Texas, U.S. Senate
Race Forecast: Republican Favored
2008:
Vote for winner in 2002: 55 percent
Cornyn has been a vocal backer of the Bush administration ’ s priorities, including its judicial nominees and its policies relating to enemy combatants. Texas is Bush ’ s home state, but even there his popularity ratings have slipped, and Cornyn can ’ t be considered a shoo-in. Some surveys have shown Democratic state Rep. Rick Noriega within striking distance, but it ’ s been very difficult for him to build name recognition in the nation ’ s second most-populous state and one of the most expensive in which to campaign.
Race Information
- Incumbent: Sen. John Cornyn, R
- First Elected: 2002 (1st term)
- Last Elected: 2002 (55.3%)
- Incumbent Status: Running for re-election
- Challengers: Richard Noriega, D; Yvonne Schick, LIBERT
- Race Forecast: Republican Favored
State Information
- U.S. Senate Delegation: 2 Republicans
- U.S. House Delegation: 12 Democrats, 20 Republicans
- Texas's Other Senator
- Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison-R
- First Elected: 1993 (3rd full term)
- Last Elected: 2006 (61.69%)
- State Offices
- Governor: Gov. Rick Perry, R
- First Elected: 2002 (2nd full term)
- State House Control: Republican
- State Senate Control: Republican
- Demographics (2000 census)
- Population (2005):22,859,968
- Under 18:28.2%
- Over 65:9.9%
- Non-Hispanic White:52.4%
- Black:11.3%
- Hispanic:32.0%
- Asian:2.7%
- American Indian:0.3%
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander:0.1%
- Median Household Income: 39,927
- Median Household Income Rank: 29
| Year | Election | Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | general | John Cornyn (R) | 4,326,639 | 54.8% |
| Richard Noriega (D) | 3,383,890 | 42.9% | ||
| Yvonne Schick (LIBERT) | 184,729 | 2.3% | ||
| 2002 | general | John Cornyn (R) | 2,496,243 | 55.3% |
| Ron Kirk (D) | 1,955,758 | 43.3% | ||
| Scott Jameson (LIBERT) | 35,538 | 0.8% | ||
| Roy Williams (GREEN) | 25,051 | 0.6% | ||
| James Wright (Write-In) | 1,422 | 0% | ||
| 1996 | general | Phil Gramm (R) | 3,027,680 | 54.8% |
| Victor M. Morales (D) | 2,428,776 | 43.9% | ||
| Michael Bird (LIBERT) | 51,516 | 0.9% | ||
| John Huff (NL) | 19,469 | 0.4% | ||
| 1990 | general | Phil Gramm (R) | 2,302,357 | 60% |
| Hugh Parmer (D) | 1,429,986 | 37% | ||
| 1984 | general | Phil Gramm (R) | 3,111,348 | 59% |
| Lloyd Doggett (D) | 2,202,557 | 41% | ||
| Year | Democrat | Republican | Independent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | John Kerry: 38% | George W. Bush: 61% | |
| 2000 | Al Gore: 38% | George W. Bush: 59% | |
| 1996 | Bill Clinton: 44% | Robert Dole: 49% | |
| 1992 | Bill Clinton: 37% | George H. W. Bush: 41% |
Campaign Finance Details for the 2008 Race
| Filers | Through | Total Receipts | Total Disbursements | Total From PACs | Total From Individuals | Ending Cash | Debts Owed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WATTS, MIKAL CARTER (D) | May 5, 2008 | $9,406,554.00 | $9,406,554.00 | $0 | $1,577,384.00 | $0 | $0 |
| HUTCHISON, KAY BAILEY (R) | September 30, 2008 | $2,218,979.00 | $860,459.00 | $12,262.00 | $1,383,359.00 | $8,676,263.00 | $0 |
| CORNYN, JOHN (R) | November 24, 2008 | $13,702,864.00 | $16,176,286.00 | $235,798.00 | $10,044,359.00 | $613,850.00 | $0 |
| BENTSEN, KENNETH EDWARD JR (D) | September 30, 2008 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $485.00 | $15,404.00 |
| KIRK, RONALD (D) | September 30, 2006 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $73,031.00 | $0 |
| RADNOFSKY, BARBARA ANN (D) | September 30, 2007 | $988.00 | $65,754.00 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| MCMURREY, RAYMOND EUGENE (D) | June 30, 2008 | $18,529.00 | $18,526.00 | $0 | $11,769.00 | $1.00 | $0 |
| SMITH, RHETT R (D) | February 20, 2008 | $5,200.00 | $5,200.00 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| SHAPIRO, FLORENCE (R) | September 30, 2008 | $316,708.00 | $29,242.00 | $0 | $316,708.00 | $287,465.00 | $21,000.00 |
| SCHICK, YVONNE ADAMS (LIBERT) | November 24, 2008 | $8,106.00 | $5,061.00 | $0 | $5,847.00 | $3,044.00 | $2,260.00 |
| NORIEGA, RICHARD JOEL (D) | November 24, 2008 | $4,149,539.00 | $4,084,534.00 | $76,008.00 | $3,708,015.00 | $64,380.00 | $3,977.00 |
| KILGORE, LARRY SCOTT (R) | March 6, 2008 | $9,350.00 | $9,348.00 | $0 | $550.00 | $0 | $0 |
