1988 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas

The 1988 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas occurred on November 8, 1988, to elect the members of the state of Texas's delegation to the United States House of Representatives. Texas had twenty-seven seats in the House, apportioned according to the 1980 United States census.^[1]

1988 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas

← 1986 November 8, 1988 1990 →
All 27 Texas seats to the United States House of Representatives
Majority party Minority party   Party Democratic Republican Last election 17 10 Seats won 19 8 Seat change 2 2 Popular vote 2,735,940 1,834,135 Percentage 58.6% 39.3% Swing 1.6% 2.7%
Democratic   50–60%   60–70%   70–80%   80–90%   90>% Republican   60–70%   70–80%   80–90%   90>%

These elections occurred simultaneously with the United States Senate elections of 1988, 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, flipping two seats from the Republicans, increasing their majority to nineteen out of twenty seven seats.^[2]

Overview

1988 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas[3]
Party		Votes	Percentage	Seats before	Seats after	+/–
	Democratic	2,735,940	58.59%	17	19	+2
	Republican	1,834,135	39.28%	10	8	-2
	Libertarian	98,602	2.11%	0	0	-
	Independent	1,013	0.02%	0	0	-
Totals		4,669,690	100.00%	27	27	-

Congressional districts

District 1

See also: Texas's 1st congressional district

Incumbent Democrat Jim Chapman ran for re-election.

Texas's 1st congressional district, 1988^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jim Chapman (incumbent)	122,566	62.24
	Republican	Horace McQueen	74,357	37.76
Total votes			196,923	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, 1988^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Charlie Wilson (incumbent)	145,614	87.67
	Libertarian	Gary Nelson	20,475	12.33
Total votes			166,089	100
	Democratic hold

District 3

See also: Texas's 3rd congressional district

Incumbent Republican Steve Bartlett ran for re-election.

Texas's 3rd congressional district, 1988^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Steve Bartlett (incumbent)	227,882	81.82
	Democratic	Blake Cowden	50,627	18.18
Total votes			278,509	100
	Republican hold

District 4

See also: Texas's 4th congressional district

Incumbent Democrat Ralph Hall ran for re-election.

Texas's 4th congressional district, 1988^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Ralph Hall (incumbent)	139,379	66.41
	Republican	Randy Sutton	67,379	32.09
	Libertarian	Melanie Dunn	3,152	1.50
Total votes			209,868	100
	Democratic hold

District 5

See also: Texas's 5th congressional district

Incumbent Democrat John Wiley Bryant ran for re-election.

Texas's 5th congressional district, 1988^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Wiley Bryant (incumbent)	95,376	60.73
	Republican	Lon Williams	59,877	38.13
	Libertarian	Ken Ashby	1,786	1.14
Total votes			157,039	100
	Democratic hold

District 6

See also: Texas's 6th congressional district

Incumbent Republican Joe Barton ran for re-election.

Texas's 6th congressional district, 1988^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Joe Barton (incumbent)	164,692	67.64
	Democratic	Pat Kendrick	78,786	32.36
Total votes			243,478	100
	Republican hold

District 7

See also: Texas's 7th congressional district

Incumbent Republican Bill Archer ran for re-election.

Texas's 7th congressional district, 1988^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Bill Archer (incumbent)	185,203	79.14
	Democratic	Dianne Richards	48,824	20.86
Total votes			234,027	100
	Republican hold

District 8

See also: Texas's 8th congressional district

Incumbent Republican Jack Fields ran for re-election unopposed.

Texas's 8th congressional district, 1988^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jack Fields (incumbent)	90,503	100.00
Total votes			90,503	100
	Republican hold

District 9

See also: Texas's 9th congressional district

Incumbent Democrat Jack Brooks ran for re-election unopposed.

Texas's 9th congressional district, 1988^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jack Brooks (incumbent)	137,270	100.00
Total votes			137,270	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, 1988^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	J. J. Pickle (incumbent)	232,213	93.45
	Libertarian	Vincent May	16,281	6.55
Total votes			248,494	100
	Democratic hold

District 11

See also: Texas's 11th congressional district

Incumbent Democrat Marvin Leath ran for re-election.

Texas's 11th congressional district, 1988^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Marvin Leath (incumbent)	134,207	95.36
	Libertarian	Frederick King	6,533	4.64
Total votes			140,740	100
	Democratic hold

District 12

See also: Texas's 12th congressional district

Incumbent Democratic Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Jim Wright ran for re-election.

Texas's 12th congressional district, 1988^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jim Wright (incumbent)	135,459	99.27
	Write-in	Jim Ryan	767	0.56
	Write-in	Gary Johnson	230	0.17
Total votes			136,456	100
	Democratic hold

District 13

See also: Texas's 13th congressional district

Incumbent Republican Beau Boulter retired to run for U.S. Senator.^[4]

Texas's 13th congressional district, 1988^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Bill Sarpalius	98,345	52.46
	Republican	Larry Milner	89,105	47.54
Total votes			187,450	100.00
	Democratic gain from Republican

District 14

See also: Texas's 14th congressional district

Incumbent Republican Mac Sweeney ran for re-election.

Texas's 14th congressional district, 1988^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Greg Laughlin	111,395	53.24
	Republican	Mac Sweeney (incumbent)	96,042	45.91
	Libertarian	Don Kelley	1,779	0.85
Total votes			209,216	100.00
	Democratic gain from Republican

District 15

See also: Texas's 15th congressional district

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

Texas's 15th congressional district, 1988^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Kika de la Garza (incumbent)	93,672	93.86
	Libertarian	Gloria Joyce Hendrix	6,133	6.14
Total votes			99,805	100
	Democratic hold

District 16

See also: Texas's 16th congressional district

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

Texas's 16th congressional district, 1988^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Ronald D. Coleman (incumbent)	104,504	100.00
Total votes			104,504	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, 1988^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Charles Stenholm (incumbent)	149,064	100.00
Total votes			149,064	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, 1988^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Mickey Leland (incumbent)	94,408	92.88
	Libertarian	J. Alejandro Snead	7,235	7.12
Total votes			101,643	100
	Democratic hold

District 19

See also: Texas's 19th congressional district

Incumbent Republican Larry Combest ran for re-election.

Texas's 19th congressional district, 1988^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Larry Combest (incumbent)	113,068	67.71
	Democratic	Gerald McCathern	53,932	32.29
Total votes			167,000	100
	Republican hold

District 20

See also: Texas's 20th congressional district

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

Texas's 20th congressional district, 1988^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Henry B. Gonzalez (incumbent)	94,527	70.70
	Republican	Lee Trevino	36,801	27.53
	Libertarian	Theresa Doyle	2,368	1.77
Total votes			133,696	100
	Democratic hold

District 21

See also: Texas's 21st congressional district

Incumbent Republican Lamar Smith ran for re-election.

Texas's 21st congressional district, 1988^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Lamar Smith (incumbent)	203,989	93.24
	Libertarian	James Robinson	14,801	6.76
Total votes			218,790	100
	Republican hold

District 22

See also: Texas's 22nd congressional district

Incumbent Republican Tom DeLay ran for re-election.

Texas's 22nd congressional district, 1988^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Tom DeLay (incumbent)	125,733	67.42
	Democratic	Wayne Walker	58,471	31.35
	Libertarian	George Harper	2,276	1.22
	Write-in	L.A. Sims	4	0.00
Total votes			186,484	100
	Republican hold

District 23

See also: Texas's 23rd congressional district

Incumbent Democrat Albert Bustamante ran for re-election.

Texas's 23rd congressional district, 1988^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Albert Bustamante (incumbent)	116,423	64.53
	Republican	Jerome Gonzales	60,559	33.56
	Libertarian	Tony Garza	3,448	1.91
Total votes			180,430	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, 1988^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Martin Frost (incumbent)	135,794	92.61
	Libertarian	Leo Sadovy	10,841	7.39
Total votes			146,635	100
	Democratic hold

District 25

See also: Texas's 25th congressional district

Incumbent Democrat Michael A. Andrews ran for re-election.

Texas's 25th congressional district, 1988^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Michael A. Andrews (incumbent)	113,499	71.37
	Republican	George Loeffler	44,043	27.69
	Libertarian	Kevin Southwick	1,494	0.94
Total votes			159,036	100
	Democratic hold

District 26

See also: Texas's 26th congressional district

Incumbent Republican Dick Armey ran for re-election.

Texas's 26th congressional district, 1988^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Dick Armey (incumbent)	194,944	69.27
	Democratic	Jo Ann Reyes	86,490	30.73
	Write-in	Dee Turner	12	0.00
Total votes			281,446	100
	Republican hold

District 27

See also: Texas's 27th congressional district

Incumbent Democrat Solomon Ortiz ran for re-election unopposed.

Texas's 27th congressional district, 1988^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Solomon Ortiz (incumbent)	105,085	100.00
Total votes			105,085	100
	Democratic hold

References

1. "Historical Apportionment Data (1910–2020)". Census.gov. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
2. Kingston, Mike (1989). "Texas Almanac, 1990–1991". The Portal to Texas History. p. 359. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
3. Federal Elections 88 (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Federal Election Commission. 1989. pp. 67–69.
4. "Boulter, Gilbreath In Texas GOP Senate Runoff". AP NEWS. Retrieved June 21, 2022.