2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas
The 2010 US congressional elections in Texas were held on November 2, 2010 to determine who will represent the state of Texas in the United States House of Representatives. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected served in the 112th Congress from January 2011 until January 2013.
With 27% of the voting age public turning out, the Republican Party won 23 seats and the Democratic Party won 9 seats. Three house seats changed parties this election, with the 17th, 23rd, and 27th districts all flipping from Democratic to Republican seats.
Overview
Results of the 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas by district:District 1
Republican incumbent Louie Gohmert ran for reelection.- Campaign contributions from Center for Responsive Politics
- Race profile at The New York Times
District 2
Republican incumbent Ted Poe ran for reelection.- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.org
- Race profile at The New York Times
District 3
- Republican candidate Sam Johnson is the incumbent since 1991. In 2010, Johnson faced Independent Emma Berry, Democrat John Lingenfelder and Libertarian Christopher J. Claytor.
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.org
- Race profile at The New York Times
District 4
- Republican Ralph Hall, the oldest living member of the House of Representatives, has represented the district since 1980. In 2008, Hall won re-election with 68.8%. In 2010, he won the primary with 57% of the vote, and faced a re-election campaign against Democrat attorney VaLinda Hathcox.
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.org
- Race profile at The New York Times
District 5
- Republican Jeb Hensarling was first elected in 2002 to a heavily Republican district. A favorite among fiscal conservatives in Texas, Hensarling is a potential challenger for the U.S. Senate in 2012 should the incumbent Republican, Kay Bailey Hutchison retire. In 2008, Hensarling was re-elected with 83.6% of the vote. In 2010, he went unopposed in the primary and faced Democrat activist Tom Berry in the general election.
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.org
- Race profile at The New York Times
District 6
- Twelve-term Republican Joe Barton was the chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee until Democrats took over the House in 2006. In 2008, Barton won re-election with 62.0%. He faced Democratic activist David Cozad in the general election.
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.org
- Race profile at The New York Times
District 7
- Republican John Culberson was unopposed in the general election.
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.org
- Race profile at The New York Times
District 8
- Republican Kevin Brady represents a strongly GOP district. He won re-election in 2008 with 72.6%. In 2010, he faced Libertarian Bruce West, a design engineer and 2-time Democratic congressional candidate Kent Hargett in the general election.
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.org
- Race profile at The New York Times
District 9
- Democrat Al Green was re-elected with 94% in 2008. Republican activist Steve Mueller faced Green in the general election.
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.org
- Race profile at The New York Times
District 10
- Republican Michael McCaul ran for reelection in 2010. Democrat war veteran Ted Ankrum will face him in the general election.
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.org
- Race profile at The New York Times
District 11
- Republican Mike Conaway represents George W. Bush’s strongest district in the 2004 election. He won 77% of the vote in 2004 and was one of only a handful of Republicans who ran unopposed in 2006. In 2008, he won re-election with 88.3%. In 2010, he faced Democrat activist James Quillian in the general election.
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.org
- Race profile at The New York Times
District 12
- Republican Kay Granger won re-election in 2008 with 67.6%. In 2010, she won the primary with 70%, and faced Democrat activist Tracey Smith in the general election.
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.org
- Race profile at The New York Times
District 13
- Republican Mac Thornberry was unopposed in the general election.
- Campaign contributions from Center for Responsive Politics
- Race profile at The New York Times
District 14
- Republican Ron Paul is best known for his strong libertarian views. In 2010, he won the primary with 80% of the vote. In the Democratic primary, Robert Pruett won the run off election with just 52% of the vote, and faced Paul in the general election.
- Campaign contributions from Center for Responsive Politics
- Race profile at The New York Times
General Election Results
District 15
- Democrat Rubén Hinojosa was re-elected with 62% in 2004 and 66% in 2008. In 2010, the Republican primary had a run off between Eddie Zamora and Paul Haring. Zamora won the run off with 57% of the vote and faced Hinojosa in the general election.
- Campaign contributions from Center for Responsive Politics
- Race profile at The New York Times
District 16
- Democrat Silvestre Reyes is the Chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Reyes won re-election in 2008 with 82%. In 2010, he faced Republican navy veteran Tim Besco.
- Campaign contributions from Center for Responsive Politics
- Race profile at The New York Times
District 17
Democratic incumbent Chet Edwards was challenged by Republican nominee Bill Flores and Libertarian nominee Richard B. Kelly.In 2008, Edwards was reelected with 53% to Republican small business owner Rob Curnock, who was overwhelmingly outspent. Edwards is a moderate Democrat, who represents one of the most conservative districts in the nation. In 2010, he went uncontested in the Democratic primary. In the Republican primary, Curnock qualified for a run off election against Flores. Flores won the run off with 64% of the vote.
- Campaign contributions from Center for Responsive Politics
- Race profile at The New York Times
The Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram both endorsed Edwards prior to the 2010 general election.
Polling
| Poll Source | Dates Administered | Chet Edwards | Bill Flores |
| OnMessage, Inc. | May, 2010 | 41% | 53% |
| Bennett, Petts & Normington | October 4–5, 2010 | 42% | 46% |
| Penn, Schoen & Berland | October 19–21, 2010 | 40% | 52% |
General Election Results
District 18
- Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee represents one of the most heavily Democratic areas in the state, covering several largely poor and African-American areas of Houston and whose three previous representatives were all African-Americans and took staunch liberal stances. In 2008, she won re-election with 77% of the vote against Republican John Faulk, who she again faced in 2010.
- Campaign contributions from Center for Responsive Politics
- Campaign contributions at The New York Times
District 19
- Republican Randy Neugebauer won re-election in 2006 with 68% and in 2008 with 72.5%. In 2010, he faced Democrat Andy Wilson and Libertarian Chip Peterson in the general election.
- Campaign contributions from Center for Responsive Politics
- Race profile at The New York Times
District 20
- Democrat Joaquin Castro represents much of heavily Democratic, largely Hispanic inner San Antonio. He won 75.7 percent of the 2014 vote over Libertarian challenger Jeffrey Blunt in 2014. In 2016, Libertarian Party candidate Jeffrey Blunt will again face Castro, along with Green Party candidate Paul Pipkin.
- Campaign contributions from Center for Responsive Politics
- Race profile at The New York Times
District 21
- Longtime Republican Lamar S. Smith won re-election with 60% in 2006 and 80% in 2008. In 2010, he won the primary with 80% and faced Democrat real estate broker Lainey Melnick in the general election.
- Campaign contributions from Center for Responsive Politics
- Race profile at The New York Times
District 22
- Freshman Pete Olson won the 2008 election with 53% in a heavily Republican district. In 2010, he faced Democrat Kesha Rogers, a LaRouche Movement supporter, and Libertarian Steve Susman, a small business owner in the general election.
- Campaign contributions from Center for Responsive Politics
- Race profile at The New York Times
District 23
In the 2010 Republican primary, Canseco won the run off election against former CIA officer Will Hurd with 56% of the vote. In the Democratic primary, Rodriguez won with 83% against Iraq war veteran Miguel Ortiz.
In 2008, Rodriguez was re-elected with 56% of the vote. Obama carried the district with 51% of the vote. The district is 55% Hispanic, but has a Republican tilt as George Bush carried the district by a 15% margin.
Results
District 24
- Republican Kenny Marchant faced write-in Democratic candidate Alex Dunaj in the general election.
- Campaign contributions from Center for Responsive Politics
- Race profile at The New York Times
District 25
- Democrat Lloyd Doggett is seeking re-election, and faced Republican physician Donna Campbell.
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.org
- Race profile at The New York Times
District 26
- Republican Michael Burgess won re-election in 2008 with 60.2%. In 2010, he faced Democrat attorney Neil Durrance and Libertarian Mark Boler. Except for the district's first election, the 26th District has been held by the GOP and is considered one of its safe seats.
- Campaign contributions from Center for Responsive Politics
- Race profile at The New York Times
District 27
The Republican primary ended in a run off which Farenthold won with 51.3% against conservative activist James Duerr. Mishou, of Cameron County, is the 2010 Libertarian Party nominee and came in a close second to Farenthold in a 2010 27th District Tea Party poll.
Ortiz was re-elected in 2008 with 58% of the vote. The district is nearly 70% Hispanic. In 2008, Obama carried the district with just 53% of the vote.
- Campaign contributions from Center for Responsive Politics
- Race profile at The New York Times
District 28
- Democrat Henry Cuellar was re-elected in 2008 with 69% of the vote, as Obama only carried the district with 56% of the vote. In 2010, he faced Republican businessman Bryan Underwood in the general election.
- Campaign contributions from Center for Responsive Politics
- Race profile at The New York Times
District 29
- Democrat Gene Green won re-election with 75% in 2008. In 2010, he will face Republican air force veteran Roy Morales.
- Campaign contributions from Center for Responsive Politics
- Race profile at The New York Times
District 30
- Incumbent Democratic nominee Eddie Bernice Johnson won re-election in 2008 with 83%. In the Republican primary Stephen Broden barely missed getting the 50.1% threshold to avoid a run off, but won the run off anyway with 67.5% of the vote.
- Campaign contributions from Center for Responsive Politics
- Race profile
District 31
- John Carter was opposed by Libertarian Bill Oliver in the general election.
- Campaign contributions from Center for Responsive Politics
- Race profile at NBC News
Electoral history
District 32
- Six-term incumbent Pete Sessions holds a Republican-leaning district. In 2010, he faced Democrat Grier Raggio in the general election.
- Campaign contributions from Center for Responsive Politics
- Race profile at The New York Times