Is Texas Legislature controlled by Democrats or Republicans?
Although members are elected on partisan ballots, both houses of the Legislature are officially organized on a nonpartisan basis, with members of both parties serving in leadership positions such as committee chairmanships. As of 2022, a majority of the members of each chamber are members of the Republican Party.
Partisan Makeup
The Republican Party controls both the Texas State House of Representatives and the Texas State Senate: The Texas State House of Representatives currently has 83 Republicans and 67 Democrats. The Texas State Senate currently has 18 Republicans and 13 Democrats.
Texas is a majority Republican state with Republicans controlling every statewide office. Texas Republicans have majorities in the State House and Senate, an entirely Republican Texas Supreme Court, control of both Senate seats in the US Congress. Texas is America's most-populous Republican state.
Republicans currently hold a majority of seats in the House.
| United States House of Representatives | |
|---|---|
| Political groups | Majority (221) Republican (221) Minority (213) Democratic (213) Vacant (1) Vacant (1) |
| Length of term | 2 years |
| Elections | |
| Voting system | Plurality voting in 46 states Varies in 4 states Alaska & Maine: Instant-runoff voting Georgia & Louisiana: Two-round system |
Since 1994, every statewide elected office has been held by a Republican. Both houses of the Texas Legislature feature Republican majorities. The last time Texas was carried by a Democratic presidential candidate was in 1976, when the state voted for Jimmy Carter.
| Party affiliation | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Republican/lean Rep. | 51% | 49% |
| No lean | 49% | 51% |
| Democrat/lean Dem. | 47% | 53% |
| Governor | Party | Years in Office |
|---|---|---|
| Greg Abbott | Republican | January 20, 2015 - January 19, 2027 |
| Rick Perry 1 | Republican | December 21, 2000 - January 20, 2015 |
| George W. Bush 2 | Republican | January 17, 1995 - December 21, 2000 |
| Ann W. Richards | Democrat | January 15, 1991 - January 17, 1995 |
Wyoming was the most Republican state, with 59% of residents identifying as Republican, and only 25% of residents identifying as Democrat.
The state's current senators are Republicans John Cornyn (serving since 2002) and Ted Cruz (serving since 2013). A total of 27 Democrats, 7 Republicans, and 1 Liberal Republican have served or are serving as U.S. senators from Texas.
How many Republicans and how many Democrats are in the Texas House?
| Legislature | Party totals |
|---|---|
| 88th (2023) | House - Republican 86 Democrat 64 Senate - Republican 19 Democrat 12 |
| 87th (2021) | Senate - Democrat 13 Republican 18 House - Republican 82 Democrat 67 |
As of January 3, 2023: 1st district: Nathaniel Moran (R) (since 2023) 2nd district: Dan Crenshaw (R) (since 2019) 3rd district: Keith Self (R) (since 2023)
House Republicans have 221 seats and Democrats have 213. The GOP took control of the House with a slim majority in the 2022 midterm elections. However, the ouster of George Santos (R) left the NY-03 seat up for grabs in an upcoming special election. [Virtual Event: Election Season 2024.
6 runoff election solidified Democrat's continued control of the U.S. Senate. Earlier results of this November's elections flipped control of the incoming membership of the 2023 U.S. House of Representatives to Republicans.
| 117th United States Congress | |
|---|---|
| Members | 100 senators 435 representatives 6 non-voting delegates |
| Senate majority | Republican (until January 20, 2021) Democratic (from January 20, 2021) |
| Senate President | Mike Pence (R) (until January 20, 2021) Kamala Harris (D) (from January 20, 2021) |
| House majority | Democratic |
Republicans won 222 seats to 213 for Democrats, though one elected Democrat has since died, leaving Democrats with 212 seats. Democrats still control the Senate — with 51 votes instead of last term's 50 plus the tie-breaking Vice President Harris.
Republicans control all statewide Texas offices, both houses of the state legislature and have a majority in the Texas congressional delegation.
The Republic of Texas (Spanish: República de Tejas) was a sovereign state in North America that existed from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846.
Rick Perry is the longest-serving governor, having assumed the governorship in 2000 upon the exit of George W. Bush, who resigned to take office as the 43rd president of the United States. Perry was elected in 2002 and he was re-elected in 2006 and 2010 serving for 14 years before choosing to retire in 2014.
| Favorable | Unfavorable | |
|---|---|---|
| Donald Trump | 41% | 51% |
| Ted Cruz | 41% | 47% |
| Joe Biden | 37% | 53% |
| Ron DeSantis | 35% | 45% |
Has Texas ever been Democrat?
From 1872 through 1976, Texas went Democratic in the vast majority of elections. However, that changed in 1980, and Texas has sided with the Republicans ever since. Having a Bush on the ticket each election from 1980 through 2004 (except 1996) helped make Texas a reliably “red” state.
| Political ideology | Republican/lean Rep. | No lean |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 64% | 14% |
| Moderate | 32% | 19% |
| Liberal | 15% | 22% |
| Don't know | 12% | 62% |
A gradual trend towards increasing social liberalism in the Democratic Party, however, has turned the state (apart from Hispanic South Texas, the Trans-Pecos, and several large cities) into generally a Republican stronghold. Since 1980, Texas has voted for the Republican nominee in every presidential election.
James Edward Ferguson Jr.
(August 31, 1871 – September 21, 1944), known as Pa Ferguson, was an American Democratic politician and the 26th governor of Texas, in office from 1915 to 1917. He was indicted and impeached during his second term, forced to resign and barred from holding further Texas office.
The highest salary currently being accepted is that of New York Governor Kathy Hochul at $225,000. The lowest salaries are those of Maine Governor Janet Mills and Pedro Pierluisi of Puerto Rico at $70,000 each.
