1978 United States Senate election in Texas
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November 7, 1978
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 County results Tower: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Krueger: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Tie: 50–60% | ||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Texas |
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 Government |
The 1978 United States Senate election in Texas was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator John Tower narrowly won re-election to a fourth term. This is the closest that a Texas Democrat has come to defeating an incumbent Republican U.S. Senator.[1]
Republican primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Nominee
[edit]- John G. Tower, incumbent U.S. Senator since 1961
Declined
[edit]- Hank Grover, former State Senator (1967-1973) and candidate for Governor of Texas in 1972[2]
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Tower (incumbent) | 142,202 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 142,202 | 100.00% |
Democratic primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Nominee
[edit]- Bob Krueger, U.S. Representative from New Braunfels since 1975
Eliminated in primary
[edit]- Joe Christie, former State Senator from El Paso (1967–1973)
Campaign
[edit]Krueger and Christie presented a choice between moderate institutionalism and consumer-focused populism; while Krueger emphasized his expertise in energy deregulation, Christie campaigned on utility reform and opposition to rising electricity rates.[4]
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bob Krueger | 853,460 | 54.67 | |
| Democratic | Joe Christie | 707,738 | 45.33 | |
| Total votes | 1,561,198 | 100.0 |
General election
[edit]Campaign
[edit]Krueger held a narrow lead in the polls late in the race, although the race was considered to be a 'toss-up.' On the issues, Tower attacked Krueger for voting for a constitutional amendment that would have granted U.S. senators to the District of Columbia, while Krueger attacked Tower for being an ineffective representative and a drunk. As a result of the charge, Tower refused to shake Krueger's hand at a joint appearance.[6]
Results
[edit]Republicans celebrated the result in this election year as the 'best in a century' despite the narrow win. One analysis in The New York Times cites the growing urban middle-class voters in Houston who migrated from the Northeast as the reason for Tower being able to pull ahead and win.[7]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Tower (incumbent) | 1,151,376 | 49.79% | |
| Democratic | Bob Krueger | 1,139,149 | 49.26% | |
| Raza Unida | Luis Diaz de Leon | 17,869 | 0.77% | |
| Socialist Workers | Miguel Pendas | 4,018 | 0.17% | |
| Write-in | 128 | 0.01% | ||
| Total votes | 2,312,540 | 100.0% | ||
| Republican hold |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ Essig, Chris; Murphy, Ryan; Formby, Brandon (November 7, 2018). "Where Ted Cruz's close victory over Beto O'Rourke stands among Texas' historical election results". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
- ↑ Stevens, William (May 6, 1978). "Texans Are Voting Today for House and Senate Nominees". The New York Times. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ↑ "exas Almanac, 1980-1981". The Portal to Texas History. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
- ↑ Curry, Bill (May 4, 1978). "Texas Senate Race Pits the Scholar Against Just Plain 'Joe'". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
- ↑ "TX US Senate- D Primary". OurCampaigns.com.
- ↑ Curry, Bill (October 28, 1978). "A Gut-Level Horse Race in Texas". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
- ↑ Stevens, William K. (November 9, 1978). "G.O.P. Victories in Texas Reflect Shift of Party Lines in Southwest". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
- ↑ "Our Campaigns - TX US Senate Race - Nov 07, 1978".
- ↑ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives (1979). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 1978" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office.
