1978 United States Senate election in Texas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1978 United States Senate election in Texas was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator John Tower narrowly won re-election to a fourth term. This is the closest that a Texas Democrat has come to defeating an incumbent Republican U.S. Senator.[1]
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November 7, 1978
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 County results Tower: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Krueger: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Tie: 50% | |||||||||||||||||
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Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- John G. Tower, incumbent U.S. Senator since 1961
Declined
- Hank Grover, former State Senator (1967-1973) and candidate for Governor of Texas in 1972[2]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Tower (incumbent) | 142,202 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 142,202 | 100.00% | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Bob Krueger, U.S. Representative from New Braunfels since 1975
Eliminated in primary
- Joe Christie, former State Senator from El Paso (1967–1973)
Campaign
Krueger and Christie presented a choice between moderate institutionalism and consumer-focused populism; while Krueger emphasized his expertise in energy deregulation, Christie campaigned on utility reform and opposition to rising electricity rates.[4]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bob Krueger | 853,460 | 54.67 | |
| Democratic | Joe Christie | 707,738 | 45.33 | |
| Total votes | 1,561,198 | 100.0 | ||
General election
Campaign
Krueger held a narrow lead in the polls late in the race, although the race was considered to be a 'toss-up.' On the issues, Tower attacked Krueger for voting for a constitutional amendment that would have granted U.S. senators to the District of Columbia, while Krueger attacked Tower for being an ineffective representative and a drunk. As a result of the charge, Tower refused to shake Krueger's hand at a joint appearance.[6]
Results
Republicans celebrated the result in this election year as the 'best in a century' despite the narrow win. One analysis in The New York Times cites the growing urban middle-class voters in Houston who migrated from the Northeast as the reason for Tower being able to pull ahead and win.[7]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Tower (incumbent) | 1,151,376 | 49.79% | |
| Democratic | Bob Krueger | 1,139,149 | 49.26% | |
| Raza Unida | Luis Diaz de Leon | 17,869 | 0.77% | |
| Socialist Workers | Miguel Pendas | 4,018 | 0.17% | |
| Write-in | 128 | 0.01% | ||
| Total votes | 2,312,540 | 100.0% | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
