From March to December 2018, the
Ahead of the Texas primary election on March 6, 2018, we outline the numbers and proportions of women who have filed as candidates for congressional and statewide office. The data below also provide points of historical comparison to give context to today’s presence and potential success of women candidates.
All data are provided from the Center for American Women and Politics, Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University. For a full list of the women candidates in TX primary races for congressional and statewide offices, see CAWP’s Election Watch page.
CONGRESS
Current: 3 (2D, 1R)
Filed: 53 (38D, 15R)
Percent of all Filed Congressional Candidates (D/R): 24%
SENATE
Current: 0 of 2 senators
** Just 1 (1R) woman has been elected to the U.S. Senate from TX: Kay Bailey Hutchison (1993-2013)
Filed: 3 (1D, 2R)
Percent of all Filed Senate Candidates (D/R): 37.5% (3 of 8)
Percent of all Filed Democratic Senate Candidates: 33.3% (1 of 3)
Percent of all Filed Republican Senate Candidates: 40% (2 of 5)
Recent history: The number of women who filed for major party candidacy for the U.S. Senate in Texas in 2018 matches the number who filed in 2014, the last U.S. Senate election in the state. In 2012, 2 women filed for the U.S. Senate seat that was open that year.
HOUSE
Current: 3 (2D, 1R) of 36 representatives
**A total of 6 (4D, 2R) women have represented TX in the U.S. House, including the three current women representatives from TX.
Filed: 50 (37D, 13R)
Districts with Women Candidates: 25 of 36
Percent of all Filed House Candidates (D/R): 23.5% (50 of 213)
Percent of all Filed Democratic House Candidates: 33.3% (37 of 111)
Percent of all Filed Republican House Candidates: 12.7% (13 of 102)
Recent history: The number of women who filed for major party candidacy for the U.S. House in Texas in 2018 is greater than any other year between 2010 and 2018. In 2012, when the same number of U.S. House seats were open (8), 33 (22D, 11R) women filed as primary candidates.
GOVERNOR
Current: 0
**2 (2D) women have served as governor of TX: Miriam Ferguson (1925-1927; 1933-1935) and Ann Richards (1991-1995)
Filed: 2 (1D, 1R)
Percent of all Filed Gubernatorial Candidates (D/R): 16.7% (2 of 12)
Percent of all Filed Democratic Gubernatorial Candidates: 11.1% (1 of 9)
Percent of all Filed Republican Gubernatorial Candidates: 33.3% (1 of 3)
Recent history: The number of women who filed for major party candidacy for governor in Texas in 2018 is one less than filed in 2014, when the office was last contested. That year, 3 (1D, 2R) women ran for their party’s nomination to contest the state’s open gubernatorial seat.
OTHER STATEWIDE ELECTED EXECUTIVE OFFICES
Current: 1 (1R) of 8 positions (excludes governor)
Filed: 3 (2D, 1R)
* includes Republican incumbent Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick and 2 Democrats running to unseat Republican incumbents.
Percent of all Filed Statewide Executive (other than governor) Candidates (D/R): 13% (3 of 23)
Percent of all Filed Democratic Statewide Executive (other than governor) Candidates: 20% (2 of 10)
Percent of all Filed Republican Statewide Executive (other than governor) Candidates: 7.7% (1 of 13)
Recent history: The number of women who filed for major party candidacy for statewide elected executive office in Texas in 2018 matches the number filed in 2014 (3: 1D, 2R), when these offices were last contested.
