2006 Texas general election


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.
Independent candidates had 60 days after the primaries are over 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 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 to 11 May 2006.

United States Senator

Governor

Lieutenant governor

Attorney general

Comptroller of Public Accounts

Commissioner of the General Land Office

Commissioner of Agriculture

Railroad Commissioner

Texas Supreme Court

Chief Justice, ''Unexpired term''

; Republican : Wallace Jefferson, Incumbent
; Libertarian : Tom Oxford
; Green : 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 : Petition deadline has passed for ballot access, but may run as write-in candidate

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:
DistrictOutgoing SenatorPartyReason
3Todd StaplesRepublicanElected Texas Commissioner of Agriculture
7Jon LindsayRepublicanDid not run
14Gonzalo BarrientosDemocratDid not run
18Kenneth L. ArmbristerDemocratDid not run
19Frank L. MadlaDemocratDefeated 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:
DistrictRepresentativePartyReason
9Roy Blake, Jr.RepublicanLost in primary
16Ruben Hope, Jr.RepublicanDid not run
28Glenn HegarRepublicanRunning for Texas Senate, District 18
33Vilma LunaDemocratWithdrew from race after nomination
38Jim SolisDemocratDid not run
47Terry KeelRepublicanUnsuccessful bid for Judge, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 8
54Suzanna Gratia HuppRepublicanDid not run
63Mary DennyRepublicanDid not run
71Bob HunterRepublicanDid not run
72Scott CampbellRepublicanLost in primary
73Carter CasteelRepublicanLost in primary
85Pete LaneyDemocratDid not run
91Bob E. GriggsRepublicanDid not run
94Kent GrusendorfRepublicanLost in primary
101Elvira ReynaRepublicanLost in primary
110Jesse W. JonesDemocratLost in primary
118Charlie UrestiDemocratRunning for Texas Senate, District 19
126Peggy HamricRepublicanUnsuccessful bid for Texas Senate, District 7
133Joe NixonRepublicanUnsuccessful bid for Texas Senate, District 7
146Al EdwardsDemocratLost 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
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanBailey C. Moseley92,33458.18
DemocratBen Franks66,35141.81

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