2006 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas

Overview

(*elections in the 15th, 21st, 23rd, 25th, and 28th were conducted under the Nonpartisan blanket primary format)

NOTOC

District 1

Gohmert:
Owen:
Freshman Congressman Louis Gohmert (R-Tyler), elected in 2004 after redistricting in East Texas, faced Roger Owen (D) of Hallsville in the general election, along with Libertarian nominee Donald Perkinson. Gohmert was one of four Republicans who succeeded in defeating incumbent Democrats with help from a controversial redistricting effort orchestrated by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

Predictions

District 2

Poe:
In 2004, Ted Poe (R-Humble) unseated Democrat Nick Lampson after heavy redistricting changed the political landscape, allowing him to win with 55% of the vote. His opponent in November was Democrat Gary Binderim, along with the Libertarian Justo J. Perez.

Predictions

District 3

Incumbent Sam Johnson (R-Plano) faced Dan Dodd, Democrat from McKinney, and Libertarian Christopher J. Claytor in the general election. This district is dominated by the Republican stronghold of Collin County, as well as Garland, another large Dallas suburb.

Endorsements

• Wesley Clark, General, 2004 democratic presidential candidate}}

Predictions

District 4

Hall:
Melancon:
25-year incumbent Ralph Hall (R-Rockwall), who switched from the Democratic Party shortly before the 2004 election, faced Democrat Glenn Melancon of Sherman and Libertarian Kurt G. Helm. Though it is best known as the district of the well known former Speaker Sam Rayburn, and thus a long Democratic stronghold, the southern end of the district consists of Republican-dominated Dallas suburbs.

Endorsements

• Wesley Clark, General, 2004 democratic presidential candidate}}

Predictions

District 5

Hensarling:
Incumbent Jeb Hensarling (R-Dallas) faced Democrat Charlie Thompson of Athens in the general election, along with Libertarian Mike Nelson.

Predictions

District 6

Barton:
Joe Barton (R-Ennis), who has represented the Sixth District since 1985, faced Democrat David T. Harris of Arlington in November, along with Libertarian Carl Nulsen.

Endorsements

• Wesley Clark, General, 2004 democratic presidential candidate}}

Predictions

District 7

Incumbent John Culberson (R-Houston) faced Democratic teacher Jim Henley of Houston and Libertarian Drew Parks in the general election in November. The seventh district is one of the most heavily Republican districts in Texas yet it is mostly urban, as it is also one of the wealthiest districts in the country and includes several affluent areas of Houston, including the Upper Kirby, Uptown, Spring Branch-Memorial, and River Oaks neighborhoods, as well as the cities of West University Place, Bellaire, and Jersey Village.

Predictions

District 8

Brady:
Wright:
Kevin Brady (R-The Woodlands), incumbent Congressman since 1996, faced Democrat James Wright of New Caney in November.

Predictions

District 9

Freshman Democratic Congressman Al Green of Houston faced no opposition to his re-election.

Predictions

District 10

McCaul:
Ankrum:
Incumbent freshman Michael McCaul (R-Austin) faced some minor celebrity in that of 2004 Libertarian presidential nominee Michael Badnarik. Vietnam veteran Ted Ankrum of Houston ran as the Democratic nominee. McCaul was elected with no Democratic opposition in 2004, as the Libertarian candidate captured 15% of the vote (no Libertarian candidate in the entire state garnered more than 4% when running against both major parties). The 10th district spans a large swath of southeast and central Texas from eastern Austin to Harris County west of Houston.

Predictions

District 11

Congressman Mike Conaway (R-Midland) ran unopposed in the general election.

Predictions

District 12

Granger:
Incumbent Congresswoman Kay Granger (R-Fort Worth) faced John R. Morris (D), also of Fort Worth, in the general election. Gardner Osborne received the Libertarian nomination.

Predictions

District 13

Thornberry:
Waun:
Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Amarillo) faced Roger Waun, Democrat from Wichita Falls, in this panhandle race. Jim Thompson represented the Libertarian Party in the election.

Predictions

District 14

Paul:
Sklar:
Congressman Ron Paul, the Republican from Surfside, faced Shane Sklar, Democratic nominee from Edna, to represent this coastal district, which stretches from Victoria and stretches in a northward and eastward direction to Fort Bend and Brazoria counties.

Predictions

District 15

Hinojosa:
Zamora:
Four-term incumbent Congressman Rubén Hinojosa (D-McAllen) ran against Republicans Paul Haring and Eddie Zamora in a special election caused by court-mandated redistricting in South Texas and the redrawing of the district's lines.

Predictions

District 16

Democratic Congressman Silvestre Reyes of El Paso faced third-party opposition in the fall, in the form of Libertarian Gordon Strickland. The 16th District is heavily Democratic and comprises mainly El Paso, which is heavily Hispanic.

Predictions

District 17

Edwards:
Taylor:

Incumbent Chet Edwards (D-Waco) won reelection by a 51% to 48% margin in 2004 after the 2003 Texas redistricting changed his exurban Central Texas district substantially and made it more Republican, he also pulled off the victory despite the fact Bush won the district by a margin of 40%. His district includes Waco and Crawford, the location of George W. Bush's ranch, Prairie Chapel Ranch. With his district stretched to include his alma mater of Texas A&M University, he was able to pull off a narrow victory in 2004. He was also helped by the fact that his opponent, then-State Representative Arlene Wohlgemuth, was nominated only after a nasty, expensive primary. This year, he was challenged by Republican Van Taylor, an attorney and Iraq War veteran from a prominent family in Waco. Guillermo Acosta also ran as the Libertarian nominee.

Endorsements

• Wesley Clark, General, 2004 democratic presidential candidate}}

Predictions

District 18

Incumbent Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Houston) faced Republican Ahmad Hassan to represent this largely Democratic and urban Congressional seat in the heart of Houston. Patrick Warren was the Libertarian nominee.

Predictions

District 19

Neugebauer:
Ricketts: Congressman Randy Neugebauer (R-Lubbock), victorious in 2004 over fellow incumbent Congressman Charlie Stenholm (D-Abilene), faced Democrat Robert Ricketts, also of Lubbock, in November. Fred Jones was on the ballot as the Libertarian nominee.

Predictions

District 20

Charlie Gonzalez (D-San Antonio) defended his Congressional seat against Libertarian Michael Idrogo. His district covers much of inner city San Antonio, which is mostly Hispanic.

Predictions

District 21

Smith:
Lamar S. Smith (R-San Antonio) was running against San Antonio Democrat John Courage in the general election, along with James Arthur Strohm, the Libertarian nominee. The district was changed somewhat in the federal court remapping mandated by the Supreme Court and attracted several new candidates for the special election ensued as a result of the boundary change after the party primaries took place. Candidates included Democratic perennial candidate Gene Kelly, along with Independent candidates Tommy Calvert, James Lyle Peterson, and Mark Rossano. Smith won a majority of votes and avoided a December runoff.

Predictions

District 22

Main article: 2006 Texas's 22nd congressional district election

(write-in) Lampson Retiring incumbent Tom DeLay (R-Sugar Land) had been facing mounting ethical challenges and corruption charges in recent months, and won reelection by a surprisingly small 55% to 41% margin in 2004, even though George W. Bush carried the suburban Houston district with 64%. On September 28, 2005, DeLay was indicted by a grand jury in Travis County. As a result, he felt forced to step down from his post as House Majority Leader. In announcing his plans not to seek reelection, Delay noted his poor poll showing and the constant criticisms he was expecting. DeLay declared himself ineligible for the race on Tuesday, April 4 by attempting to officially change his residence to Virginia. "Those polls showed him beating Democrat Nick Lampson in the general election but in a race that would be too close for comfort, DeLay said." The Galveston County Daily News National, World and Business News | Reuters.com.

DeLay's district faced a strong challenge from former Rep. Nick Lampson, a Democrat whose district he dismantled during the 2003 mid-decade redistricting. Lampson's former district contained much of the eastern area of DeLay's present district.

Libertarian Bob Smither also ran for the 22nd district of Texas. The Republican nomination to replace DeLay was prevented by a court ruling that mandated that DeLay could not be replaced on the ballot. As a result, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, who previously sent out telephone calls encouraging Republicans to vote for DeLay in the primary, called for DeLay's name to be removed from the ballot and replaced with another GOP candidate. The court order was upheld by a panel of the Fifth Circuit Court and appeal to the Supreme Court refused by Justice Antonin Scalia. DeLay then filed to withdraw his name from the ballot to allow the GOP to rally behind another candidate.

The Texas GOP then decided to attempt to rally behind a write-in candidate, choosing Houston City Councilwoman Shelley Sekula-Gibbs during a meeting of precinct chairs in the 22nd district on August 17. The presumed favorite before the denial of the appeal, Sugar Land mayor David Wallace, filed as a write-in candidate with the Texas Secretary of State before the meeting, vowing to run even without the support of the GOP. Sekula-Gibbs picked as write-in candidate

Endorsements

• Wesley Clark, General, 2004 democratic presidential candidate}}

Predictions

District 23

Rodriguez:
Bonilla:
December 12, 2006 (runoff election)

The 23rd district was among five districts holding a special election on November 7, the same day as the general election. The race pitted all certified candidates against one another in each district, regardless of party.

The reason for this arrangement stems from the controversial 2003 Texas redistricting plan which was ruled unconstitutional with respect to the 23rd district by the Supreme Court in League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry. The Court ruled that the plan was a racial gerrymander; specifically that it lowered the Hispanic population percentage in the district to the extent that it unconstitutionally diminished the constituency's political influence. The 23rd had to be redrawn, and, in all, five districts were effected, and all primary results from those districts were vacated. The new lines effected mostly the 23rd and 28th districts.

The incumbent in the 23rd was Congressman Henry Bonilla (R-San Antonio). His opponent originally was Rick Bolanos, 57, Democrat from El Paso, who was to be Bonilla's challenger before the district was redrawn and forced the new elections. As redrawn, however, Bonilla's district included the home of Democratic ex-Congressman Ciro Rodriguez, who jumped into the race, after losing his primary challenge against Henry Cuellar in the 28th district.

Endorsements

• Wesley Clark, General, 2004 democratic presidential candidate}}

Predictions

District 23's election was the only one to advance to a runoff, which was held on December 12.{{Election box begin

District 24

Incumbent Kenny Marchant (R-Coppell), ran to keep his seat in Congress against Democrat Gary Page of Irving and the Libertarian nominee Mark Frohman.

Predictions

District 25

Doggett:

Incumbent Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin) originally was slated to have no major party opposition in the fall. The 25th district formerly stretched from Austin to the Mexican border, but has been redrawn for the 110th Congress to be more compact and completely in the central part of the state.

As this district was redrawn after the party primaries took place, a special election ensued in November, meaning that instead of a plurality required for victory, a majority was required. If no candidate received a majority, the top two contenders would meet in a runoff election in December. He was opposed by Republican Grant Rostig, Libertarian Barbara Cunningham, and Independent Brian Parrett.

Predictions

District 26

Burgess:
Congressman Michael C. Burgess (R-Lewisville) was challenged by Democrat Tim Barnwell of Denton, along with Libertarian Rich Haas. The Denton County-centered district is strongly Republican.

Predictions

District 27

Ortiz:
Vaden: Incumbent Solomon P. Ortiz (D-Corpus Christi) ran for reelection against Republican William Vaden, also of Corpus Christi. They were joined on the ballot by Libertarian Robert Powell.

Predictions

District 28

Cuellar:
Enriquez: Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-Laredo) had no opposition from Republicans in November. However, a recent Supreme Court ruling struck down Texas' 23rd District, which is located next to this district, as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander resulting from the controversial 2003 Texas redistricting efforts coordinated by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and the Republican-controlled legislature.

Cuellar's power base in Laredo was consolidated in the resulting remap and thus will not face Congressman Bonilla, as had been speculated as a scenario. This election was a special election, as the district was drawn after the party primaries, and Cuellar faced fellow Democrat Frank Enriquez and Constitution Party candidate Ron Avery. The Libertarian nominee did not re-file to run in the special election.

Predictions

District 29

Congressman Gene Green (D-Houston) ran against Republican Eric Story, also of Houston, in the November general election. Clifford Lee Messina, a Libertarian, rounded out the ballot. This district contains several heavily Hispanic neighborhoods in inner-city Houston, as well as several blue-collar eastern suburbs of Houston, including Pasadena, Channelview and Baytown, which are home to a strong majority of the Houston area's petrochemical refineries.

Predictions

District 30

Incumbent Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Dallas) faced Republican Wilson Aurbach in the general election, along with Ken Ashby, the Libertarian nominee. The 30th District contains the southern and downtown portions of Dallas, as well as several of its inner southern suburbs. It is heavily Democratic.

Predictions

District 31

Carter:
Congressman John Carter (R-Round Rock) defended his Central Texas Congressional seat in November against Democrat Mary Beth Harrell of Gatesville and Libertarian Matt McAdoo. The largely Republican district consists of many northern Austin suburbs as well as the gigantic Fort Hood military base.

Endorsements

• Wesley Clark, General, 2004 democratic presidential candidate}}

Predictions

District 32

Incumbent Pete Sessions (R-Dallas), who defeated longtime Democratic Congressman and fellow incumbent Martin Frost in a contentious reelection in the 2004 redistricting aftermath, faced Democrat Will Pryor for the right to represent this suburban Dallas district. Joining the two was Libertarian John Hawley.

Endorsements

• Wesley Clark, General, 2004 democratic presidential candidate}}

Predictions

References

References

1. {{cite court. (2006). link
2. "History".
3. "2006 General Election".
4. "2006 Special November Elections".
5. "Special Runoff Election US Representative District 23".
6. (6 November 2006). "2006 Competitive House Race Chart". Cook Political Report.
7. (6 November 2006). "2006 House Ratings". The Rothenberg Political Report.
8. (6 November 2006). "2006 House". Sabato's Crystal Ball.
9. (7 November 2006). "Battle for the House of Representatives". Real Clear Politics.
10. "Balance of Power Scorecard: House". Congressional Quarterly Inc.
11. (13 October 2007). "Dan Dodd (TX-3)". WesPAC.
12. (4 November 2006). "Glenn Melancon (TX-04)". WesPAC.
13. (4 November 2006). "David Harris (TX-06)". WesPAC.
14. (13 October 2007). "Chet Edwards (TX-17)". WesPAC.
15. [https://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electioninfo/2006election.pdf] Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2006
16. (13 October 2007). "Nick Lampson (TX-22)". WesPAC.
17. (13 October 2007). "Lukin Gilliland (TX-23)". WesPAC.
18. (13 October 2007). "Mary Beth Harrell (TX-31)". WesPAC.
19. (13 October 2007). "Will Pryor (TX-32)". WesPAC.