Republicans lost a seat in the 2020 elections for Texas State Senate, but preserved their majority. Sixteen seats in the chamber were up for election in 2020. Heading into the election, Republicans held 19 seats and Democrats held 12. Democrats gained a net one seat, meaning Republicans had an 18-13 majority following the 2020 elections.

The Texas State Senate was one of 86 state legislative chambers with elections in 2020. A total of 16 seats out of the chamber's 31 seats were up for election in 2020. There are 99 chambers throughout the country. In 2018, 87 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections.

Texas' 2020 state legislative elections affected partisan control of redistricting following the 2020 census. In Texas, the state legislature is responsible for drafting both congressional and state legislative district plans. District plans are subject to gubernatorial veto.

For detailed campaign finance information for the elections in this chamber, click here.

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

Texas modified its absentee/mail-in voting, candidate filing, and early voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:

  • Absentee/mail-in voting: Local election officials could not reject an absentee ballot due to a perceived signature mismatch unless the voter was given a pre-rejection notice of this finding and a "meaningful opportunity to cure his or her ballot's rejection." Return locations for absentee/mail-in ballots were limited to one per county.
  • Candidate filing procedures: The petition deadline for independent candidates for non-presidential office was extended to August 13, 2020.
  • Early voting: Early voting began on October 13, 2020.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Party control

See also: Partisan composition of state senates and State government trifectas
Texas State Senate
Party As of November 3, 2020 After November 4, 2020
     Democratic Party 12 13
     Republican Party 19 18
Total 31 31

Candidates

General candidates

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Primary runoff candidates




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Primary candidates


The candidate list below is based on candidate filing lists provided by the Texas Secretary of State on December 10, 2019. (I) denotes an incumbent.[1]



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Convention candidates


The following candidates filed to run in the Libertarian Party convention on April 18, 2020:[2]

Campaign finance

See also: Texas State Senate elections, 2020/Campaign finance

The section and tables below contain data from financial reports submitted to state agencies. Districts and elections are grouped in sections of 10. To view data for a district, click on the appropriate bar below to expand it. The data is gathered and made available by Transparency USA.

Incumbents who were not re-elected

See also: Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report: Vol. 10, 2020

Incumbents defeated in the general election

One incumbent lost in the Nov. 3 general election. That incumbent was:

Name Party Office
Peter Flores Ends.png Republican Senate District 19

Incumbents defeated in primary elections

No incumbents lost in the March 3 primaries or July 14 primary runoffs. Before 2020, the most recent time an incumbent Senator was defeated in a primary or runoff was 2014 when Sens. John Carona (R) and Bob Deuell (R) lost to challengers. No incumbent Democratic Senator has been defeated in a primary since 2006.

Retiring incumbents

There was one open seat where the incumbent legislator did not file for re-election in 2020.[3] That incumbent was:

Name Party Office
Jose Rodriguez Electiondot.png Democratic Senate District 29


The one seat left open in 2020 was the fewest since 2010.

Open Seats in Texas State Senate elections: 2010 - 2020
Year Total seats Open seats Seats with incumbents running for re-election
2020 16 1 (6 percent) 15 (94 percent)
2018 15 4 (27 percent) 11 (73 percent)
2016 16 3 (19 percent) 13 (81 percent)
2014 15 3 (20 percent) 12 (80 percent)
2012 31 4 (13 percent) 27 (87 percent)
2010 16 1 (6 percent) 15 (94 percent)

Process to become a candidate

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Texas

DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: Title 9 of the Texas Election Code

A candidate in Texas may run with an officially recognized political party, as an independent, or as a write-in.

For major party candidates

In order to run with a major political party, a candidate must file an application with the county or state party chair and pay a filing fee. A candidate also has the option of filing a petition in lieu of the filing fee. Application and petition forms are available through local party officials or the Texas Secretary of State. The regular filing period for the primary election begins on the 30th day before the date of the regular filing deadline, which is 6 p.m. on the second Monday in December of an odd-numbered year.[4]

A chart detailing the signature and filing requirements for each particular office can be accessed here.[5]

For minor party candidates

State-qualified minor parties nominate candidates by convention. To be considered for nomination by a convention, a minor party candidate must file an application for nomination no later than 6 p.m. on the second Monday in December of an odd-numbered year, preceding the minor party’s convention. A candidate seeking nomination for a state or district office must file with the state party chair. Candidates for county or precinct offices must file applications with county party chairs. A candidate nominated via convention must either pay a filing fee (equal to the filing fee paid by major party candidates in primary elections) or submit a petition a petition in lieu of paying the filing fee.[6][7]

For independent candidates

A candidate may have his or her name placed on the general election ballot as an independent candidate if he or she is not affiliated with a political party.[8][9][10][11][12]

To run as an independent, a candidate must file a declaration of intent with the county judge (county or precinct offices) or the Texas Secretary of State (district and state offices) during the same filing period as major and minor party candidates.[9][13]

This paperwork must include signatures of voters who have not participated in the primary election or the runoff primary election of a party that has nominated, at either election, a candidate for the office the petitioning candidate seeks.[9][14]

A chart detailing the signature and filing requirements for each particular office can be accessed here.[9]

For write-in candidates

In order to become a write-in candidate in the general election, the candidate must file a declaration of candidacy with the Texas Secretary of State or the county judge, as appropriate, no later than 5 p.m. of the 78th day before general election day.[15][16]

The declaration must be accompanied by either a filing fee or a nominating petition signed by a certain number of qualified voters. A chart detailing the signature and filing requirements for each particular office can be accessed here.[15][17]

2020 ballot access requirements

The table below details filing requirements for Texas State Senate candidates in the 2020 election cycle.

Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020
Chamber name Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Texas State Senate Qualified party N/A $1,250.00 12/9/2019 Source
Texas State Senate Unaffiliated 5% of all votes cast for governor in the district in the last election N/A 8/13/2020 Source

Qualifications

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

To be eligible to serve in the Texas State Senate, a candidate must be:[18]

  • A U.S. citizen
  • 26 years old before the general election
  • A five-year resident of Texas before the general election
  • A district resident for 1 year prior to the general election.

Salaries and per diem

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
State legislative salaries, 2024[19]
SalaryPer diem
$7,200/year$221/day

When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

Texas legislators assume office at the beginning of the legislative session, which starts at noon on the second Tuesday in January in the year after the election.[20][21]

Texas political history

Trifectas

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.

Texas Party Control: 1992-2025
Three years of Democratic trifectas  •  Twenty-three years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Senate D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Presidential politics in Texas

2016 Presidential election results

U.S. presidential election, Texas, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes Electoral votes
     Democratic Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine 43.2% 3,877,868 0
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngDonald Trump/Mike Pence 52.2% 4,685,047 38
     Libertarian Gary Johnson/Bill Weld 3.2% 283,492 0
     Green Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka 0.8% 71,558 0
     - Write-in votes 0.6% 51,261 0
Total Votes 8,969,226 38
Election results via: Texas Secretary of State

Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Texas utilizes an open primary system. Voters do not have to register with a party in advance in order to participate in that party's primary. The voter must sign a pledge stating the following (the language below is taken directly from state statutes)[22]

“ The following pledge shall be placed on the primary election ballot above the listing of candidates' names: 'I am a (insert appropriate political party) and understand that I am ineligible to vote or participate in another political party's primary election or convention during this voting year.'[23] ”

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

In Texas, all polling places are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. Texas is divided between the Central and Mountain time zones. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[24]


Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Texas, an applicant must be a United States citizen, a resident of the county in which he or she is registering, and at least 17 years and 10 months old.[25]

The deadline to register to vote is 30 days before the election. Prospective voters can request a postage-paid voter registration form online or complete the form online and return it to the county voter registrar. Applications are also available at a variety of locations including the county voter registrar’s office, the secretary of state’s office, libraries, and high schools. Voter registration certificates are mailed to newly registered voters.[26]

Automatic registration

Texas does not practice automatic voter registration.[27]

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Texas does not permit online voter registration.[27]

Same-day registration

Texas does not allow same-day voter registration.[27]

Residency requirements

Prospective voters must reside in the county in which they are registering to vote.[28]

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Texas does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.

State law requires election officials to conduct a check of registered voters' citizenship status. Section 18.068 of the Texas Election Code says the following:

“

The secretary of state shall quarterly compare the information received under Section 16.001 of this code and Section 62.113, Government Code, to the statewide computerized voter registration list. If the secretary determines that a voter on the registration list is deceased or has been excused or disqualified from jury service because the voter is not a citizen, the secretary shall send notice of the determination to the voter registrar of the counties considered appropriate by the secretary.[23]

”
—Section 18.068, Texas Election Code[29]

In January 2019, the Texas secretary of state’s office announced that it would be providing local election officials with a list of registered voters who obtained driver’s licenses or IDs with documentation such as work visas or green cards. Counties would then be able to require voters on the list to provide proof of citizenship within 30 days.[30] The review was halted by a federal judge in February 2019, and Secretary of State David Whitley rescinded the advisory in April.[31][32] A news release from Whitley’s office stated that “... going forward, the Texas Secretary of State's office will send to county voter registrars only the matching records of individuals who registered to vote before identifying themselves as non-U.S. citizens to DPS when applying for a driver's license or personal identification card. This will ensure that naturalized U.S. citizens who lawfully registered to vote are not impacted by this voter registration list maintenance process.”[33]

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[34] As of January 2025, six states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, and New Hampshire — had passed laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration. However, only two of those states' laws were in effect, in Arizona and New Hampshire. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allowed noncitizens to vote in some local elections as of November 2024. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The Texas Secretary of State’s office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.


Voter ID requirements

Texas requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[35]

The following list of accepted ID was current as of February 2023. Click here for the Texas Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

  • Texas driver’s license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
  • Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
  • Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS
  • Texas handgun license issued by DPS
  • United States Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph
  • United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph
  • United States passport (book or card)

Identification provided by voters aged 18-69 may be expired for no more than four years before the election date. Voters aged 70 and older can use an expired ID card regardless of how long ago the ID expired.[35]

Voters who are unable to provide one of the ID options listed above can sign a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and provide one of the following supporting documents:[35]

  • Copy or original of a government document that shows the voter’s name and an address, including the voter’s voter registration certificate
  • Copy of or original current utility bill
  • Copy of or original bank statement
  • Copy of or original government check
  • Copy of or original paycheck
  • Copy of or original of (a) a certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate or (b) a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes the voter’s identity (which may include a foreign birth document)

The following voters are exempt from showing photo ID:[35]

  • Voters with a disability
    • Voters with a disability "may apply with the county voter registrar for a permanent exemption to presenting an acceptable photo identification or following the Reasonable Impediment Declaration procedure in the county."
  • Voters who have a religious objection to being photographed

Voters who do not have a photo ID can obtain a Texas Election Identification Certificate (EIC) at any Texas driver’s license office during regular business hours. Voters can also obtain an Election Identification Certificate from a mobile station. Locations are listed here.[35]

Early voting

Texas permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting

Texas voters are eligible to vote absentee in an election if:

  • They cannot make it to the polls on Election Day because they will be away from the county on Election Day and during early voting;
  • They are sick or disabled;
  • They are 65 years of age or older; or
  • They are confined in jail.[36]

To vote absentee, a request must be received by county election officials no later than close of regular business on the eleventh day before the election. The completed ballot must then be returned by the close of polls on Election Day.[37]


See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Texas Secretary of State," accessed December 10, 2019
  2. ↑ Libertarian Party of Texas, "2020 Candidates, accessed January 27, 2020
  3. ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
  4. ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 172.023," accessed April 23, 2025
  5. ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Republican or Democratic Party Nominees," accessed April 24, 2025
  6. ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 181.033," accessed April 24, 2025
  7. ↑ Texas Legislature, "SB 2093," accessed June 8, 2021
  8. ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 1.005(9)," accessed April 24, 2025
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Texas Elections Division, "Independent Candidates," accessed April 24, 2025
  10. ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 142.008," accessed April 24, 2025
  11. ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 162.003," accessed April 24, 2025
  12. ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 162.007," accessed April 24, 2025
  13. ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 142.002(b)(2)," accessed April 24, 2025
  14. ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 142.009," accessed April 24, 2025
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Texas Secretary of State, "Procedures for Write-In Candidates in 2024," accessed April 24, 2025
  16. ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 146.025," accessed April 24, 2025
  17. ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 146.023-146.0232," accessed April 24, 2025
  18. ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Qualifications for office," accessed December 18, 2013
  19. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
  20. ↑ Texas Government Code, "Title 3., Subtitle A., Sec. 301.001," accessed February 17, 2021
  21. ↑ Texas Constitution, "Article 3. Legislative Department, Section 4," accessed November 4, 2021
  22. ↑ Texas Statutes, "Section 172.086," accessed October 7, 2024
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  24. ↑ VoteTexas.gov, "Who, What, Where, When, How," accessed February 27, 2023
  25. ↑ Texas Secretary of State, “Request for Voter Registration Applications,” accessed February 27, 2023
  26. ↑ Texas Secretary of State, “Voter Registration,” accessed February 27, 2023
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed July 28, 2024
  28. ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Request for Voter Registration Applications," accessed July 28, 2024
  29. ↑ Texas Constitution and Statutes, “Election Code,” accessed February 23, 2023
  30. ↑ The Texas Tribune, “Texas officials flag tens of thousands of voters for citizenship checks,” January 25, 2019
  31. ↑ The New York Times, “Federal Judge Halts ‘Ham-Handed’ Texas Voter Purge,” February 28, 2019
  32. ↑ The New York Times, “Texas Ends Review That Questioned Citizenship of Almost 100,000 Voters,” April 26, 2019
  33. ↑ Texas Secretary of State, “Secretary Whitley Announces Settlement In Litigation On Voter Registration List Maintenance Activity,” April 26, 2019
  34. ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 35.3 35.4 Texas Secretary of State, "Required Identification for Voting in Person," accessed February 27, 2023 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "tvid" defined multiple times with different content
  36. ↑ VoteTexas.gov, "FAQ," accessed December 16, 2013
  37. ↑ VoteTexas.gov, "Early Voting," accessed December 16, 2013


Current members of the Texas State Senate
Leadership
Senators
District 1
District 2
Bob Hall (R)
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
Phil King (R)
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 18
District 19
District 20
District 21
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
District 26
District 27
District 28
District 29
District 30
District 31
Republican Party (20)
Democratic Party (11)


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