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2020 Texas elections

← 2018 November 3, 2020 2021 →

Elections in Texas
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Government
v t e

Texas state elections in 2020 were held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Its primaries were held on March 3, 2020, with runoffs taking place on July 14.

In addition to the U.S. presidential race, Texas voters elected the Class II U.S. senator from Texas, one of three members of the Texas Railroad Commission, eight of 15 members of the Texas Board of Education, all of its seats to the House of Representatives, four of nine seats on the Supreme Court of Texas, three of nine seats on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, 21 of 80 seats on the Texas Appellate Courts, all of the seats of the Texas House of Representatives and 17 of 34 seats in the Texas State Senate.

To vote by mail, registered Texas voters had to request a ballot by October 23, 2020. After the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a bid to expand eligibility for requesting postal ballots, postal ballots were available only to voters over 65, those sick or disabled, those who were out of their county on election day, and those who were in jail (and otherwise eligible to vote), as defined by Texas law.

Federal

President of the United States

Texas has 38 electoral votes in the Electoral College.

United States Class II Senate Seat

United States House of Representatives

There were 36 U.S. Representatives in Texas up for election in addition to six open seats.

Executive

Railroad Commissioner

2020 Texas Railroad Commissioner election

← 2014 November 3, 2020 2026 →

Nominee Jim Wright Chrysta Castañeda Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 5,831,263 4,792,422 Percentage 53.0% 43.6%

Railroad Commissioner before election Ryan Sitton Republican Elected Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright Republican

Republican primary

Nominee

• Jim Wright, cattle rancher

Eliminated in primary

• Ryan Sitton, incumbent Railroad Commissioner

Primary results

Democratic primary

Nominee

• Chrysta Castañeda, oil and energy industry attorney

Eliminated in runoff

• Roberto Alonzo, former state representative (2003–2019)

Eliminated in primary

• Kelly Stone, environmental activist
• Mark Watson, attorney

Primary results

Runoff results

General election

Polling

Results

State Board of Education

eight of 15 seats of the Texas Board of Education were up for election. Before the election the composition of that board was:

Member, District 1

Republican primary

Democratic primary

General election

Member, District 5

Republican primary

Democratic primary

Libertarian convention

General election

Member, District 6

Republican primary

Democratic primary

Libertarian convention

General election

Member, District 8

Republican primary

Libertarian convention

General election

Member, District 9

Republican primary

Democratic primary

General election

Member, District 10

Republican primary

Democratic primary

Libertarian convention

General election

Member, District 14

Republican primary

Democratic primary

General election

Member, District 15

Republican primary

Democratic primary

General election

Judicial

Supreme Court of Texas

Chief Justice

2020 Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice election

← 2014 November 3, 2020 2026 →

Nominee Nathan Hecht Amy Clark Meachum Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 5,827,085 4,893,402 Percentage 53.0% 44.5%

Chief Justice before election Nathan Hecht Republican Elected Chief Justice Nathan Hecht Republican

Incumbent Chief Justice Nathan Hecht ran for re-election to his last term.

Republican primary

Candidates

• Nathan Hecht, incumbent Chief Justice

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Amy Clark Meachum, Judge of the Travis County District Court (201st District)
• Jerry Zimmerer, Associate Justice of the Fourteenth Court of Appeals of Texas

Results

General election

Polling

Results

Place 6

2020 Texas Supreme Court Place 6 election

← 2018 November 3, 2020 2024 →

Nominee Jane Bland Kathy Cheng Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 6,050,534 4,903,527 Percentage 55.2% 44.8%

Justice before election Jane Bland Republican Elected Justice Jane Bland Republican

Incumbent Justice Jane Bland was appointed by Governor Abbott in 2019 to replace Jeff Brown. Justice Bland ran to finish the remainder of Brown's term ending in 2024.

Republican primary

Candidates

• Jane Bland, incumbent Associate Justice

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Kathy Cheng, civil and commercial litigation attorney
• Larry Praeger, family law attorney

Results

General election

Polling

Results

Place 7

2020 Texas Supreme Court Place 7 election

← 2014 November 3, 2020 2026 →

Nominee Jeff Boyd Staci Williams Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 5,843,420 4,861,649 Percentage 53.3% 44.4%

Justice before election Jeff Boyd Republican Elected Justice Jeff Boyd Republican

Incumbent Justice Jeff Boyd ran for re-election to a second six-year term.

Republican primary

Candidates

• Jeff Boyd, incumbent Associate Justice

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Brandy Voss, McAllen-based appellate attorney
• Staci Williams, Judge of the Dallas County District Court (101st District)

Results

General election

Results

Place 8

2020 Texas Supreme Court Place 8 election

← 2014 November 3, 2020 2026 →

Nominee Brett Busby Gisela Triana Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 5,847,135 4,826,674 Percentage 53.4% 44.1%

Justice before election Brett Busby Republican Elected Justice Brett Busby Republican

Incumbent Justice Brett Busby ran for a full six-year term after being appointed by Governor Abbott in 2019 due to the retirement of Phil Johnson.

Republican primary

Candidates

• Brett Busby, incumbent Associate Justice

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Peter Kelly, Associate Justice of the First Court of Appeals of Texas
• Gisela Triana, Associate Justice of the Third Court of Appeals of Texas

Results

General election

Results

Court of Criminal Appeals

Place 3

2020 Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3 election

← 2014 November 3, 2020 2026 →

Nominee Bert Richardson Elizabeth Davis Frizell Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 5,953,924 4,964,460 Percentage 54.5% 45.5%

Judge before election Bert Richardson Republican Elected Judge Bert Richardson Republican

Incumbent Judge Bert Richardson ran for re-election to a second six-year term.

Republican primary

Candidates

• Gina Parker, Waco-based criminal defense attorney, former Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation Commissioner
• Bert Richardson, incumbent judge

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

• William Pieratt Demond, constitutional rights attorney
• Elizabeth Davis Frizell, former Judge of the Dallas County Criminal District Court (2007–2017)
• Dan Wood, Terrell-based appellate attorney

Results

General election

Polling

Results

Place 4

2020 Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4 election

← 2014 November 3, 2020 2026 →

Nominee Kevin Yeary Tina Clinton Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 5,974,016 4,924,207 Percentage 54.8% 45.2%

Judge before election Kevin Yeary Republican Elected Judge Kevin Yeary Republican

Incumbent Judge Kevin Yeary ran for re-election to a second six-year term.

Republican primary

Candidates

• Kevin Yeary, incumbent judge

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Tina Yoo Clinton, Judge of the Dallas County Criminal Court (No. 1)
• Steven Miears, Grapevine-based criminal appellate attorney

Results

General election

Results

Place 9

2020 Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 9 election

← 2014 November 3, 2020 2026 →

Nominee David Newell Brandon Birmingham Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 6,015,909 4,863,142 Percentage 55.3% 44.7%

Judge before election David Newell Republican Elected Judge David Newell Republican

Incumbent Judge David Newell ran for re-election to a second six-year term.

Republican primary

Candidates

• David Newell, incumbent judge

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Brandon Birmingham, Judge of the Dallas County District Court (292nd District)

Results

General election

Results

Legislature

All 150 seats of the Texas House of Representatives and 16 of 31 seats of the Texas State Senate were up for election.

Senate

Before the election, the composition of the state senate was:

After the election, the composition of the state senate was:

House of Representatives

Before and after the election, the composition of the state house was:

See also

• Postal voting in the United States, 2020
• Bilingual elections requirement for Texas (per Voting Rights Act Amendments of 2006)

Notes

1. ^ Key:
   A – all adults
   RV – registered voters
   LV – likely voters
   V – unclear
2. Sterett (L) with 3%; Gruene (G) with 1%
3. Sterett (L) with 8%
4. Mark Ash (L) with 3%

Partisan clients

1. Poll sponsored by Castañeda's campaign

References

1. "Texas elections, 2020". Ballotpedia. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
2. Lily Hay Newman (August 27, 2020), "How to Vote by Mail and Make Sure It Counts", Wired.com, archived from the original on October 6, 2020
3. Ura, Alexa (June 26, 2020). "U.S. Supreme Court declines Texas Democrats' request to allow all Texans to vote by mail". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
4. Application for a Ballot by Mail
5. "Live: Texas State Primary Election Results 2020". The New York Times. June 29, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
6. Chapa, Sergio (March 5, 2020). "Railroad Commission candidate may have had the Wright name". Houston Chronicle.
7. ^ Price, Asher (February 17, 2020). "Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton faces primary opponent". Austin American-Statesman.
8. ^ "Official Canvass Report - 2020 March 3rd Republican Primary" (PDF). Texas Secretary of State.
9. Svitek, Patrick (October 16, 2019). "Dallas attorney Chrysta Castañeda to challenge Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton". The Texas Tribune.
10. Buchele, Mose (July 1, 2020). "Meet The Two Democrats Who Want To Run For Railroad Commission". KUT.
11. "Voter Guide - Kelly Stone". The Dallas Morning News.
12. ^ "Official Canvass Report - 2020 March 3rd Democratic Primary" (PDF). Texas Secretary of State.
13. "Official Canvass Report - 2020 July 14th Democratic Primary Runoff" (PDF). Texas Secretary of State.
14. ^ YouGov/University of Houston
15. Data for Progress (D)
16. Global Strategy Group (D)
17. ^ "Official Canvass Report - 2020 November 3rd General Election" (PDF). Texas Secretary of State. November 2020.
18. ^ "Texas 2020 election results". November 3, 2020.
19. Morris, Angela (January 6, 2020). "Chief Justice's Election Bid Puts Spotlight on Texas' Mandatory Judicial Retirement". law.com.
20. Autullo, Ryan (October 2, 2019). "Travis district court Judge Clark Meachum eyes top spot on Texas Supreme Court". Austin American-Statesman.
21. Platoff, Emma (February 14, 2020). "Judge calls opponent "selfish" for wanting to "break barriers" as first elected female chief justice of Texas Supreme Court". Texas Tribune.
22. Platoff, Emma (August 26, 2019). "Gov. Greg Abbott selects former appeals court judge Jane Bland for Texas Supreme Court". Texas Tribune.
23. ^ Lindell, Chuck (February 17, 2020). "Suddenly, Democrats flush with candidates for 2 top courts". Austin American-Statesman.
24. "We recommend Larry Praeger in Democratic primary for Supreme Court, Place 6 [Editorial]". The Houston Chronicle. February 14, 2020.
25. "Brandy Voss Seeks Place 7 on the Texas Supreme Court". Texas Border Business. July 15, 2019.
26. "In the Democratic Primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 7, here's our recommendation". January 24, 2020.
27. "Voter Guide - Brett Busby". The Dallas Morning News.
28. "Justice Gisela Triana announces run for Texas Supreme Court". The Orange Leader. August 4, 2019.
29. ^ Platoff, Emma (February 26, 2020). "This judge refused to toss Rick Perry's indictment. Now Perry is backing his opponent in Court of Criminal Appeals race". Texas Tribune.
30. ^ Bingamon, Brant (February 21, 2020). "Balancing the Scales of Justice on Texas' Most Important Courts". The Austin Chronicle.
31. "Voter Guide - Dan Wood". The Dallas Morning News.
32. "Voter Guide - Kevin Patrick Yeary". The Dallas Morning News.
33. ^ "In the Democratic primary for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4, here's our recommendation". The Dallas Morning News. January 23, 2020.
34. "Voter Guide - David Newell". The Dallas Morning News.
35. "Voter Guide - Brandon Birmingham". The Dallas Morning News.
36. Brent Kendall; Alexa Corse (October 11, 2020), "Pennsylvania, Texas and Ohio See Court Rulings Over Mail Ballots", The Wall Street Journal, Both political parties are mounting legal challenges across many states, with mail-in voting at the center
37. "Covered Areas for Voting Rights Bilingual Election Materials—2015", Voting Rights Act Amendments of 2006, Determinations Under Section 203, Federal Register, retrieved October 13, 2020, A Notice by the Census Bureau on 12/05/2016

Further reading

• Nick Corasaniti; Stephanie Saul; Patricia Mazzei (September 13, 2020), "Big Voting Decisions in Florida, Wisconsin, Texas: What They Mean for November", The New York Times, archived from the original on September 13, 2020, Both parties are waging legal battles around the country over who gets to vote and how
• David Weigel; Lauren Tierney (September 22, 2020), "The 50 political states of America", Washingtonpost.com, archived from the original on October 11, 2020, Texas
• "Texas governor cuts back on voting locations weeks before election", BBC News, UK, October 1, 2020, Texas' governor has ordered that voters can drop off their mail-in ballots at only one location per county
• Elise Viebeck (October 2, 2020), "Voting rights advocates sue to block Texas governor's order limiting counties to one ballot drop-off location", Washingtonpost.com
• "US election 2020: Texas judge blocks postal voting restrictions", BBC News, UK, October 10, 2020
• "Voter suppression: At risk of losing Texas, Republicans scheme to limit Democratic votes", Economist.com, October 10, 2020
• Michelle Ye Hee Lee; Amy Gardner; Brittney Martin (October 14, 2020), "Early voting begins in Texas with high turnout, despite new legal developments on voting access", The Washington Post
• Dan Balz (October 18, 2020), "Texas is the most intriguing political state in the country this fall", The Washington Post

External links

• Elections Division at the Texas Secretary of State official website
• Texas at Ballotpedia
• Government Documents Round Table of the American Library Association, "Texas", Voting & Elections Toolkits
• "Texas: Election Tools, Deadlines, Dates, Rules, and Links", Vote.org, Oakland, CA
• University of Texas Libraries, "Voting and Elections", Research Guides
• "League of Women Voters of Texas". (state affiliate of the U.S. League of Women Voters)
• Texas 2019 & 2020 Elections, OpenSecrets
• "Election Guides: Texas", Spreadthevote.org (in English and Spanish), archived from the original on October 4, 2020, retrieved October 7, 2020. (Guidance to help voters get to the polls; addresses transport, childcare, work, information challenges)
• "State Elections Legislation Database", Ncsl.org, Washington, D.C.: National Conference of State Legislatures, State legislation related to the administration of elections introduced in 2011 through this year, 2020

• 2020 Texas elections
• 2020 elections in the United States by state