1994 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas

1994 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas

November 8, 1994
All 30 Texas seats to the United States House of Representatives
Majority party Minority party   Party Democratic Republican Last election 21 9 Seats won 19 11 Seat change 2 2 Popular vote 1,734,163 2,294,222 Percentage 42.1% 55.7% Swing 7.8% 7.9%
Democratic   50–60%   60–70%   70–80% Republican   50–60%   60–70%   70–80%   80–90%   90>%

Elections in Texas
General elections 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Federal government Presidential elections 1848 1852 1856 1860 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Presidential primaries Democratic 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Republican 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 U.S. Senate 1846 1847 1851 1853 1857 1859 1859 sp 1870 1871 1875 1876 1881 1882 1887 1888 1892 sp 1893 1894 1899 1901 1905 1907 1911 1913 1913 sp 1916 1918 1922 1924 1928 1930 1934 1936 1940 1941 sp 1942 1946 1948 1952 1954 1957 sp 1958 1960 1961 sp 1964 1966 1970 1972 1976 1978 1982 1984 1988 1990 1993 sp 1994 1996 2000 2002 2006 2008 2012 2014 2018 2020 2024 2026 U.S. House of Representatives 1846 1849 1851 1853 1855 1857 1859 1866 1869 1870 1871 1872 1874 1876 1878 1879 6th sp 1880 1882 1884 1886 1887 2nd sp 1888 1890 1892 9th sp 1894 1896 11th sp 1898 1900 1901 6th sp 1902 4th sp 1903 8th sp 1904 1905 8th sp 1906 1908 1910 1912 1913 10th sp 1914 1916 1918 1919 12th sp 1920 1922 13th sp 1924 1926 1928 1930 17th sp 1931 14th sp 1932 1933 7th sp 8th sp 15th sp 1934 1936 1937 10th sp 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 6th sp 1947 9th sp 16th sp 1948 15th sp 1950 18th sp 1951 13th sp 1952 7th sp 1954 1956 1958 1960 1961 20th sp 1962 4th sp 13th sp 1963 10th sp 1964 1966 8th sp 1968 3rd sp 1970 1972 1974 1976 1st sp 22nd sp 1978 1980 1982 1983 6th sp 1984 1985 1st sp 1986 1988 1989 12th sp 18th sp 1990 1991 3rd sp 1992 1996 1997 28th sp 1998 2000 2002 2003 19th sp 2004 2006 22nd 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 27th sp 2020 2021 6th sp 2022 34th sp 2024 18th sp 2025 18th sp
State government Gubernatorial elections 1845 1847 1849 1851 1853 1855 1857 1859 1861 1863 1866 1866 1869 1873 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 2026 Lieutenant gubernatorial elections 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 2026 Attorney General elections 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 2026 Comptroller elections 2010 2014 2018 2022 2026 Senate elections 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026 House of Representatives elections 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026 Constitutional amendments 1972 2005 2007 2021 2023 2025
Austin Mayoral elections 2003 2006 2009 2012 2014 2018 2022 2024 Austin municipal elections 2022 2024
Corpus Christi Mayoral elections 2012 2014 2016 2017 sp 2018 2020 2022 2024
Dallas–Fort Worth Arlington mayoral elections 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023 Dallas mayoral elections 1856 1857 1875 1904 1925 1961 1963 1965 1995 1999 2002 sp 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023 Dallas municipal elections 2015 2019 2021 2023 2025 Fort Worth mayoral elections 2003 2007 2009 2011 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023 2025 Denton mayoral elections 2020 2022 2024 Garland mayoral elections 2021 2023 2025 Plano municipal elections 2017 2019 2021 2023 2025
El Paso Mayoral elections 2001 2003 2005 2009 2013 2017 2020 2024 Municipal elections 2017 2020 2024
Houston Mayoral elections 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2019 2023 Municipal elections 2005 2007 2009
Laredo Mayoral elections 2018 2022 2026
Lubbock Mayoral elections 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
San Antonio Mayoral elections 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023 2025
Government

The 1994 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas occurred on November 8, 1994, to elect the members of the state of Texas's delegation to the United States House of Representatives. Texas had thirty seats in the House, apportioned according to the 1990 United States census.

In early 1994, several Republicans sued the state alleging that District 18 and District 29 were racially gerrymandered.^[1] District 30 was later added to the case, and in August, a federal judicial panel ordered the state to redraw its congressional districts.^[2] A separate panel later allowed the struck districts to be used for the 1994 elections, but it ordered the state to redraw its districts before the 1996 elections.^[3] This decision was later appealed and became the Supreme Court case Bush v. Vera.^[4]

These elections occurred simultaneously with the United States Senate elections of 1994, the United States House elections in other states, and various state and local elections.

Amidst the Republican Revolution, in which the Republican Party took control of the U.S. House for the first time since 1952, Republicans gained two seats in the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas and won the statewide popular vote, but Democrats maintained their majority of Texas seats due to redistricting.^[5]

1994 Texas's 1st congressional district election

Nominee Jim Chapman Mike Blankenship Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 86,480 63,911 Percentage 55.3% 40.9%

County results Chapman:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70% Blankenship:      50–60%

U.S. Representative before election Jim Chapman Democratic Elected U.S. Representative Jim Chapman Democratic

Incumbent Democrat Jim Chapman ran for re-election.

1994 Texas's 2nd congressional district election

Nominee Charlie Wilson Donna Peterson Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 87,709 66,071 Percentage 57.04% 42.96%

County results Wilson:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Peterson:      50–60%

U.S. Representative before election Charlie Wilson Democratic Elected U.S. Representative Charlie Wilson Democratic

Incumbent Democrat Charlie Wilson ran for re-election.

Incumbent Republican Sam Johnson ran for re-election.

1994 Texas' 4th congressional district election

Nominee Ralph Hall David Bridges Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 99,303 67,267 Percentage 58.8% 39.8%

County results Hall:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Bridges:      60–70%

U.S. Representative before election Ralph Hall Democratic Elected U.S. Representative Ralph Hall Democratic

Incumbent Democrat Ralph Hall ran for re-election.

1994 Texas' 5th congressional district election

Nominee John Wiley Bryant Pete Sessions Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 61,877 58,521 Percentage 50.1% 47.3%

County results Bryant:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Sessions:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. Representative before election John Wiley Bryant Democratic Elected U.S. Representative John Wiley Bryant Democratic

Incumbent Democrat John Wiley Bryant ran for re-election.

Incumbent Republican Joe Barton ran for re-election.

Incumbent Republican Bill Archer ran for re-election unopposed.

Incumbent Republican Jack Fields ran for re-election.

1994 Texas's 9th congressional district election

Nominee Steve Stockman Jack Brooks Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 81,353 71,643 Percentage 51.9% 45.7%

County results Stockman:      50–60%      60–70% Brooks:      50–60%

U.S. Representative before election Jack Brooks Democratic Elected U.S. Representative Steve Stockman Republican

Incumbent Democrat Jack Brooks ran for re-election. Republican Steve Stockman, who had lost to Brooks in 1992, defeated the 42-year incumbent as suburban Republican voters came to increasingly dominate the district.^[7]

Incumbent Democrat J. J. Pickle opted to retire rather than run for re-election.^[8]

1994 Texas's 11th congressional district election

Nominee Chet Edwards Jim Broyles Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 76,667 52,876 Percentage 59.2% 40.8%

County results Edwards:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. Representative before election Chet Edwards Democratic Elected U.S. Representative Chet Edwards Democratic

Incumbent Democrat Chet Edwards ran for re-election.

Incumbent Democrat Pete Geren ran for re-election.

1994 Texas's 13th congressional district election

Nominee Mac Thornberry Bill Sarpalius Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 79,466 63,923 Percentage 55.4% 44.6%

County results Thornberry:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Sarpalius:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. Representative before election Bill Sarpalius Democratic Elected U.S. Representative Mac Thornberry Republican

Incumbent Democrat Bill Sarpalius ran for re-election, but was defeated by Mac Thornberry

1994 Texas's 14th congressional district election

Nominee Greg Laughlin Jim Deats Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 86,175 68,793 Percentage 55.6% 44.4%

County results Laughlin:      50–60%      60–70% Deats:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. Representative before election Greg Laughlin Democratic Elected U.S. Representative Greg Laughlin Democratic

Incumbent Democrat Greg Laughlin ran for re-election.

Incumbent Democrat Kika de la Garza ran for re-election.

Incumbent Democrat Ronald D. Coleman ran for re-election.

1994 Texas's 17th congressional district election

Nominee Charles Stenholm Phil Boone Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 83,497 72,108 Percentage 53.7% 46.3%

County results Stenholm:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Boone:      50–60%

U.S. Representative before election Charles Stenholm Democratic Elected U.S. Representative Charles Stenholm Democratic

Incumbent Democrat Charles Stenholm ran for re-election.

Incumbent Democrat Craig Washington ran for re-election. He was defeated in the Democratic Primary by Houston City Councilor Sheila Jackson Lee.^[9][10]

Incumbent Republican Larry Combest ran for re-election unopposed.

Incumbent Democrat Henry B. González ran for re-election.

Incumbent Republican Lamar Smith ran for re-election.

Incumbent Republican Tom DeLay ran for re-election.

1994 Texas's 23rd congressional district election

Nominee Henry Bonilla Rolando Rios Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 73,815 44,101 Percentage 62.6% 37.4%

County results Bonilla:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Rios:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. Representative before election Henry Bonilla Republican Elected U.S. Representative Henry Bonilla Republican

Incumbent Republican Henry Bonilla ran for re-election.

Incumbent Democrat Martin Frost ran for re-election.

1994 Texas's 25th congressional district election

Nominee Ken Bentsen Gene Fontenot Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 61,959 53,321 Percentage 52.3% 45.0%

County results Bentsen:      40–50%      70–80%

U.S. Representative before election Michael A. Andrews Democratic Elected U.S. Representative Ken Bentsen Democratic

Incumbent Democrat Michael A. Andrews retired to run for U.S. Senator.^[11] Despite the national Republican wave, Democrat Ken Bentsen, the nephew of Treasury Secretary and former U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen, defeated businessman Gene Fontenot in the open race. The race was the most expensive U.S. House race in Texas history; Fontenot had outspent Bentsen four to one.^[12]

Incumbent Republican Dick Armey ran for re-election. He became the first Texas Republican to be elected majority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives.^[5]

Incumbent Democrat Solomon Ortiz ran for re-election.

1994 Texas's 28th congressional district election

Nominee Frank Tejeda David Slatter Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 73,986 28,777 Percentage 70.9% 27.6%

County results Tejeda:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Slatter:      50–60%

U.S. Representative before election Frank Tejeda Democratic Elected U.S. Representative Frank Tejeda Democratic

Incumbent Democrat Frank Tejeda ran for re-election.

Incumbent Democrat Gene Green ran for re-election.

Incumbent Democrat Eddie Bernice Johnson ran for re-election.