The Eighth Texas Legislature met from 7 November 1859 to 9 April 1861 in its regular session, a first called session, and an adjourned session. All members of the House of Representatives and about half of the members of the Senate were elected in 1859.

Sessions

• 8th Regular session: 7 November 1859–13 February 1860
• 8th First called session: 21 January–9 February 1861
• 8th Adjourned session: 18 March–9 April 1861

Senate

Lieutenant Governor: Edward Clark

Edward Clark (governor)

Edward Clark was the eighth Governor of Texas. His term coincided with the beginning of the American Civil War.-Biography:...

, Democrat
President pro tempore: Jesse Grimes

Jesse Grimes

Jesse Grimes was a Texas pioneer and politician. Before moving to Texas, he fought in the War of 1812. He was a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. He served as Senator in the Republic of Texas Congress and in the Texas State Legislature. Grimes County was named in his honor...

, Democrat, Regular session

Members

Members of the Eighth Texas Legislature at the beginning of the regular session, 7 November 1859:

Senate

District	Senator	Party	Took office
1 Texas Senate, District 1 District 1 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that serves all of Bowie, Camp, Cass, Franklin, Gregg, Harrison, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Panola, Red River, Rusk, Titus, Upshur and Wood counties and a portion of Smith county in the U.S. state of Texas...	James W. Sims	Democrat	1859
2 Texas Senate, District 2 District 2 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that serves all of Delta, Fannin, Hopkins, Hunt, Kaufman, Rains, Rockwall and Van Zandt counties, and portions of Dallas and Smith counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 2 is Robert F...	Lewis G. Harmon	Democrat	1859
3 Texas Senate, District 3 District 3 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that serves all of Anderson, Angelina, Cherokee, Hardin, Henderson, Jasper, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby and Tyler counties, and portions of Montgomery and Smith counties in the U.S. state of Texas...	Martin D. Hart	Democrat	1859
4 Texas Senate, District 4 District 4 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that serves all of Liberty and Orange counties, and portions of Chambers, Harris, Jefferson and Montgomery counties in the southeastern portion of the state of Texas...	James W. Throckmorton James W. Throckmorton James Webb Throckmorton was an American politician who served as the 12th Governor of Texas from 1866 to 1867 during the early days of Reconstruction...	Democrat	1857
5 Texas Senate, District 5 District 5 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that serves Brazos, Burleson, Freestone, Grimes, Houston, Lee, Leon, Limestone, Madison, Milam, Robertson, Trinity, Walker and Williamson counties in the U.S. state of Texas...	Albert G. Walker	Democrat	1857 (First time: 1849–1851)
6 Texas Senate, District 6 District 6 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that serves a portion of Harris county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 6 is Mario Gallegos, Jr. who has served since 1995.-2004:-2002:-1998:...	Emory Rains Emory Rains Emory Rains was a lawyer, judge and political leader in the Republic of Texas and thereafter in the State of Texas. Rains was born in Warren County, Tennessee, and moved to Texas in 1817. Emory Rains held many public offices and his life was devoted to public service...	Democrat	1859
7 Texas Senate, District 7 District 7 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that serves a portion of Harris county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 7 is Dan Patrick.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:-1994:...	John G. Chambers	Democrat	1859
8 Texas Senate, District 8 District 8 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Collin and Dallas counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 8 is Florence Shapiro.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:...	Louis T. Wigfall	Democrat	1857
9 Texas Senate, District 9 District 9 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 9 is Chris Harris.-2004:-2002:-2000:...	Jesse H. Parsons	Democrat	1859
10 Texas Senate, District 10 District 10 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of Tarrant county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 10 is Wendy Davis.-2008:-2004:-2002:-2000:...	Elisha Everett Lott Elisha Everett Lott Elisha Everett Lott was a legislator for the Republic of Texas and the State of Texas. He is remembered primarily for his vigorous opposition to the Cherokee Land Bill of 1844.-Early years:...	Democrat	1853
11 Texas Senate, District 11 District 11 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Brazoria, Galveston and Harris counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 11 is Mike Jackson.-2004:-2002:-1998:...	Robert Henry Guinn Robert Henry Guinn Robert Henry Guinn was a Texas politician.Guinn was a Democrat and served District 11, representing Cherokee County, Texas, in the Texas State Senate during the Fifth Texas Legislature, Sixth Texas Legislature, Seventh Texas Legislature, and Eighth Texas Legislature sessions...	Democrat	1853
12 Texas Senate, District 12 District 12 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Denton and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 12 is Jane Nelson.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:...	Alexis T. Rainey	Democrat	1859
13 Texas Senate, District 13 District 13 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Fort Bend and Harris counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 13 is Rodney Ellis.-2006:-2002:-1998:-1994:...	John N. Fall	Democrat	1857
14 Texas Senate, District 14 District 14 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of Travis county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 14 is Kirk Watson.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:-1994:...	John R. Dickinson	Democrat	1859
15 Texas Senate, District 15 District 15 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of Harris county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 15 is John Whitmire.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:...	Henry C. Wallace	Democrat	1859
16 Texas Senate, District 16 District 16 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of Dallas county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 16 is John J. Carona.-2008:-2004:-2004:-2002:-1998:...	Enoch S. Pitts	Democrat	1859
17 Texas Senate, District 17 District 17 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Texas. Senator Kyle Janek announced his resignation on May 29, 2008. Governor Rick Perry called for a special...	Mark M. Potter	Democrat	1851
18 Texas Senate, District 18 District 18 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Aransas, Austin, Bastrop, Caldwell, Calhoun, Colorado, DeWitt, Fayette, Goliad, Gonzales, Jackson, Lavaca, Matagorda, Refugio, Victoria, Waller, Washington and Wharton counties and a western portion of Fort Bend...	Abram Morris Gentry	Democrat	1859
19 Texas Senate, District 19 District 19 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Bandera, Brewster, Crockett, Culberson, Edwards, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Kinney, Loving, Maverick, Medina, Pecos, Presidio, Real, Reeves, Sutton, Terrell, Uvalde, Val Verde, Ward and Winkler counties, and portions...	Jesse Grimes Jesse Grimes Jesse Grimes was a Texas pioneer and politician. Before moving to Texas, he fought in the War of 1812. He was a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. He served as Senator in the Republic of Texas Congress and in the Texas State Legislature. Grimes County was named in his honor...	Democrat	1855 (First time: 1846–1853)
20 Texas Senate, District 20 District 20 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Brooks, Jim Wells and Nueces counties and a portion of Hidalgo county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 20 is Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa.-2004:...	Chauncey Berkeley Shepard	Democrat	1857
21 Texas Senate, District 21 District 21 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Atascosa, Bee, Dimmit, Duval, Frio, Jim Hogg, Karnes, La Salle, Live Oak, McMullen, San Patricio, Starr, Webb, Wilson, Zapata, and Zavala counties and a portion of Bexar county in the U.S. state of Texas...	David M. Whaley	Democrat	1858
22 Texas Senate, District 22 District 22 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves Bosque, Coryell, Ellis, Falls, Hill, Hood, Johnson, McLennan, Navarro and Somervell counties in the U.S. state of Texas...	Francis Marion Martin	Democrat	1859
23 Texas Senate, District 23 District 23 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of Dallas county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 23 is Royce West.-2004:-2002:-1998:-1994:-1992:...	George Bernard Erath	Democrat	1857
24 Texas Senate, District 24 District 24 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves Bell, Blanco, Brown, Burnet, Callahan, Coleman, Comanche, Eastland, Erath, Gillespie, Hamilton, Kerr, Kimble, Lampasas, Llano, Mason, McCulloch, Menard, Mills, San Saba and Taylor counties in the U.S. state of Texas...	George E. Quinan	Democrat	1857
25 Texas Senate, District 25 District 25 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Comal, Guadalupe, Hays and Kendall counties, and portions of Bexar and Travis counties in the U.S. state of Texas...	Eggleston D. Townes	Democrat	1859
26 Texas Senate, District 26 District 26 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of Bexar county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 26 is Leticia R. Van de Putte.-2004:-2002:-2000:...	Fletcher S. Stockdale Fletcher Stockdale Fletcher Summerfield Stockdale was a U.S. politician in Texas.Stockdale was born in either 1823 or 1825 in Russellville, Kentucky as one of eight children of Thomas W. and Laurinda Stockdale. He studied law and was admitted to the Bar in Kentucky...	Democrat	1857
27 Texas Senate, District 27 District 27 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Cameron, Kenedy, Kleberg and Willacy counties and a portion of Hidalgo county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 27 is Eddie Lucio, Jr.....	Thomas Hinds Duggan Thomas Hinds Duggan Thomas Hinds Duggan was an early Texas settler and two-time Texas State Senator from Guadalupe County, Texas....	Democrat	1859 (First time: 1851–1853)
28 Texas Senate, District 28 District 28 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves Armstrong, Borden, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Childress, Coke, Collingsworth, Concho, Cottle, Crosby, Dawson, Dickens, Donley, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Garza, Gray, Hale, Hall, Hardeman, Haskell, Hockley, Irion, Jones, Kent,...	Edwin B. Scarborough	Democrat	1853
29 Texas Senate, District 29 District 29 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of El Paso county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 29 is Eliot Shapleigh.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:...	Forbes Britton	Democrat	1857
30 Texas Senate, District 30 District 30 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Archer, Baylor, Clay, Cooke, Grayson, Jack, Montague, Palo Pinto, Parker, Shackelford, Stephens, Throckmorton, Wichita, Wilbarger, Wise and Young counties, and portions of Collin and Denton counties in the U.S....	Isaiah Addison Paschal	Democrat	1857 (First time: 1853–1855)
31 Texas Senate, District 31 District 31 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves Andrews, Bailey, Cochran, Crane, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Ector, Gaines, Glasscock, Hansford, Hartley, Hemphill, Howard, Hutchinson, Lipscomb, Martin, Midland, Moore, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Randall, Roberts,...	Gustav Schleicher Gustav Schleicher Gustav Schleicher was a German-born Democratic United States Representative from Texas. He was an engineer who served briefly in the Texas legislature, and was a veteran of the Confederate Army.-Early life:Schleicher was born in Darmstadt in the German principality of Hesse in 1823...	Democrat	1859
32 Texas Senate, District 32 District 32 of the Texas Senate is an obsolete Senate District. Prior to the 1876 Texas Constitution there had been as many as 33 Senate Districts. District 32 was only active from the Fifth Texas Legislature through the Eleventh Texas Legislature....	Claiborne C. Herbert	Democrat	1857
33 Texas Senate, District 33 District 33 of the Texas Senate is an obsolete Senate District. Prior to the 1876 Texas Constitution there had been as many as 33 Senate Districts. District 33 was only active from the Fifth Texas Legislature through the Eleventh Texas Legislature....	Archibald C. Hyde	Democrat	1857

House of Representatives

• Basilio Benavides
• Anthony Martin Branch
  Anthony Martin Branch
  Anthony Martin Branch was a Texas politician who served in the Confederate States Congress during the American Civil War.-Biography:Branch was born in Buckingham County, Virginia, and later moved to Texas...
  
  
• Constantine W. Buckley
  Constantine W. Buckley
  Constantine W. Buckley was an American politician in Texas who served two non-consecutive terms as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives between 1861 and 1863....
  
  
• William Clark
• David B. Culberson
  David B. Culberson
  David Browning Culberson was a Confederate soldier, a Democratic U.S. Representative from Texas and Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.-Early years:...
  
  
• Nicholas Henry Darnell
  Nicholas Henry Darnell
  Nicholas Henry Darnell was an American politician in Tennessee and Texas. He was the only person to serve as Speaker of the House of the Republic of Texas House of Representatives and the State of Texas House of Representatives...
  
  
• Isaac N. Dennis
• David Catchings Dickson
  David Catchings Dickson
  David Catchings Dickson was an American politician and physician in early Texas who served as Lieutenant Governor of Texas and as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives. He was also a State Senator and unsuccessfully ran for governor of Texas....
  
  
• Edward Dougherty
• Foscue
• James Carlton Francis
• Benjamin Cromwell Franklin
  Benjamin Cromwell Franklin
  Benjamin Cromwell Franklin was the first judicial officeholder in the Republic of Texas.Franklin was born in Georgia, and educated at Franklin College at the University of Georgia in Athens, before being admitted to the bar in 1827. In 1835, he travelled to Texas, and supported a declaration of...
  
  
• De Witt Clinton Fort
  De Witt Clinton Fort
  De Witt Clinton Fort . He was a member of the Texas House of Representatives and soldier in the Confederate army during the American Civil War.-Personal background:...
  
  
• James Marshall Harrison
• J. W. Henderson
  J. W. Henderson
  James Wilson Henderson was the fourth Governor of Texas from November 23, 1853 to December 21, 1853.Born on August 15, 1817 in Sumner County, Tennessee, Henderson moved to Texas when he was 19 to join the struggle for independence, but he arrived too late to participate. He settled in Harris...
  
  
• Alfred Marmaduke Hobby
  Alfred Marmaduke Hobby
  Alfred Marmaduke Hobby was a famous Texas merchant, politician, Confederate officer, and poet. He was born in Macon, Georgia, in 1836, the son of Martin and Anna Elizabeth Hobby. Hobby's nephew is William P. Hobby, governor of Texas from 1917 to 1921. His grandnephew William P...
  
  
• Richard Bennett Hubbard, Jr.
  Richard B. Hubbard
  Richard Bennett Hubbard, Jr. was the 16th Governor of Texas from 1876 to 1879 and United States Envoy to Japan from 1885 to 1889. He was a Confederate veteran of the American Civil War and was a member of the Democratic Party.-Early years:Hubbard was the son of Richard Bennett and Serena Hubbard...
  
  
• Henry Lawrence Kinney
• Francis J. Lynch
• John Haywood Manley
• Samuel Maverick
  Samuel Maverick
  Samuel Augustus Maverick was a Texas lawyer, politician, land baron and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence...
  
  
• John N. McClarty
• George McKnight
• Roger Q. Mills
  Roger Q. Mills
  Roger Quarles Mills was an American politician and an officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.-Background:...
  
  
• William Wright Morris
• Titus H. Mundine
• José Ángel Navarro
• Allison Nelson
  Allison Nelson
  Allison Nelson was the ninth mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, as well as a brigadier general in the Confederate army during the American Civil War....
  
  
• Benjamin F. Parker
• Samuel Redgate
• Joel Walter Robison
• Shelton
• Daniel McDowell Short
• John Dennis Stell
• M. D. K. Taylor
  M. D. K. Taylor
  Marion DeKalb Taylor or M. D. K. Taylor was an American politician in Alabama and Texas, as well as a general in the Confederate army during the American Civil War. He was a member of the Alabama Legislature for two stints between 1842 and 1846, and served in both the Texas House of...
  
  
• Robert H. Taylor
• Robert J. Townes
• Jacob Waelder
• Charles A. Warfield
• George Washington Whitmore
• William Amos Wortham
• Friedrich Wilhelm von Wrede, Jr.

Senate

District	Outgoing Senator	Reason for Vacancy	Successor	Date of Successor's Installation
District 3 Texas Senate, District 3 District 3 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that serves all of Anderson, Angelina, Cherokee, Hardin, Henderson, Jasper, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby and Tyler counties, and portions of Montgomery and Smith counties in the U.S. state of Texas...	Martin D. Hart	Hart resigned 26 February 1861.	Turner L. Greene	Unknown
District 8 Texas Senate, District 8 District 8 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Collin and Dallas counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 8 is Florence Shapiro.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:...	Louis T. Wigfall	Wigfall announced his resignation on 7 December 1859.	E. A. Blanch	14 January 1860
District 9 Texas Senate, District 9 District 9 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 9 is Chris Harris.-2004:-2002:-2000:...	Jesse H. Parsons	Parsons resigned after the adjourned session.	None
District 12 Texas Senate, District 12 District 12 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Denton and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 12 is Jane Nelson.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:...	Alexis T. Rainey	Rainey resigned after the regular session.	Steward Alexander Miller	21 January 1861
District 14 Texas Senate, District 14 District 14 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of Travis county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 14 is Kirk Watson.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:-1994:...	John R. Dickinson	Dickinson resigned after the regular session.	Henry P. C. Dulany	26 January 1861
District 15 Texas Senate, District 15 District 15 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of Harris county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 15 is John Whitmire.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:...	Henry C. Wallace	Wallace resigned 4 January 1861.	Franklin Barlow Sexton Franklin Barlow Sexton Franklin Barlow Sexton was a politician from Texas who served in the Confederate Congress during the American Civil War....	None
District 15 Texas Senate, District 15 District 15 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of Harris county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 15 is John Whitmire.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:...	Franklin Barlow Sexton Franklin Barlow Sexton Franklin Barlow Sexton was a politician from Texas who served in the Confederate Congress during the American Civil War....	Sexton did not appear.	None
District 25 Texas Senate, District 25 District 25 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Comal, Guadalupe, Hays and Kendall counties, and portions of Bexar and Travis counties in the U.S. state of Texas...	Eggleston D. Townes	Townes resigned 13 March 1861.	Nathan George Shelley	4 November 1861
District 29 Texas Senate, District 29 District 29 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of El Paso county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 29 is Eliot Shapleigh.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:...	Forbes Britton	Britton resigned after the called session.	Benjamin Franklin Neal	19 March 1861
District 30 Texas Senate, District 30 District 30 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Archer, Baylor, Clay, Cooke, Grayson, Jack, Montague, Palo Pinto, Parker, Shackelford, Stephens, Throckmorton, Wichita, Wilbarger, Wise and Young counties, and portions of Collin and Denton counties in the U.S....	Isaiah Addison Paschal	Paschal resigned 29 March 1861.	Unknown	Unknown

District 15

Texas Senate, District 15

District 15 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of Harris county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 15 is John Whitmire.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:...

: Sexton did not return from Confederate States Army

Confederate States Army

The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...

 service in time to meet with the legislature. District 25

Texas Senate, District 25

District 25 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Comal, Guadalupe, Hays and Kendall counties, and portions of Bexar and Travis counties in the U.S. state of Texas...

: Shelley elected in special election held 25 March 1861 and sworn in with the Ninth Texas Legislature

Ninth Texas Legislature

The Ninth Texas Legislature met from 4 November 1861 to 7 March 1863 in its regular session and one called session. All members of the House of Representatives and about half of the members of the Senate were elected in 1861.-Sessions:...

.

House of Representatives

District	Outgoing Representative	Reason for Vacancy	Successor	Date of Successor's Installation
District 22	John N. McClarty	McClarty resigned after the regular session.	William Wright Morris	22 January 1861
District 65 Texas House of Representatives, District 65 District 65 is a district of the Texas House of Representatives that serves a portion of Denton County. The current representative for District 65 is Republican Burt Solomons, who has served the district since 1994.-District description:...	Henry Lawrence Kinney	Kinney was opposed to secession and resigned 9 February 1861.	Alfred Marmaduke Hobby Alfred Marmaduke Hobby Alfred Marmaduke Hobby was a famous Texas merchant, politician, Confederate officer, and poet. He was born in Macon, Georgia, in 1836, the son of Martin and Anna Elizabeth Hobby. Hobby's nephew is William P. Hobby, governor of Texas from 1917 to 1921. His grandnephew William P...	19 March 1861