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Texas, U.S. House, District 23


Incumbent Rep. Will Hurd (R) defeated Gina Ortiz Jones (D) and Ruben Corvalan (L) in the general election for Texas' 23rd Congressional District on November 6, 2018.

This district was one of three Republican-held U.S. House districts in Texas which Hillary Clinton won in 2016, and one of 25 nationwide. In 2012, incumbent Pete Gallego (D) defeated Francisco Canseco (R) by five percentage points. In 2014, the seat flipped back to Republicans when Hurd defeated Gallego by 2.1 percentage points. In a 2016 rematch, Hurd narrowly defeated Gallego by 1.3 percentage points.

All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives were up for election in 2018. The Democratic Party gained a net total of 40 seats, winning control of the chamber. This race was identified as a 2018 battleground that might have affected partisan control of the U.S. House in the 116th Congress. Heading into the election, the Republican Party was in the majority holding 235 seats to Democrats' 193 seats, with seven vacant seats. Democrats needed to win 23 GOP-held seats in 2018 to win control of the House. From 1918 to 2016, the president’s party lost an average of 29 seats in midterm elections.

Polls

Texas' 23rd Congressional District general election

Poll Poll sponsor Will Hurd Gina Ortiz JonesUnsureMargin of ErrorSample Size
NYT Upshot/Siena College
October 13-18, 2018
The New York Times 53%38%9%+/-5488
NYT Upshot/Siena College
September 10-11, 2018
The New York Times 51%43%7%+/-5495


Campaign finance

The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Gina Ortiz Jones Democratic Party $6,216,644 $6,098,298 $118,346 As of December 31, 2018
William "Will" Hurd Republican Party $5,163,892 $5,192,901 $1,138 As of December 31, 2018
Ruben Corvalan Libertarian Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2018.

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.


District election history

2016

Texas' 23rd Congressional District was a battleground district in 2016. Incumbent Will Hurd (R) won re-election to his second term, and defeated former Rep. Pete Gallego (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Hurd ousted Gallego in the 2014 general election to win the seat. Hurd defeated William Peterson in the Republican primary on March 1, 2016, while Gallego defeated Lee Keenen to win the Democratic nomination. Ruben Corvalan (L) is also seeking election to the seat.

U.S. House, Texas District 23 General Election, 2016

Party Candidate Vote % Votes
Republican Green check mark transparent.pngWill Hurd Incumbent 48.3% 110,577
Democratic Pete Gallego 47% 107,526
Libertarian Ruben Corvalan 4.7% 10,862
Total Votes 228,965
Source: Texas Secretary of State

Primary election

U.S. House, Texas District 23 Republican Primary, 2016

Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngWill Hurd Incumbent 82.2% 39,870
William Peterson 17.8% 8,628
Total Votes 48,498
Source: Texas Secretary of State

U.S. House, Texas District 23 Democratic Primary, 2016

Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngPete Gallego 88.4% 43,223
Lee Keenen 11.6% 5,688
Total Votes 48,911
Source: Texas Secretary of State

2014

BattlegroundRace.jpg

The 23rd Congressional District of Texas held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014.


U.S. House, Texas District 23 General Election, 2014

Party Candidate Vote % Votes
Republican Green check mark transparent.pngWill Hurd 49.8% 57,459
Democratic Pete Gallego Incumbent 47.7% 55,037
Libertarian Ruben Corvalan 2.5% 2,933
Total Votes 115,429
Source: Texas Secretary of State

2012

The 23rd Congressional District of Texas held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012, in which Pete Gallego (D) won election. He defeated incumbent Francisco Canseco (R), Jeffrey Blunt (L) and Ed Scharf (G) in the general election. This switched partisan control of the district.

U.S. House, Texas District 23 General Election, 2012

Party Candidate Vote % Votes
Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngPete Gallego 50.3% 96,676
Republican Francisco Canseco Incumbent 45.6% 87,547
Libertarian Jeffrey C. Blunt 3% 5,841
Green Ed Scharf 1.1% 2,105
Total Votes 192,169
Source: Texas Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

Demographics

Demographic data for Texas

TexasU.S.
Total population:27,429,639316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):261,2323,531,905
Gender
Female:50.4%50.8%
Race and ethnicity**
White:74.9%73.6%
Black/African American:11.9%12.6%
Asian:4.2%5.1%
Native American:0.5%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0.1%0.2%
Two or more:2.5%3%
Hispanic/Latino:38.4%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:81.9%86.7%
College graduation rate:27.6%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$53,207$53,889
Persons below poverty level:19.9%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Texas.

As of July 2016, Texas had a population of approximately 27,862,596 people, and its three largest cities were Houston (pop. est. 2.3 million), San Antonio (pop. est. 1.5 million), and Dallas (pop. est. 1.3 million).

District election history

2016

Texas' 23rd Congressional District was a battleground district in 2016. Incumbent Will Hurd (R) won re-election to his second term, and defeated former Rep. Pete Gallego (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Hurd ousted Gallego in the 2014 general election to win the seat. Hurd defeated William Peterson in the Republican primary on March 1, 2016, while Gallego defeated Lee Keenen to win the Democratic nomination. Ruben Corvalan (L) is also seeking election to the seat.

U.S. House, Texas District 23 General Election, 2016

Party Candidate Vote % Votes
Republican Green check mark transparent.pngWill Hurd Incumbent 48.3% 110,577
Democratic Pete Gallego 47% 107,526
Libertarian Ruben Corvalan 4.7% 10,862
Total Votes 228,965
Source: Texas Secretary of State

Primary election

U.S. House, Texas District 23 Republican Primary, 2016

Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngWill Hurd Incumbent 82.2% 39,870
William Peterson 17.8% 8,628
Total Votes 48,498
Source: Texas Secretary of State

U.S. House, Texas District 23 Democratic Primary, 2016

Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngPete Gallego 88.4% 43,223
Lee Keenen 11.6% 5,688
Total Votes 48,911
Source: Texas Secretary of State

2014

BattlegroundRace.jpg

The 23rd Congressional District of Texas held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014.


U.S. House, Texas District 23 General Election, 2014

Party Candidate Vote % Votes
Republican Green check mark transparent.pngWill Hurd 49.8% 57,459
Democratic Pete Gallego Incumbent 47.7% 55,037
Libertarian Ruben Corvalan 2.5% 2,933
Total Votes 115,429
Source: Texas Secretary of State

2012

The 23rd Congressional District of Texas held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012, in which Pete Gallego (D) won election. He defeated incumbent Francisco Canseco (R), Jeffrey Blunt (L) and Ed Scharf (G) in the general election. This switched partisan control of the district.

U.S. House, Texas District 23 General Election, 2012

Party Candidate Vote % Votes
Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngPete Gallego 50.3% 96,676
Republican Francisco Canseco Incumbent 45.6% 87,547
Libertarian Jeffrey C. Blunt 3% 5,841
Green Ed Scharf 1.1% 2,105
Total Votes 192,169
Source: Texas Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"