1980 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas

The 1980 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas occurred on November 4, 1980, 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]

1980 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas

← 1978 November 4, 1980 1982 →
All 24 Texas seats to the United States House of Representatives
Majority party Minority party   Party Democratic Republican Last election 20 4 Seats won 19 5 Seat change 1 1 Popular vote 2,405,026 1,608,636 Percentage 59.1% 39.5% Swing 0.2% 1.2%
Democratic   50–60%   60–70%   70–80%   80–90%   90>% Republican   50–60%   70–80%   80–90%

These elections occurred simultaneously with the United States Senate elections of 1980, the United States House elections in other states, the presidential election, and various state and local elections.

Democrats maintained their majority of U.S. House seats from Texas, but they lost one seat to the Republicans, decreasing their majority to nineteen out of twenty-four seats on the coattails of president Ronald Reagan's election.^[2][3]

Overview

1980 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas[4]
Party		Votes	Percentage	Seats before	Seats after	+/–
	Democratic	2,405,026	59.11%	20	19	-1
	Republican	1,608,636	39.54%	4	5	+1
	Libertarian	52,820	1.30%	0	0	-
	Independent	2,053	0.05%	0	0	-
Totals		4,068,535	100.00%	24	24	-

Congressional districts

District 1

See also: Texas's 1st congressional district

Incumbent Democrat Sam B. Hall ran for re-election unopposed.

Texas's 1st congressional district, 1980^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Sam B. Hall (incumbent)	137,665	100.00
Total votes			137,665	100
	Democratic hold

District 2

See also: Texas's 2nd congressional district

Incumbent Democrat Charlie Wilson ran for re-election.

Texas's 2nd congressional district, 1980^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Charlie Wilson (incumbent)	142,496	69.25
	Republican	F.H. Pannill	60,742	29.52
	Libertarian	Martin Sorrells	2,530	1.23
Total votes			205,768	100
	Democratic hold

District 3

See also: Texas's 3rd congressional district

Incumbent Republican James M. Collins ran for re-election.

Texas's 3rd congressional district, 1980^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	James M. Collins (incumbent)	218,228	79.29
	Democratic	Earle Stephen Porter	49,667	18.05
	Libertarian	William Stephen Briggs	7,339	2.67
Total votes			275,234	100
	Republican hold

District 4

See also: Texas's 4th congressional district

Incumbent Democrat Ray Roberts opted to retire rather than run for re-election.^[2][5][6]

Texas's 4th congressional district, 1980^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Ralph M. Hall	102,787	52.26
	Republican	John Wright	93,915	47.74
Total votes			196,702	100
	Democratic hold

District 5

See also: Texas's 5th congressional district

Incumbent Democrat Jim Mattox ran for re-election.

Texas's 5th congressional district, 1980^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jim Mattox (incumbent)	70,892	50.99
	Republican	Thomas W. Pauken	67,848	48.80
	Write-in	Others	295	0.21
Total votes			139,035	100
	Democratic hold

District 6

See also: Texas's 6th congressional district

Incumbent Democrat Phil Gramm ran for re-election.

Texas's 6th congressional district, 1980^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Phil Gramm (incumbent)	144,816	70.88
	Republican	Buster Haskins	59,503	29.12
Total votes			204,319	100
	Democratic hold

District 7

See also: Texas's 7th congressional district

Incumbent Republican Bill Archer ran for re-election.

Texas's 7th congressional district, 1980^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Bill Archer (incumbent)	242,810	82.12
	Democratic	Robert Hutchings	48,594	16.43
	Libertarian	Bill Ware	4,278	1.45
	Write-in	Others	2	0.00
Total votes			295,684	100
	Republican hold

District 8

See also: Texas's 8th congressional district

Incumbent Democrat Bob Eckhardt ran for re-election.

Texas's 8th congressional district, 1980^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jack Fields	72,856	51.75
	Democratic	Bob Eckhardt (incumbent)	67,921	48.25
Total votes			140,777	100.00
	Republican gain from Democratic

District 9

See also: Texas's 9th congressional district

Incumbent Democrat Jack Brooks ran for re-election unopposed.

Texas's 9th congressional district, 1980^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jack Brooks (incumbent)	103,225	99.66
	Write-in	Others	349	0.34
Total votes			103,574	100
	Democratic hold

District 10

See also: Texas's 10th congressional district

Incumbent Democrat J. J. Pickle ran for re-election.

Texas's 10th congressional district, 1980^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	J. J. Pickle (incumbent)	135,618	59.11
	Republican	John Biggar	88,940	38.77
	Libertarian	Michael Grossberg	4,866	2.12
Total votes			229,424	100
	Democratic hold

District 11

See also: Texas's 11th congressional district

Incumbent Democrat Marvin Leath ran for re-election unopposed.

Texas's 11th congressional district, 1980^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Marvin Leath (incumbent)	128,520	100.00
Total votes			128,520	100
	Democratic hold

District 12

See also: Texas's 12th congressional district

Incumbent Democrat Jim Wright ran for re-election.

Texas's 12th congressional district, 1980^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jim Wright (incumbent)	99,104	59.92
	Republican	Jim Bradshaw	65,005	39.30
	Libertarian	C.B. Mauldin	1,281	0.78
Total votes			165,390	100
	Democratic hold

District 13

See also: Texas's 13th congressional district

Incumbent Democrat Jack Hightower ran for re-election.

Texas's 13th congressional district, 1980^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jack Hightower (incumbent)	98,779	55.00
	Republican	Ron Slover	80,819	45.00
Total votes			179,598	100
	Democratic hold

District 14

See also: Texas's 14th congressional district

Incumbent Democrat Joseph Wyatt opted to retire rather than run for re-election.^[2][7]

Texas's 14th congressional district, 1980^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Bill Patman	93,884	56.77
	Republican	C.L. Concklin	71,495	43.23
Total votes			165,379	100
	Democratic hold

District 15

See also: Texas's 15th congressional district

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

Texas's 15th congressional district, 1980^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Kika de la Garza (incumbent)	105,325	70.02
	Republican	Lendy McDonald	45,090	29.98
Total votes			150,415	100
	Democratic hold

District 16

See also: Texas's 16th congressional district

Incumbent Democrat Richard Crawford White ran for re-election.

Texas's 16th congressional district, 1980^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Richard Crawford White (incumbent)	104,734	84.64
	Libertarian	Catherine McDivitt	19,010	15.36
Total votes			123,744	100
	Democratic hold

District 17

See also: Texas's 17th congressional district

Incumbent Democrat Charles Stenholm ran for re-election unopposed.

Texas's 17th congressional district, 1980^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Charles Stenholm (incumbent)	130,465	100.00
Total votes			130,465	100
	Democratic hold

District 18

See also: Texas's 18th congressional district

Incumbent Democrat Mickey Leland ran for re-election.

Texas's 18th congressional district, 1980^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Mickey Leland (incumbent)	71,985	79.90
	Republican	C.L. Kennedy	16,128	17.90
	Libertarian	Bill Fraser	1,983	2.20
Total votes			90,096	100
	Democratic hold

District 19

See also: Texas's 19th congressional district

Incumbent Democrat Kent Hance ran for re-election.

Texas's 19th congressional district, 1980^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Kent Hance (incumbent)	126,632	93.51
	Libertarian	J. D. Webster	8,792	6.49
Total votes			135,424	100
	Democratic hold

District 20

See also: Texas's 20th congressional district

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

Texas's 20th congressional district, 1980^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Henry B. Gonzalez (incumbent)	84,133	81.93
	Republican	Merle Nash	17,725	17.26
	Libertarian	Tom Burnham	846	0.82
	Write-in	Others	1	0.00
Total votes			102,685	100
	Democratic hold

District 21

See also: Texas's 21st congressional district

Incumbent Republican Tom Loeffler ran for re-election.

Texas's 21st congressional district, 1980^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Tom Loeffler (incumbent)	196,424	76.50
	Democratic	Joe Sullivan	58,425	22.76
	Libertarian	William Rice	1,895	0.74
Total votes			256,744	100
	Republican hold

District 22

See also: Texas's 22nd congressional district

Incumbent Republican Ron Paul ran for re-election.

Texas's 22nd congressional district, 1980^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Ron Paul (incumbent)	106,797	51.04
	Democratic	Michael A. Andrews	101,094	48.31
	Independent	Vaudie Nance	1,360	0.65
Total votes			209,251	100
	Republican hold

District 23

See also: Texas's 23rd congressional district

Incumbent Democrat Abraham Kazen ran for re-election.

Texas's 23rd congressional district, 1980^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Abraham Kazen (incumbent)	104,595	69.83
	Republican	Bobby Locke	45,139	30.14
	Write-in	Others	46	0.03
Total votes			149,780	100
	Democratic hold

District 24

See also: Texas's 24th congressional district

Incumbent Democrat Martin Frost ran for re-election.

Texas's 24th congressional district, 1980^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Martin Frost (incumbent)	93,690	61.29
	Republican	Clay Smothers	59,172	38.71
Total votes			152,862	100
	Democratic hold

References

1. "Historical Apportionment Data (1910-2020)". Census.gov. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
2. Texas State Historical Association (1981). "Texas Almanac, 1982-1983". The Portal to Texas History. The Dallas Morning News. p. 491. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
3. Lyons, Richard L. (November 6, 1980). "House Democrats Retain Power, but With Limits". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
4. Ladd, Thomas; Guthrie, Benjamin (April 15, 1981). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 1980": 59–60. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
5. Reynolds, Larry (July 1990). "Congressional Golden Parachutes". Management Review. 79 (7): 5. Retrieved June 29, 2022 – via Gale Academic OneFile.
6. Weil, Martin (April 15, 1992). "TEXAS REP. RAY ROBERTS, 79, DIES". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
7. "Joseph Peyton Wyatt, Jr". The Victoria Advocate. April 10, 2022. Retrieved June 30, 2022.