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| Texas House of Representatives District 21 | ||
| Current incumbent | Dade Phelan  | |
| Population | 172,180 | |
| Race | 77.1% White, 19.4% Black/Hispanic, 3.5% Other | |
| Ethnicity | 88.9% Not Hispanic, 11.1% Hispanic | |
| Voting age | 75.7% age 18 and over | |
Texas' twenty-first state house district is represented by Republican Representative Dade Phelan.
As of the 2010 census, a total of 172,180 civilians reside within Texas' twenty-first state house district. Texas state representatives represent an average of 167,637 residents. After the 2000 Census, each member represented 139,012 residents.
Members of the Texas House of Representatives serve two-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Texas legislators assume office at the beginning of the legislative session (January).
To be eligible to serve in the Texas House of Representatives, a candidate must be:
| State legislators | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $7,200/year | $190/day. Set by the ethics commission. |
When calculating a legislators' pension, their normal salary is artificially inflated to $125,000. This goes back to 1981, when lawmakers linked their salaries to those of state judges. Since then, they raised judges' salaries while removing the caps on their own pensions, pushing the maximum benefit up to 100% of a judge's salary.
In 2011, this resulted in an average state employee pension of $17,526 annually. The maximum pension a legislator can earn is $125,000, of which Rep. Tom Craddick (R) will be the first to qualify for when he retires. .
If there is a vacancy in the house, the Governor must call a special election to fill the vacant seat. A Governor's proclamation to a special election must be delivered to local elections authorities representing the vacant seat no later than 36 days before the scheduled election.
The Secretary of State can declare a candidate duly elected in a special election if there is no opposition.
This district is one of 710 state legislative districts that intersects with one or more Pivot Counties. These 206 Pivot Counties voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012.
The 206 Pivot Counties are located in 34 states. Iowa, with 31, had the most such counties. The partisan makeup of state legislative districts intersecting with Pivot Counties is slightly more Republican than the overall partisan makeup of state legislatures throughout the country.
Elections for the office of Texas House of Representatives will take place in 2020. The general election will be held on November 3, 2020. A primary is scheduled for March 3, 2020, and a primary runoff is scheduled for May 26, 2020. The filing deadline was December 9, 2019.
Incumbent Dade Phelan (R) won election in the general election for Texas House of Representatives District 21 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Dade Phelan (R) |
100
|
46,435 |
|
|
Total votes: 46,435 |
No Democratic candidates ran in the primary.
Incumbent Dade Phelan advanced from the Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 21 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Dade Phelan (R) |
100
|
9,940 |
|
|
Total votes: 9,940 |
Elections for the Texas House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election was held on March 1, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was December 14, 2015.
Incumbent Dade Phelan ran unopposed in the Texas House of Representatives District 21 general election.Texas House of Representatives, District 21 General Election, 2016
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Dade Phelan Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 54,753 | |
| Total Votes | 54,753 | |||
| Source: Texas Secretary of State | ||||
Texas House of Representatives, District 21 Republican Primary, 2016
| Party | Candidate | |
|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dade Phelan Incumbent (unopposed) |
Elections for all 150 seats in the Texas House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on March 4, 2014. Those candidates who did not receive 50 percent or more of the vote in their party primary on March 4 faced an additional May 27 primary runoff. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was December 9, 2013. Dade Phelan defeated Judy Nichols in the Republican primary. Gavin Bruney was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Phelan defeated Bruney in the general election.
Texas House of Representatives, District 21 General Election, 2014
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dade Phelan |
74.4% | 28,283 | |
| Democratic | Gavin Bruney | 25.6% | 9,739 | |
| Total Votes | 38,022 | |||
Elections for the office of Texas House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on May 29, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. Incumbent Allan Ritter (R) was unchallenged in the general election. Ritter defeated Daniel Miller in the Republican primary election.
Texas House of Representatives District 21 Republican Primary, 2012
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Allan Ritter Incumbent |
72.7% | 9,299 |
| Daniel Miller | 27.3% | 3,488 |
| Total Votes | 12,787 | |
From 2002 to 2014, candidates for Texas House of Representatives District 21 raised a total of $3,291,614. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $235,115 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.
Campaign contributions, Texas House of Representatives District 21
| Year | Amount | Candidates | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | $29,678 | 3 | $9,893 |
| 2012 | $411,283 | 2 | $205,642 |
| 2010 | $184,576 | 1 | $184,576 |
| 2008 | $149,868 | 1 | $149,868 |
| 2006 | $160,342 | 1 | $160,342 |
| 2004 | $1,237,380 | 2 | $618,690 |
| 2002 | $261,378 | 2 | $130,689 |
| 2000 | $857,109 | 2 | $428,555 |
| Total | $3,291,614 | 14 | $235,115 |
