1976 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas
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The 1976 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas occurred on November 2, 1976, to elect the members of the state of Texas's delegation to the United States House of Representatives. Texas had twenty-four seats in the House apportioned according to the 1970 United States census.[1]
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November 2, 1976
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All 24 Texas seats to the United States House of Representatives | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Texas underwent mid-decade redistricting as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court case White v. Weiser. The court's modified districts were used in 1974. In 1975, the Texas Legislature modified the boundaries District 2 and District 6 to move the town of Streetman, which is on the border of Navarro County and Freestone County, fully within the boundaries of District 6.[2][3]
These elections occurred simultaneously with the United States Senate elections of 1976, the United States House elections in other states, the presidential election, and various state and local elections.
Democrats maintained their majority of U.S. House seats from Texas, gaining two seats from the Republicans, increasing their majority to twenty-two out of twenty-four seats.[4]
Overview
| 1976 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas[5] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | Percentage | Seats before | Seats after | +/– | |
| Democratic | 2,368,543 | 65.38% | 20 | 22 | +2 | |
| Republican | 1,277,960 | 35.27% | 4 | 2 | -2 | |
| American | 13,960 | 0.39% | 0 | 0 | - | |
| La Raza Unida | 2,515 | 0.07% | 0 | 0 | - | |
| Socialist Workers | 735 | 0.02% | 0 | 0 | - | |
| Totals | 3,622,918 | 100.00% | 24 | 24 | - | |
Congressional districts
District 1
Incumbent Democrat Wright Patman, the Dean of the House, died on March 7, 1976.[6] This prompted a special election to be held, which was won by fellow Democrat Sam B. Hall.[7]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sam B. Hall (incumbent) | 135,384 | 83.72 | |
| Republican | James Hogan | 26,334 | 16.28 | |
| Total votes | 161,718 | 100 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 2
Incumbent Democrat Charlie Wilson ran for re-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Charlie Wilson (incumbent) | 133,910 | 95.04 | |
| American | James Doyle | 6,992 | 4.96 | |
| Total votes | 140,902 | 100 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 3
Incumbent Republican James M. Collins ran for re-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | James M. Collins (incumbent) | 171,343 | 74.04 | |
| Democratic | Les Shackelford | 60,070 | 25.96 | |
| Total votes | 231,413 | 100 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 4
Incumbent Democrat Ray Roberts ran for re-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ray Roberts (incumbent) | 105,394 | 62.72 | |
| Republican | Frank Glenn | 62,641 | 37.28 | |
| Total votes | 168,035 | 100 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 5
Incumbent Republican Alan Steelman retired to run for U.S. Senator.[8]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jim Mattox | 67,871 | 53.97 | |
| Republican | Nancy Judy | 56,056 | 44.57 | |
| American | Sam McDonnell | 1,841 | 1.46 | |
| Total votes | 125,768 | 100 | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||
District 6
Incumbent Democrat Olin E. Teague ran for re-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Olin E. Teague (incumbent) | 119,025 | 65.93 | |
| Republican | Wes Mowery | 60,316 | 33.41 | |
| American | Harley Pinon | 1,193 | 0.66 | |
| Total votes | 180,534 | 100 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 7
Incumbent Republican Bill Archer ran for re-election unopposed.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bill Archer (incumbent) | 193,127 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 193,127 | 100 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 8
Incumbent Democrat Bob Eckhardt ran for re-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bob Eckhardt (incumbent) | 84,404 | 60.65 | |
| Republican | Nick Gearhart | 54,566 | 39.21 | |
| Socialist Workers | Gene Lantz | 193 | 0.14 | |
| Total votes | 139,163 | 100 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 9
Incumbent Democrat Jack Brooks ran for re-election unopposed.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jack Brooks (incumbent) | 112,945 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 112,945 | 100 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 10
Incumbent Democrat J. J. Pickle ran for re-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | J. J. Pickle (incumbent) | 160,683 | 76.82 | |
| Republican | Paul McClure | 48,482 | 23.18 | |
| Total votes | 209,165 | 100 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 11
Incumbent Democrat William R. Poage ran for re-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | William R. Poage (incumbent) | 92,142 | 57.40 | |
| Republican | Jack Burgess | 68,373 | 42.60 | |
| Total votes | 160,515 | 100 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 12
Incumbent Democrat Jim Wright ran for re-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jim Wright (incumbent) | 101,814 | 75.83 | |
| Republican | W. R. Durham | 31,941 | 23.79 | |
| American | Larry Kutchinski | 504 | 0.38 | |
| Total votes | 134,259 | 100 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 13
Incumbent Democrat Jack Hightower ran for re-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jack Hightower (incumbent) | 101,798 | 59.30 | |
| Republican | Bob Price | 69,328 | 40.38 | |
| American | William Hathcock | 547 | 0.32 | |
| Total votes | 171,673 | 100 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 14
Incumbent Democrat John Andrew Young ran for re-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John Andrew Young (incumbent) | 93,589 | 61.42 | |
| Republican | L. Dean Holford | 58,788 | 38.58 | |
| Total votes | 152,377 | 100 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 15
Incumbent Democrat Kika de la Garza ran for re-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kika de la Garza (incumbent) | 102,837 | 74.37 | |
| Republican | Lendy McDonald | 35,446 | 25.63 | |
| Total votes | 138,283 | 100 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 16
Incumbent Democrat Richard Crawford White ran for re-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Richard Crawford White (incumbent) | 71,876 | 57.79 | |
| Republican | Vic Shackelford | 52,499 | 42.21 | |
| Total votes | 124,375 | 100 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 17
Incumbent Democrat Omar Burleson ran for re-election unopposed.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Omar Burleson (incumbent) | 127,613 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 127,613 | 100 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 18
Incumbent Democrat Barbara Jordan ran for re-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Barbara Jordan (incumbent) | 93,953 | 85.51 | |
| Republican | Sam Wright | 15,381 | 14.00 | |
| Socialist Workers | Sylvia Zapata | 542 | 0.49 | |
| Total votes | 109,876 | 100 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 19
Incumbent Democrat George H. Mahon ran for re-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | George H. Mahon (incumbent) | 87,908 | 54.64 | |
| Republican | Jim Reese | 72,991 | 45.36 | |
| Total votes | 160,899 | 100 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 20
Incumbent Democrat Henry B. González ran for re-election unopposed.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Henry B. Gonzalez (incumbent) | 90,173 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 90,173 | 100 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 21
Incumbent Democrat Bob Krueger ran for re-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bob Krueger (incumbent) | 149,395 | 71.04 | |
| Republican | Bobby Locke | 56,211 | 26.73 | |
| Raza Unida | Ramon Carrillo | 2,515 | 1.20 | |
| American | Ed Gallion | 2,179 | 1.03 | |
| Total votes | 210,300 | 100 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 22
Incumbent Democrat Robert R. Casey resigned to become commissioner to the United States Maritime Commission.[9] This prompted a special election to be held. Republican Ron Paul won the election in a runoff against former State Senator Robert Gammage, running primarily on Libertarian economic issues, flipping the district.[10][11] He ran for re-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Robert Gammage | 96,535 | 50.07 | |
| Republican | Ron Paul (incumbent) | 96,267 | 49.93 | |
| Total votes | 192,802 | 100 | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||
District 23
Incumbent Democrat Abraham Kazen ran for re-election unopposed.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Abraham Kazen (incumbent) | 96,481 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 96,481 | 100 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 24
Incumbent Democrat Dale Milford ran for re-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dale Milford (incumbent) | 82,743 | 63.39 | |
| Republican | Leo Berman | 47,075 | 36.07 | |
| American | Earl Armstrong | 704 | 0.54 | |
| Total votes | 130,522 | 100 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||