Texas general election, 2006
Encyclopedia
The 2006 Texas General Election was held on Tuesday, 7 November 2006, in the U.S.
state of Texas
. Voters statewide elected the Governor
, Lieutenant Governor
, Attorney General
, Comptroller of Public Accounts
, Commissioner of the General Land Office, Commissioner of Agriculture, and one Railroad Commissioner
. Statewide judicial offices up for election were the chief justice
and four justices of the Texas Supreme Court
, and the presiding judge and two judges of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
.
The Texas United States Senate election, 2006 and the Texas United States House elections, 2006
were conducted as part of the Texas General Election.
Democratic
and Republican
candidates were selected in party primaries
held 7 March 2006. In races without a majority, the runoff elections were held on 11 April 2006.
Libertarian
candidates were selected at the Texas Libertarian Convention 10 June 2006 in Houston
(the Libertarian Party does not use a primary system to select candidates).
Independent candidates had 60 days after the primaries are over (from 8 March, one day after the primary election, to 11 May 2006) to collect the necessary signatures to secure a place on the ballot. For statewide elections, state law proscribes the collection of one percent of voters casting ballots in the prior gubernatorial election (for 2006, this equates to 45,540 signatures) from registered voters that did not vote in either primary or any runoffs. If there was a primary runoff for the office an independent candidate is seeking, the petition process shrank to only 30 days, from 12 April (one day after the runoff elections) to 11 May 2006.http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/elections/2006/stories/030806dnmetvote.f8ebc5.html
Libertarian : Tom Oxford
Green (Write-in) : Charles E. Waterbury
, Incumbent
Democrat : William E. Moody
Libertarian : Wade Wilson
, Incumbent
Libertarian : Jerry Adkins
, Incumbent
Libertarian : Todd Phillipp
Independent (declared) : Petition deadline has passed for ballot access, but may run as write-in candidate
Libertarian : Jay H. Cookingham
Libertarian : Quanah Parker
seats and all 150 Texas House of Representatives
seats are up for election in 2006. The senators and representatives elected in 2006 will serve in the Eightieth Texas Legislature
, while the senators will also serve in the Eighty-first Texas Legislature
.
are contested to some extent. In the District 3
race, Robert Nichols
won his Republican
primary
and will be unopposed in the fall election.
There will be at least five new members of the Senate. These current senators will not return:
, 118 of the 150 seats will be contested in the November 2006 election. Thirty races will be uncontested after the primary elections on 7 March 2006; the remaining two will be determined in the primary runoffs on 11 April 2006.
There will be at least 20 new members of the House of Representatives. Two Democratic and five Republican incumbents were defeated in the primaries. These current representatives will not return:
Democrat : Rick Agosto
Libertarian : Bill Oliver
, Incumbent
Democrat : Maggie Charleton
Libertarian : Martin Thomen
Libertarian : Matthew Havener
Libertarian : Brandon Stacker
Democrat : Jim Sharp
Democrat : Ben Franks
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
. Voters statewide elected the Governor
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
, Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Texas
The Lieutenant Governor of Texas is the second-highest executive office in the government of Texas, a state in the U.S. It is the second most powerful post in Texas government because its occupant controls the work of the Texas Senate and controls the budgeting process as a leader of the...
, Attorney General
Texas Attorney General
The Texas Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of Texas.The department has offices at the William P. Clements State Office Building at 300 West 15th Street in Austin.-History:...
, Comptroller of Public Accounts
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts is an executive branch position created by the Texas Constitution. As with nearly every other executive branch head, the Comptroller is popularly elected every four years concurrently with the Governor and the other elected executive branch positions...
, Commissioner of the General Land Office, Commissioner of Agriculture, and one Railroad Commissioner
Railroad Commission of Texas
The Railroad Commission of Texas is the state agency that regulates the oil and gas industry, gas utilities, pipeline safety, safety in the liquefied petroleum gas industry, and surface coal and uranium mining .Established by the Texas Legislature in 1891, it is the state's oldest regulatory...
. Statewide judicial offices up for election were the chief justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
and four justices of the Texas Supreme Court
Texas Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Texas is the court of last resort for non-criminal matters in the state of Texas. A different court, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, is the court of last resort for criminal matters.The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices...
, and the presiding judge and two judges of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the court of last resort for all criminal matters in the State of Texas, United States. The Court, which is based in the Supreme Court Building in Downtown Austin, is composed of a Presiding Judge and eight judges....
.
The Texas United States Senate election, 2006 and the Texas United States House elections, 2006
Texas United States House elections, 2006
The 2006 midterm elections were held on November 7, 2006. All 32 House seats in the United States Congress from Texas were up for election.-Overview:...
were conducted as part of the Texas General Election.
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...
and 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...
candidates were selected in party primaries
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
held 7 March 2006. In races without a majority, the runoff elections were held on 11 April 2006.
Libertarian
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
candidates were selected at the Texas Libertarian Convention 10 June 2006 in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
(the Libertarian Party does not use a primary system to select candidates).
Independent candidates had 60 days after the primaries are over (from 8 March, one day after the primary election, to 11 May 2006) to collect the necessary signatures to secure a place on the ballot. For statewide elections, state law proscribes the collection of one percent of voters casting ballots in the prior gubernatorial election (for 2006, this equates to 45,540 signatures) from registered voters that did not vote in either primary or any runoffs. If there was a primary runoff for the office an independent candidate is seeking, the petition process shrank to only 30 days, from 12 April (one day after the runoff elections) to 11 May 2006.http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/elections/2006/stories/030806dnmetvote.f8ebc5.html
United States Senator
Governor
Lieutenant governor
Attorney general
Comptroller of Public Accounts
Commissioner of the General Land Office
Commissioner of Agriculture
Railroad Commissioner
Chief Justice, Unexpired term
Republican : Wallace Jefferson, IncumbentLibertarian : Tom Oxford
Green (Write-in) : Charles E. Waterbury
Justice, Place 2
Republican : Don WillettDon Willett
Don R. Willett is a Justice on the Supreme Court of Texas. He was appointed by Governor Rick Perry on August 24, 2005 to fill the vacancy created when former Justice Priscilla Owen joined the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit...
, Incumbent
Democrat : William E. Moody
Libertarian : Wade Wilson
Justice, Place 4
Republican : David M. MedinaDavid M. Medina
David Michael Medina is a Justice of the Texas Supreme Court. He serves in the Place 4 position. He was elected to a full-term in 2006; his term will expire in January 2013, with elections during 2012....
, Incumbent
Libertarian : Jerry Adkins
Justice, Place 6
Republican : Nathan HechtNathan Hecht
Nathan L. Hecht is a Justice of the Texas Supreme Court. Hecht, a Republican, was elected to the Texas Supreme Court in 1988 and reelected in 1994, 2000, and 2006. With over 18 years of service, Hecht is currently the most senior Justice of the Court. He was re-elected to a fourth six-year term...
, Incumbent
Libertarian : Todd Phillipp
Independent (declared) : Petition deadline has passed for ballot access, but may run as write-in candidate
-
- William W. McNeal
Justice, Place 8, Unexpired term
Republican : Phil Johnson, IncumbentLibertarian : Jay H. Cookingham
Judge, Place 7
Republican : Barbara Parker Hervey, IncumbentLibertarian : Quanah Parker
Legislative elections
Sixteen Texas SenateTexas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
seats and all 150 Texas House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
seats are up for election in 2006. The senators and representatives elected in 2006 will serve in the Eightieth Texas Legislature
Eightieth Texas Legislature
The Eightieth Texas Legislature met in regular session beginning 9 January 2007. All members of the House of Representatives and 16 members of the Senate were up for election on 7 November 2006 in the Texas Legislature election....
, while the senators will also serve in the Eighty-first Texas Legislature
Eighty-first Texas Legislature
The 81st Texas Legislature began meeting in regular session on 11 January 2009. The regular session adjourned sine die on June 1, 2009.Rick Perry, the Governor of Texas, called a special session of the Legislature on July 1, 2009...
.
Texas Senate
Fifteen of the sixteen elections for the Texas SenateTexas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
are contested to some extent. In the 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...
race, Robert Nichols
Robert Nichols (Texas politician)
Robert Nichols is the Republican senator for the 3rd District in the Texas Senate.-Early years:Robert Nichols graduated from Lamar University with a degree in Industrial Engineering in 1968...
won his 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...
primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
and will be unopposed in the fall election.
There will be at least five new members of the Senate. These current senators will not return:
| District | Outgoing Senator | Party | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
Todd Staples Todd Staples Douglas Todd Staples is the current Republican Commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture. Prior to his election in 2006 as Agriculture Commissioner, he had been a member of both houses of the Texas State Legislature and formerly served on the city council in Palestine, Texas.Staples was... |
Republican | Elected Texas Commissioner of Agriculture |
| 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:... |
Jon Lindsay Jon Lindsay Jon Stephen Lindsay is a former Republican member of the Texas Senate, having represented the 7th District from 1997 to 2007.He was succeeded in 2007 by fellow Republian Dan Patrick.-2002:-2000:-1996:... |
Republican | Did not run |
| 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:... |
Gonzalo Barrientos Gonzalo Barrientos Gonzalo Barrientos, Jr. is a former Democratic member of the Texas Senate representing the 14th District from 1985 to 2007. He was also a member of the Texas House of Representatives from Austin from 1975 to 1985.-2002:-2000:... |
Democrat | Did not run |
| 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... |
Kenneth L. Armbrister | Democrat | Did not run |
| 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... |
Frank L. Madla Frank L. Madla Frank Lloyd Madla, Jr. , was for thirty-three years a Democratic member of both the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas State Senate from south San Antonio... |
Democrat | Defeated in primary |
Texas House of Representatives
In the Texas House of RepresentativesTexas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
, 118 of the 150 seats will be contested in the November 2006 election. Thirty races will be uncontested after the primary elections on 7 March 2006; the remaining two will be determined in the primary runoffs on 11 April 2006.
There will be at least 20 new members of the House of Representatives. Two Democratic and five Republican incumbents were defeated in the primaries. These current representatives will not return:
| District | Representative | Party | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Roy Blake, Jr. | Republican | Lost in primary |
| 16 | Ruben Hope, Jr. | Republican | Did not run |
| 28 | Glenn Hegar Glenn Hegar Glenn Allen Hegar, Jr. is a Republican member of the Texas Senate representing the 18th District. Hegar formerly represented the 28th District in the Texas House. Senator Hegar, the youngest member of the Texas Senate, is a sixth generation Texan who farms on land that has been in his family since... |
Republican | Running for Texas Senate, District 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... |
| 33 | Vilma Luna | Democrat | Withdrew from race after nomination |
| 38 | Jim Solis | Democrat | Did not run |
| 47 | Terry Keel Terry Keel Terrence McCauley "Terry" Keel , is a founding partner of the Keel & Nassour law firm in Austin, and he served as the Parliamentarian of the Texas House of Representatives from May 25, 2007 until January 13, 2009. He was appointed by Speaker Tom Craddick of Midland... |
Republican | Unsuccessful bid for Judge, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Texas Court of Criminal Appeals The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the court of last resort for all criminal matters in the State of Texas, United States. The Court, which is based in the Supreme Court Building in Downtown Austin, is composed of a Presiding Judge and eight judges.... , Place 8 |
| 54 | Suzanna Gratia Hupp | Republican | Did not run |
| 63 Texas House of Representatives, District 63 District 63 is a district of the Texas House of Representatives that serves a portion of Denton County. The current representative for District 63 is Republican Tan Parker, who was elected in 2006.-District description:... |
Mary Denny | Republican | Did not run |
| 71 | Bob Hunter | Republican | Did not run |
| 72 | Scott Campbell | Republican | Lost in primary |
| 73 | Carter Casteel | Republican | Lost in primary |
| 85 | Pete Laney Pete Laney James E. "Pete" Laney is a U.S. Democratic Party politician from West Texas. He was a member of the Texas House of Representatives for 34 years from Hale Center . Laney served as Speaker for ten years from 1993 to 2003, a record matching that set by his predecessor, fellow Democrat Gibson D... |
Democrat | Did not run |
| 91 | Bob E. Griggs | Republican | Did not run |
| 94 | Kent Grusendorf Kent Grusendorf Darryl Kent Grusendorf is a businessman and investor from Austin, Texas, who served as a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 94 from 1987 to 2007, while he resided in Arlington in Tarrant County. He was unseated in the 2006 party primary.-Background:Grusendorf was... |
Republican | Lost in primary |
| 101 | Elvira Reyna | Republican | Lost in primary |
| 110 | Jesse W. Jones | Democrat | Lost in primary |
| 118 | Charlie Uresti Carlos Uresti Carlos Ismael "Charlie" Uresti is a prominent San Antonio attorney practicing throughout the State of Texas in the areas of Family Law, Civil Litigation, Criminal Litigation, Personal Injury and Wrongful Death. As a Democrat, he is a member of the Texas State Senate representing Senate District 19... |
Democrat | Running for Texas Senate, District 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... |
| 126 | Peggy Hamric | Republican | Unsuccessful bid for Texas Senate, District 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:... |
| 133 | Joe Nixon | Republican | Unsuccessful bid for Texas Senate, District 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:... |
| 146 | Al Edwards Al Edwards Albert "Al" Edwards is a former member of the Texas Legislature representing District 146. As a senior member of the State Legislature, Al Edwards served on three of the most influential Committees... |
Democrat | Lost in primary |
Member, State Board of Education, District 3
Republican : Tony CunninghamDemocrat : Rick Agosto
Member, State Board of Education, District 5
Republican : Ken MercerLibertarian : Bill Oliver
Bill Oliver
-External links:...
Member, State Board of Education, District 9
Republican : Don McLeroyDon McLeroy
John Donald "Don" McLeroy is a dentist in Bryan, Texas and a departing Republican member of the Texas State Board of Education, which establishes policy for the Texas public school system. Dr. McLeroy, who represents SBOE District 9 , has been on the board since 1998...
, Incumbent
Democrat : Maggie Charleton
Member, State Board of Education, District 10
Republican : Cynthia DunbarCynthia Dunbar
Cynthia Noland Dunbar is an American lawyer and author in Richmond, Texas who served as a Republican on the Texas State Board of Education, which establishes policy for the Texas public school system, from 2007 to 2011...
Libertarian : Martin Thomen
Member, State Board of Education, District 12
Republican : Geraldine “Tincy” Miller, IncumbentLibertarian : Matthew Havener
Member, State Board of Education, District 15
Republican : Bob Craig, IncumbentLibertarian : Brandon Stacker
Place 9
Republican : Elsa Alcala, IncumbentDemocrat : Jim Sharp
Jim Sharp (justice)
James Patrick Sharp, jr. is a justice of the First Texas Court of Appeals, serving since January 2009. Sharp, a Dallas native, is the court's only Democrat, and is currently running for a spot on the Texas Supreme Court.-External links:* *...
Place 2
Republican : Bailey C. MoseleyDemocrat : Ben Franks
Ben Franks
Ben Franks is a rugby union player for the Crusaders in the Super Rugby competition and All Blacks. He plays as a prop.-Provincial:Franks made his provincial debut for Canterbury against Otago in 2005...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bailey C. Moseley | 92,334 | 58.18 |
| Democrat | Ben Franks | 66,351 | 41.81 |
See also
- United States midterm elections, 2006
- United States congressional elections, 2006
- United States Senate elections, 2006United States Senate elections, 2006Elections for the United States Senate were held on November 7, 2006, with 33 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate being contested. Senators are elected for six-year terms, with one third of the Senate seats up for a vote every two years. The term of office for those elected in 2006 runs...
- United States House elections, 2006United States House elections, 2006- House of Representatives prior to the election :As of November 7, 2006, the U.S. House of the 109th Congress was composed of 229 Republicans, 201 Democrats and 1 Independent . There were also four vacancies...
- United States Senate elections, 2006
- United States gubernatorial elections, 2006United States gubernatorial elections, 2006The U.S. 2006 gubernatorial elections were held on November 7, 2006 in 36 states, with 22 of the seats held by Republicans and 14 by Democrats....
- United States congressional elections, 2006