1978 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas
Majority party
Minority party
Party
Democratic
Republican
Last election
22
2
Seats won
20
4
Seat change
2
2
Popular vote
1,285,348
889,450
Percentage
58.9%
40.7%
Swing
5.8%
5.8%
Democratic
50–60%
60–70%
70–80%
80–90%
90>%
Republican
50–60%
80–90%
90>%
The 1978 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas occurred on November 7, 1978, to elect the members of the state of Texas's delegation to the
United States House of Representatives .
Texas had twenty-four seats in the House apportioned according to the
1970 United States census .
[1]
These elections occurred simultaneously with the
United States Senate elections of 1978 , the
United States House elections in other states, and various state and local elections.
Democrats maintained their majority of U.S. House seats from Texas, but they lost two seats to the
Republicans , decreasing their majority to twenty out of twenty-four seats. These elections produced a high level of turnover due to the retirements of several representatives, as well as the electoral defeat of others.
[2]
Overview
1978 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas
[3]
Party
Votes
Percentage
Seats before
Seats after
+/–
Democratic
1,285,348
58.90%
22
20
-2
Republican
888,215
40.70%
2
4
+2
La Raza Unida
7,185
0.33%
0
0
-
Socialist Workers
1,632
0.07%
0
0
-
Totals
2,182,380
100.00%
24
24
-
Congressional districts
District 1
Incumbent Democrat
Sam B. Hall ran for re-election.
District 2
Incumbent Democrat
Charlie Wilson ran for re-election.
District 3
Incumbent Republican
James M. Collins ran for re-election unopposed.
District 4
Incumbent Democrat
Ray Roberts ran for re-election.
District 5
Incumbent Democrat
Jim Mattox ran for re-election.
District 6
Incumbent Democrat
Olin E. Teague opted to retire rather than run for re-election.
[4]
District 7
Incumbent Republican
Bill Archer ran for re-election.
District 8
Incumbent Democrat
Bob Eckhardt ran for re-election.
District 9
Incumbent Democrat
Jack Brooks ran for re-election.
District 10
Incumbent Democrat
J. J. Pickle ran for re-election.
District 11
Incumbent Democrat
William R. Poage opted to retire rather than run for re-election. He resigned on December 31, 1978, four days before his term would have expired.
[5]
District 12
Incumbent Democrat
Jim Wright ran for re-election.
District 13
Incumbent Democrat
Jack Hightower ran for re-election.
District 14
Incumbent Democrat
John Andrew Young ran for re-election. He lost in the Democratic Primary to
Joseph Wyatt .
[6]
District 15
Incumbent Democrat
Kika de la Garza ran for re-election.
District 16
Incumbent Democrat
Richard Crawford White ran for re-election.
District 17
Incumbent Democrat
Omar Burleson opted to retire rather than run for re-election.
[7]
District 18
Incumbent Democrat
Barbara Jordan opted to retire rather than run for re-election.
[8]
District 19
Incumbent Democrat
George H. Mahon opted to retire rather than run for re-election. Future president
George W. Bush was defeated in this election.
[9]
District 20
Incumbent Democrat
Henry B. González ran for re-election unopposed.
District 21
Incumbent Democrat
Bob Krueger retired to
run for U.S. Senator .
[10]
District 22
Incumbent Democrat
Robert Gammage ran for re-election.
District 23
Incumbent Democrat
Abraham Kazen ran for re-election.
District 24
Incumbent Democrat
Dale Milford ran for re-election. He lost in the Democratic Primary to
Martin Frost .
[11]
References
^
"Historical Apportionment Data (1910-2020)" . Census.gov . Retrieved June 17, 2022 .
^
Texas State Historical Association (1979).
"Texas Almanac, 1980-1981" . The Portal to Texas History .
The Dallas Morning News . Retrieved July 8, 2022 .
^
a
b
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e
f
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j
k
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m
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o
p
q
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s
t
u
v
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y Guthrie, Benjamin; Henshaw, Edmund (April 1, 1979).
"Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 1978" : 35–36.
^ Walsh, John (January 12, 1979).
"Builder of New Science Committee in House, "Tiger" Teague, Retires" . Science . 203 (4376): 155–156.
Bibcode :
1979Sci...203..155W .
doi :
10.1126/science.203.4376.155 .
PMID
17834709 .
^
"W. R. "Bob" Poage Biography" . August 28, 2003. Archived from
the original on August 28, 2003. Retrieved July 16, 2022 .
^ Curry, Bill (June 5, 1978).
"Young Defeated In Texas Runoff" . Washington Post .
ISSN
0190-8286 . Retrieved July 16, 2022 .
^
"OMAR BURLESON DIES" . Washington Post .
ISSN
0190-8286 . Retrieved July 16, 2022 .
^ Jordan, Barbara; Lyn, Shel Hearon; Barbara Jordan represented the 18th Congressional District of Texas from 1973 through 1978 She now holds the (January 7, 1979).
"Barbara Jordan: A Self-Portrait" . Washington Post .
ISSN
0190-8286 . Retrieved July 16, 2022 . {{
cite news }}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link ) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link )
^
"Rep. Mahon of Texas Says He Will Retire" . The New York Times . July 7, 1977.
ISSN
0362-4331 . Retrieved July 16, 2022 .
^ Curry, Bill (May 4, 1978).
"Texas Senate Race Pits the Scholar Against Just Plain 'Joe' " .
The Washington Post . Retrieved July 15, 2022 .
^ Communications, Emmis (January 1979).
Texas Monthly . Emmis Communications. p. 54.
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