Texas's 14th congressional district
Encyclopedia
Texas's 14th district for the United States House of Representatives
is a Congressional district that covers the area south and southwest of the Greater Houston
region, including Galveston
, in the state of Texas
. The district was created as a result of the 1900 U.S. Census
and was first contested in 1902. Its first representative—Democrat James L. Slayden, who had served another district in Congress since 1897—began representing the 14th in March 1903 as a member of the 58th United States Congress
. Republicans had a handful of victories in this district in the early 20th century, which was remarkable given the heavily Democratic tilt of Texas at the time. The district's ultimate shift to the Republican Party
in the 1980s has been attributed to the coattail effect of Ronald Reagan's
electoral successes though a handful of Democrats won elections in the 1990s, as well as Houston's suburbs bleeding into the eastern portion of the district. The district's current representative is Ron Paul
.
successfully contested the 1928 election of Augustus McCloskey
to the 71st United States Congress
, and replaced McCloskey as representative on February 10, 1930.
switched from the Democratic Party
to the Republican side in 1995, and the Republican National Committee
, hoping to encourage other Democrats to switch parties, threw its full support behind Laughlin. Laughlin had support from Republican leaders, including House Speaker Newt Gingrich
and Texas Governor George W. Bush
, and the National Rifle Association
and other interest groups. Ron Paul
, an ob/gyn and former U.S. Representative from Texas's 22nd congressional district
, opposed Laughlin, hopeful of having more influence in Congress after the Republicans took over both houses in the 1994 election
. Though Laughlin defeated Paul in the open primary, a runoff between the two candidates followed.
While Gingrich and other Republican leaders visited the district stumping for Laughlin, Paul ran newspaper ads quoting Gingrich's harsh criticisms of Laughlin's voting record 14 months earlier, before Laughlin had switched parties. Baseball pitcher (and constituent) Nolan Ryan
, a friend of Paul's, served as his honorary campaign chair and appeared in ads for him, and tax activist Steve Forbes
also supported Paul's candidacy. Paul won the low-turnout primary runoff with the assistance of a largely out-of-state free-market network of support, such as his Foundation for Rational Economics and Education
and other market-oriented organizations. Though he continued to maintain his home in Lake Jackson, Texas
, he had run for the coastal 14th Congressional district rather than the 22nd district he had previously represented, due to redistricting borders.
Paul's Democratic opponent in the fall election, trial lawyer Charles "Lefty" Morris, was heavily assisted by the AFL-CIO
and ran numerous attacks. Morris cited Paul's past votes to repeal federal drug laws
in favor of state legislation, and also ran numerous ads about newsletters which had contained derogatory comments published in Paul's name concerning race and other politicians. Paul's campaign replied at the time that voters might not understand the "tongue-in-cheek, academic" quotes out of context, and rejected Morris's demand to release back issues.
Paul's large contributor base outraised Morris two-to-one, giving him nearly $2 million, the third-highest amount of individual contributions received by any House member (behind Gingrich and Bob Dornan
); he was also able to paint Morris as a tool of trial lawyers and big labor. Paul went on to win the election in a close margin of 51% to 48%, the third time he had been elected to Congress as a non-incumbent. Paul recalled later, "Here I am in the Bible belt .... but I convinced them they don't want [government] in their business."
rice farmer and cattle rancher Loy Sneary. Reed, who claimed to be the only Texas-born candidate in the race, had served in local economic development projects and had been appointed to the White House Conference on Small Business; he was endorsed by the AFL-CIO
. Sneary, a self-described "conservative Democrat" and also a former Matagorda County judge, prevailed in the primary; by December 31, 1997, including self-loans, Sneary had outraised Reed by $175,000 to $33,000.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
made the general election its "No. 1 challenge race in the state of Texas". The Texas Farm Bureau
endorsed Sneary and ranked Paul's agricultural record poorly. Sneary also said that Paul's anti-government stance left constituents inadequately represented. Paul ran ads warning voters to be "leery of Sneary". Paul accused Sneary of voting to raise his pay by 5%, increasing his judge's travel budget by 400% in one year, and creating more government bureaucracy by starting a new government agency to handle a license plate fee he enacted. Sneary considered Paul's attack to consist of "half-truths and no truths", claims supported by Austin
TV station KVUE
; his aides replied that he had actually voted to raise all county employees' pay by 5% in a "cost of living" increase. Paul countered that he had never voted to raise Congressional pay.
Paul won the election 55% to 44%, outraising his opponent by a large margin ($2.1 million to $0.7 million).
and major unions had continued targeting Paul with heavy spending.
. Paul's free-market foundation and network of support continued its fundraising strength.
. Paul then won the general election by 20%, entering his tenth term and outraising Shane Sklar $1.2 million to $0.6 million.
for U.S. president. According to Texas law, Paul could run for president without having to relinquish his Congressional seat. In the 2008 primary, he was opposed by Chris Peden, who informally announced his challenge on May 22, 2007. Peden, a certified public accountant
, was elected to the Friendswood
city council in 2005 with 67%, and was chosen as mayor pro tem.
The Victoria Advocate and Galveston County Daily News both endorsed Peden. Paul had a larger national source of funding, while Peden raised more money from the district, the majority of which came from within his own family or loans to himself. Paul won 70% to 30%.
On November 4, 2008, Paul was reelected. The election was uncontested because the Democrats did not run a candidate.
nomination for re-election to the US House. Robert Pruett and Winston Cochran from the Democratic Party
faced a runoff election in April to determine which one will get the nomination, as neither received a majority. Pruett won the run off election with just 52% of the vote, and lost to Paul in the general election.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
is a Congressional district that covers the area south and southwest of the Greater Houston
Greater Houston
Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown is a 10-county metropolitan area defined by the Office of Management and Budget. It is located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas...
region, including Galveston
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
, in the state of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The district was created as a result of the 1900 U.S. Census
United States Census, 1900
The Twelfth United States Census, conducted by the Census Office on June 1, 1900, determined the resident population of the United States to be 76,212,168, an increase of 21.0 percent over the 62,979,766 persons enumerated during the 1890 Census....
and was first contested in 1902. Its first representative—Democrat James L. Slayden, who had served another district in Congress since 1897—began representing the 14th in March 1903 as a member of the 58th United States Congress
58th United States Congress
- House of Representatives :* Republican : 209 * Democratic : 176* Silver Republican : 1TOTAL members: 386-Senate:* President: Vacant* President pro tempore: William P. Frye -Members:...
. Republicans had a handful of victories in this district in the early 20th century, which was remarkable given the heavily Democratic tilt of Texas at the time. The district's ultimate shift to the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
in the 1980s has been attributed to the coattail effect of Ronald Reagan's
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
electoral successes though a handful of Democrats won elections in the 1990s, as well as Houston's suburbs bleeding into the eastern portion of the district. The district's current representative is Ron Paul
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
.
List of representatives
| Representative | Party | Years | District home | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District created | March 4, 1903 | |||
| James L. Slayden | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
March 4, 1903 - March 3, 1919 | San Antonio San Antonio, Texas San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,... |
Redistricted from the . Retired |
| Carlos Bee Carlos Bee Carlos Bee was a U.S. Representative from Texas, great-grandson of Thomas Bee.Born in Saltillo, Mexico, where his parents had moved after the collapse of the Confederacy, Bee returned with his parents to San Antonio, Texas, in 1874.He attended the public schools and the Agricultural and Mechanical... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
March 4, 1919 - March 3, 1921 | San Antonio San Antonio, Texas San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,... |
|
| Harry M. Wurzbach Harry M. Wurzbach Harry McLeary Wurzbach was the first Republican since Reconstruction to represent Texas for more than two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Rep. Robert B. Hawley had previously served as a Republican for a Galveston based congressional district from 1897-1901... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
March 4, 1921 – March 3, 1929 | Lost re-election to McCloskey | |
| Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
March 4, 1929 – February 10, 1930 | Credentials successfully challenged by Wurzbach | ||
| Harry M. Wurzbach Harry M. Wurzbach Harry McLeary Wurzbach was the first Republican since Reconstruction to represent Texas for more than two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Rep. Robert B. Hawley had previously served as a Republican for a Galveston based congressional district from 1897-1901... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
February 10, 1930 – November 6, 1931 | Died | |
| Vacant | November 6, 1931 – November 24, 1931 | |||
| Richard M. Kleberg Richard M. Kleberg Richard Mifflin Kleberg, Sr. , a Democrat, was a seven-term member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas's 14th congressional district over the period 1931–1945 and an heir to the King Ranch in South Texas. He was first elected in 1931 in a special election called due to the... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
November 24, 1931 – January 3, 1945 | Lost renomination to Lyle | |
| John E. Lyle, Jr. John E. Lyle, Jr. John Emmett Lyle, Jr. was a U.S. Representative from Texas.-Early life:Born in Boyd, Texas, Lyle graduated from Wichita Falls High School, Wichita Falls, Texas.... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1955 | ||
| John J. Bell John J. Bell John Junior Bell was a U.S. Representative from Texas.Born in Cuero, Texas, Bell attended the public schools.He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1932 and from its law school in 1936.... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
January 3, 1955 – January 3, 1957 | Lost renomination to Young | |
| John Andrew Young John Andrew Young John Andrew Young was an Democratic politician from Texas who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1957 to 1979.... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
January 3, 1957 – January 3, 1979 | Lost renomination to Wyatt | |
| Joseph P. Wyatt, Jr. Joseph P. Wyatt, Jr. Joseph Peyton Wyatt, Jr. served as a U.S. Representative from Texas.-Biography:Born in Victoria, Wyatt attended the Victoria County public schools.He attended Victoria College, 1964.B.A., University of Texas, 1968.... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1981 | ||
| William N. Patman | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1985 | Lost re-election to Sweeney | |
| Mac Sweeney Mac Sweeney David McCann "Mac" Sweeney is a former Republican Member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas.Born in Wharton, Texas, Sweeney earned his B.A. and J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. In his early political years Sweeney served on the staffs of Republican Senator John G.... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
January 3, 1985 – January 3, 1989 | Lost re-election to Laughlin | |
| Greg Laughlin Greg Laughlin Gregory H. "Greg" Laughlin is a politician from the state of Texas. He is a former member of the United States House of Representatives.... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
January 3, 1989 – June 26, 1995 | Lost renomination to Paul | |
| Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
June 26, 1995 – January 3, 1997 | |||
| Ron Paul Ron Paul Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
January 3, 1997 – present | Surfside Beach Surfside Beach, Texas Surfside Beach is a city in Brazoria County, Texas, United States that is situated on the Gulf of Mexico just west of Galveston Island. The city is part of the Greater Houston area. The population was 763 at the 2000 census... |
Incumbent |
1928
Incumbent Harry M. WurzbachHarry M. Wurzbach
Harry McLeary Wurzbach was the first Republican since Reconstruction to represent Texas for more than two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Rep. Robert B. Hawley had previously served as a Republican for a Galveston based congressional district from 1897-1901...
successfully contested the 1928 election of Augustus McCloskey
Augustus McCloskey
Augustus McCloskey was a U.S. Representative from Texas.Born in San Antonio, Texas, McCloskey attended Atascosa School, St. Joseph's Academy, San Antonio, Texas, and St. Mary's College, San Antonio, Texas. He was employed as a stenographer 1903–1907.He studied law, was admitted to the bar in...
to the 71st United States Congress
71st United States Congress
The Seventy-first United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1929 to March 4, 1931, during the first two years...
, and replaced McCloskey as representative on February 10, 1930.
1996
In "one of the stranger Congressional elections of modern times", incumbent Greg LaughlinGreg Laughlin
Gregory H. "Greg" Laughlin is a politician from the state of Texas. He is a former member of the United States House of Representatives....
switched from the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to the Republican side in 1995, and the Republican National Committee
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
, hoping to encourage other Democrats to switch parties, threw its full support behind Laughlin. Laughlin had support from Republican leaders, including House Speaker Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
and Texas Governor George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, and the National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
and other interest groups. Ron Paul
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
, an ob/gyn and former U.S. Representative from Texas's 22nd congressional district
Texas's 22nd congressional district
Texas District 22 of the United States House of Representatives is the Congressional district that covers a south-central portion of the metropolitan area. It includes the cities of Rosenberg and La Marque as well as portions of Missouri City and Pearland, in Fort Bend, Harris, Galveston, and...
, opposed Laughlin, hopeful of having more influence in Congress after the Republicans took over both houses in the 1994 election
United States House elections, 1994
The 1994 U.S. House of Representatives election was held on November 8, 1994, in the middle of President Bill Clinton's first term. As a result of a 54-seat swing in membership from Democrats to Republicans, the Republican Party gained a majority of seats in the United States House of...
. Though Laughlin defeated Paul in the open primary, a runoff between the two candidates followed.
While Gingrich and other Republican leaders visited the district stumping for Laughlin, Paul ran newspaper ads quoting Gingrich's harsh criticisms of Laughlin's voting record 14 months earlier, before Laughlin had switched parties. Baseball pitcher (and constituent) Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
, a friend of Paul's, served as his honorary campaign chair and appeared in ads for him, and tax activist Steve Forbes
Steve Forbes
Malcolm Stevenson "Steve" Forbes, Jr. is an American editor, publisher, and businessman. He is the editor-in-chief of business magazine Forbes as well as president and chief executive officer of its publisher, Forbes Inc. He was a Republican candidate in the U.S. Presidential primaries in 1996...
also supported Paul's candidacy. Paul won the low-turnout primary runoff with the assistance of a largely out-of-state free-market network of support, such as his Foundation for Rational Economics and Education
Foundation for Rational Economics and Education
The Foundation for Rational Economics and Education is an American nonprofit, nonpartisan foundation dedicated to public education on the principles of the U.S. Constitution, free-market economics, sound money, limited government, and foreign policy. It was founded in 1976 by U.S...
and other market-oriented organizations. Though he continued to maintain his home in Lake Jackson, Texas
Lake Jackson, Texas
Lake Jackson is a city in Brazoria County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of a 2006 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city population was 27,614....
, he had run for the coastal 14th Congressional district rather than the 22nd district he had previously represented, due to redistricting borders.
Paul's Democratic opponent in the fall election, trial lawyer Charles "Lefty" Morris, was heavily assisted by the AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
and ran numerous attacks. Morris cited Paul's past votes to repeal federal drug laws
Prohibition (drugs)
The prohibition of drugs through sumptuary legislation or religious law is a common means of attempting to prevent drug use. Prohibition of drugs has existed at various levels of government or other authority from the Middle Ages to the present....
in favor of state legislation, and also ran numerous ads about newsletters which had contained derogatory comments published in Paul's name concerning race and other politicians. Paul's campaign replied at the time that voters might not understand the "tongue-in-cheek, academic" quotes out of context, and rejected Morris's demand to release back issues.
Paul's large contributor base outraised Morris two-to-one, giving him nearly $2 million, the third-highest amount of individual contributions received by any House member (behind Gingrich and Bob Dornan
Bob Dornan
Robert Kenneth "Bob" Dornan is a Republican and former member of the United States House of Representatives from California and a vocal advocate of pro-life and social conservative causes....
); he was also able to paint Morris as a tool of trial lawyers and big labor. Paul went on to win the election in a close margin of 51% to 48%, the third time he had been elected to Congress as a non-incumbent. Paul recalled later, "Here I am in the Bible belt .... but I convinced them they don't want [government] in their business."
1998
In 1998 Paul again won the Republican primary. The Democratic primary candidates included education professor Margaret Dunn; former congressional aide Roger Elliott; car dealer Tom Reed; and Bay CityBay City, Texas
Bay City is a city in Matagorda County, Texas, United States. The population was 18,667 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Matagorda County. The current mayor is Mark Bricker.-Geography:Bay City is located at...
rice farmer and cattle rancher Loy Sneary. Reed, who claimed to be the only Texas-born candidate in the race, had served in local economic development projects and had been appointed to the White House Conference on Small Business; he was endorsed by the AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
. Sneary, a self-described "conservative Democrat" and also a former Matagorda County judge, prevailed in the primary; by December 31, 1997, including self-loans, Sneary had outraised Reed by $175,000 to $33,000.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States House of Representatives, working to elect Democrats to that body. They play a critical role in recruiting candidates, raising funds, and organizing races in districts that are expected to yield...
made the general election its "No. 1 challenge race in the state of Texas". The Texas Farm Bureau
Texas Farm Bureau
Texas Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization, represents the interests of agricultural producers and rural communities across Texas as the "Voice of Texas Agriculture." Texas Farm Bureau's grassroots structure begins in local communities across the state of Texas...
endorsed Sneary and ranked Paul's agricultural record poorly. Sneary also said that Paul's anti-government stance left constituents inadequately represented. Paul ran ads warning voters to be "leery of Sneary". Paul accused Sneary of voting to raise his pay by 5%, increasing his judge's travel budget by 400% in one year, and creating more government bureaucracy by starting a new government agency to handle a license plate fee he enacted. Sneary considered Paul's attack to consist of "half-truths and no truths", claims supported by Austin
Austin
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...
TV station KVUE
KVUE
KVUE, virtual channel 24 , is the local Austin, Texas-based ABC affiliate, owned by Belo Corporation. Its transmitter is located in West Lake Hills, just west of Downtown...
; his aides replied that he had actually voted to raise all county employees' pay by 5% in a "cost of living" increase. Paul countered that he had never voted to raise Congressional pay.
Paul won the election 55% to 44%, outraising his opponent by a large margin ($2.1 million to $0.7 million).
2000
In 2000, Sneary ran against Paul again, with Paul winning 60% to 40% and raising $2.4 million to Sneary's $1.1 million. As in the prior two elections, the national Democratic PartyDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and major unions had continued targeting Paul with heavy spending.
2002
Paul was re-elected to Congress in 2002. Two Democrats without political experience ran for the primary, but not much support from the Democratic Party was visible. Local Democratic consultant Ed Martin criticized Paul's frequent budget dissents as "180 degrees opposite from" his campaign promises to protect Social SecuritySocial Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
. Paul's free-market foundation and network of support continued its fundraising strength.
2006
In 2006, Paul was opposed in the primary race by Cynthia Sinatra, the ex-wife of Frank Sinatra Jr., son of the legendary singer. Paul won the primary handily with nearly 80%, though his opponent campaigned on Paul's lack of support for President George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. Paul then won the general election by 20%, entering his tenth term and outraising Shane Sklar $1.2 million to $0.6 million.
2008
In March 2007, Paul announced his candidacyRon Paul presidential campaign, 2008
Ron Paul was a Republican Party primary candidate in the 2008 United States presidential election.Initial opinion polls during the first three quarters of 2007 showed Ron Paul consistently receiving support from 3% or less of those polled...
for U.S. president. According to Texas law, Paul could run for president without having to relinquish his Congressional seat. In the 2008 primary, he was opposed by Chris Peden, who informally announced his challenge on May 22, 2007. Peden, a certified public accountant
Certified Public Accountant
Certified Public Accountant is the statutory title of qualified accountants in the United States who have passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and have met additional state education and experience requirements for certification as a CPA...
, was elected to the Friendswood
Friendswood, Texas
Friendswood is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The city lies in Galveston and Harris counties. As of the 2000 U.S...
city council in 2005 with 67%, and was chosen as mayor pro tem.
The Victoria Advocate and Galveston County Daily News both endorsed Peden. Paul had a larger national source of funding, while Peden raised more money from the district, the majority of which came from within his own family or loans to himself. Paul won 70% to 30%.
On November 4, 2008, Paul was reelected. The election was uncontested because the Democrats did not run a candidate.
2010
On March 2, Ron Paul won the Republican PartyRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nomination for re-election to the US House. Robert Pruett and Winston Cochran from the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
faced a runoff election in April to determine which one will get the nomination, as neither received a majority. Pruett won the run off election with just 52% of the vote, and lost to Paul in the general election.