Texas general election, 2006

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.

United States Senator

2006 United States Senate election, Texas
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison (inc.) 2,661,789 61.7 -3.3
Democratic Barbara Ann Radnofsky 1,555,202 36.0 +3.6
Libertarian Scott Jameson 97,672 2.3 +1.1
Majority 1,106,587 25.7
Turnout 4,314,663
Republican hold Swing

Governor

Texas general election, 2006: Governor[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Rick Perry (incumbent) 1,716,803 39.03 -18.78
Democratic Chris Bell 1,310,353 29.79 -10.17
Independent Carole Keeton Strayhorn 797,577 18.13
Independent Richard “Kinky” Friedman 546,869 12.43
Libertarian James Werner 26,748 0.61 -0.86
Write-in James “Patriot” Dillon 718 0.02
Majority 406,450 9.24
Turnout 4,399,068 -3.40
Republican hold

Lieutenant governor

2006 election for Lieutenant Governor
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican David Dewhurst (inc.) 2,513,530 58.19
Democratic Maria Luisa Alvarado 1,617,490 37.44
Libertarian Judy Baker 188,206 4.35
Majority 896,040 20.75
Turnout 4,319,226
Republican hold Swing

Attorney general

2006 election for Attorney General
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Greg Abbott (inc.) 2,556,063 59.51
Democratic David Van Os 1,599,069 37.23
Libertarian Jon Roland 139,668 3.25
Majority 956,994 22.28
Turnout 4,294,800
Republican hold Swing

Comptroller of Public Accounts

2006 election for Comptroller of Public Accounts
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Susan Combs 2,547,323 59.47
Democratic Fred Head 1,585,362 37.01
Libertarian Mike Burris 150,565 3.51
Majority 961,961 22.46
Turnout 4,283,250
Republican hold Swing

Commissioner of the General Land Office

2006 election for Commissioner of the General Land Office
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jerry E. Patterson (inc.) 2,317,554 55.13
Democratic VaLinda Hathcox 1,721,964 40.96
Libertarian Michael A. French 164,098 3.90
Majority 595,590 14.17
Turnout 4,203,616
Republican hold Swing

Commissioner of Agriculture

Texas general election, 2006: Texas Commissioner of Agriculture[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Todd Staples 2,307,406 54.77 -4.77
Democratic Hank Gilbert 1,760,402 41.79 +3.97
Libertarian Clay Woolam 144,989 3.44 +2.26
Majority 547,004 12.98 -8.74
Turnout 4,212,797 -4.85
Republican hold

Railroad Commissioner

2006 election for Railroad Commissioner
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Elizabeth Ames Jones (inc.) 2,269,743 54.03
Democratic Dale Henry 1,752,947 41.73
Libertarian Tabitha Serrano 177,648 4.22
Majority 516,796 12.3
Turnout 4,200,338
Republican hold Swing

Texas Supreme Court

Chief Justice, Unexpired term

Republican 
Wallace Jefferson, Incumbent
Libertarian 
Tom Oxford
Green (Write-in) 
Charles E. Waterbury

Justice, Place 2

Republican 
Don Willett, Incumbent
Democrat 
William E. Moody
Libertarian 
Wade Wilson

Justice, Place 4

Republican 
David M. Medina, Incumbent
Libertarian 
Jerry Adkins

Justice, Place 6

Republican 
Nathan Hecht, 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, Incumbent
Libertarian 
Jay H. Cookingham

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

Presiding Judge

Republican 
Sharon Keller, Incumbent
Democrat 
J.R. Molina

Judge, Place 7

Republican 
Barbara Parker Hervey, Incumbent
Libertarian 
Quanah Parker

Judge, Place 8

Republican 
Charles Holcomb, Incumbent
Libertarian 
Dave Howard

Legislative elections

Sixteen Texas Senate 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.

Texas Senate

Fifteen of the sixteen elections for the Texas Senate 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:

District Outgoing Senator Party Reason
3 Todd Staples Republican Elected Texas Commissioner of Agriculture
7 Jon Lindsay Republican Did not run
14 Gonzalo Barrientos Democrat Did not run
18 Kenneth L. Armbrister Democrat Did not run
19 Frank L. Madla Democrat Defeated in primary

Texas House of Representatives

In the Texas House of Representatives, 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 Republican Running for Texas Senate, District 18
33 Vilma Luna Democrat Withdrew from race after nomination
38 Jim Solis Democrat Did not run
47 Terry Keel Republican Unsuccessful bid for Judge, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 8
54 Suzanna Gratia Hupp Republican Did not run
63 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 Democrat Did not run
91 Bob E. Griggs Republican Did not run
94 Kent Grusendorf Republican Lost in primary
101 Elvira Reyna Republican Lost in primary
110 Jesse W. Jones Democrat Lost in primary
118 Charlie Uresti Democrat Running for Texas Senate, District 19
126 Peggy Hamric Republican Unsuccessful bid for Texas Senate, District 7
133 Joe Nixon Republican Unsuccessful bid for Texas Senate, District 7
146 Al Edwards Democrat Lost in primary

State Board of Education

Only contested elections are listed.

Member, State Board of Education, District 3

Republican 
Tony Cunningham
Democrat 
Rick Agosto

Member, State Board of Education, District 5

Republican 
Ken Mercer
Libertarian 
Bill Oliver

Member, State Board of Education, District 9

Republican 
Don McLeroy, Incumbent
Democrat 
Maggie Charleton

Member, State Board of Education, District 10

Republican 
Cynthia Dunbar
Libertarian 
Martin Thomen

Member, State Board of Education, District 12

Republican 
Geraldine “Tincy” Miller, Incumbent
Libertarian 
Matthew Havener

Member, State Board of Education, District 15

Republican 
Bob Craig, Incumbent
Libertarian 
Brandon Stacker

Courts of Appeal District elections

Only contested elections are listed.

1st Court of Appeals District

Place 9

Republican 
Elsa Alcala, Incumbent
Democrat 
Jim Sharp

3rd Court of Appeals District

Place 2

Republican 
Alan Waldrop, Incumbent
Democrat 
Jim Sybert Coronado

Place 5

Republican 
David Puryear, Incumbent
Democrat 
Mina A. Brees

Place 6

Republican 
Bob Pemberton, Incumbent
Democrat 
Bree Buchanan

4th Court of Appeals District

Place 3

Republican 
Rebecca Simmons, Incumbent
Democrat 
Richard Garcia, Jr.

Place 4

Republican 
Steve Hilbig
Democrat 
Dan Pozza

Place 5

Republican 
Karen Angelini, Incumbent
Democrat 
Lauro A. Bustamante

Place 7

Republican 
Phylis Speedlin, Incumbent
Democrat 
Eddie DeLaGarza

6th Court of Appeals District

Place 2

Republican 
Bailey C. Moseley
Democrat 
Ben Franks
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bailey C. Moseley 92,334 58.18
Democrat Ben Franks 66,351 41.81

13th Court of Appeals District

Place 2

Democrat 
Federico "Fred" Hinojosa, Incumbent
Republican 
Rose Vela

14th Court of Appeals District

Place 6

Republican 
Richard Edelman, Incumbent
Democrat 
Leora T. Kahn

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "2006 General Election". Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). Retrieved 2007-01-02.

See also