The 2002 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas occurred on November 5, 2002, to elect the members of the state of Texas's delegation to the United States House of Representatives. Texas had thirty-two seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States census. The state gained two seats in reapportionment.[1] Democrats narrowly maintained control of the Texas House of Representatives after the 2000 election after heavily emphasizing it as necessary to protect the party from a potential Republican gerrymander.[2][3] During the 2001 regular session, the divided legislature failed to pass any redistricting plans.[4] Congressional redistricting fell to the courts in Balderas v. State of Texas after no special session was called to address redistricting.[5][6] While the court's initial map appeared to benefit Republicans,[7] the final maps ordered for the 2002 elections were seen as beneficial to Democrats.[8][9][10]
These elections occurred simultaneously with the United States Senate elections of 2002, the United States House elections in other states, and various state and local elections. Democrats managed to maintain their majority of seats in Texas' congressional delegation despite the fact that Republicans won more votes statewide.[11] As of 2021, this is the last time the Democratic Party won a majority of congressional districts from Texas.
Texas was one of six states in which the party that won the state's popular vote did not win a majority of seats in 2002, the other states being Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, New Mexico, and Tennessee.
Overview
2002 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas[12]
^Bickerstaff, Steve (2007). Lines in the Sand: Congressional Redistricting in Texas and the Downfall of Tom Delay. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press. pp. 126–127. ISBN978-0-292-71474-8.
Government