2014 Texas gubernatorial election

The 2014 Texas gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 2014, to elect the governor of Texas. Incumbent Republican Governor Rick Perry, who had served since the resignation of then-Governor George W. Bush on December 21, 2000, declined to run for an unprecedented fourth full term, making this the first open election for governor of the state since 1990.

The election took place between nominees who were selected on March 4, 2014: Republican State Attorney General Greg Abbott and Democratic State Senator Wendy Davis. Also on the ballot were Libertarian Party candidate Kathie Glass and Green Party candidate Brandon Parmer. Abbott was projected to carry the election, and ultimately won handily with a 20.4 percentage point advantage. As of 2022, this is the most recent gubernatorial election in which Bexar, Harris and Hays counties voted Republican and in which Frio, Jim Wells, and Val Verde counties voted Democratic. Exit polls showed Abbott winning Whites (72% to 25%), while Davis received majorities among African Americans (92% to 7%) and Hispanics (55% to 44%). Abbott won roughly half of Hispanic men, 54% of all women, and 62% of married women.

Abbott took office on January 20, 2015, as the 48th Governor of Texas.

Declared

 * Greg Abbott, Attorney General of Texas
 * Lisa Fritsch, author and radio show host
 * Larry Kilgore, perennial candidate
 * Miriam Martinez, former Univision personality

Withdrew

 * Tom Pauken, former Texas Workforce Commissioner and former chairman of the Republican Party of Texas

Declined

 * David Dewhurst, Lieutenant Governor of Texas (ran for re-election and lost the party primary runoff)
 * Debra Medina, activist and candidate for Governor of Texas in 2010 (running for Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts)
 * Rick Perry, incumbent governor of Texas

Declared

 * Wendy Davis, state senator
 * Ray Madrigal, perennial candidate

Declined

 * Julian Castro, United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and former mayor of San Antonio
 * Kinky Friedman, singer, songwriter, novelist, humorist and independent candidate for governor in 2006 (candidate in May 27 runoff for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture)
 * Annise Parker, Mayor of Houston
 * Mike Villarreal, state representative
 * Kirk Watson, state senator and former mayor of Austin
 * Bill White, former Mayor of Houston and nominee for governor in 2010

Results
[[File:Texas gubernatorial Democratic primary, 2014.svg|thumb|Results by county: {{legend|#002b84|Davis—>90%}} {{legend|#0645b4|Davis—80–90%}} {{legend|#1666cb|Davis—70–80%}} {{legend|#4389e3|Davis—60–70%}} {{legend|#86b6f2|Davis—50–60%}}

{{legend|#656565|Tie}}

{{legend|#73d873|Madrigal—50–60%}} {{legend|#42ca42|Madrigal—60–70%}}

{{legend|#f0f0f0|No vote}} ]]

Declared

 * Robert Bell, pharmaceutical executive and chemist
 * Robert Garrett, veteran, helicopter mechanic and prison officer
 * Kathie Glass, attorney
 * Robert "Star" Locke, rancher, building contractor, veteran and perennial candidate

Withdrew

 * Gene Chapman, candidate for President of the United States in 2008
 * R. Lee Wrights, Vice Chair of the Libertarian National Committee and candidate for President of the United States in 2012

Results
Kathie Glass was nominated at the 2014 party convention.

Declared

 * Brandon Parmer, candidate for Texas's 6th congressional district in 2012

Declared

 * Sarah M. Pavitt, an Army veteran and cousin of former SOCOM commander William H. McRaven, ran as a write-in candidate.

Declined

 * Debra Medina, activist and Republican candidate for governor in 2010 (ran unsuccessfully for Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts)

Debates
The first of two confirmed gubernatorial debates between Wendy Davis and Greg Abbott took place at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance at 18:00 on Friday, September 19, co-hosted by KGBT-TV, The Monitor and KTLM-TV. KGBT-TV posted the complete video online and can be viewed here. The debate took place in Edinburg, Texas, and it gave both candidates an opportunity to appeal to the Hispanic community, a grouping seen by Reuters as an "increasingly important voting bloc in Texas." The second debate took place on September 30 and was also posted online.

Polling

 * With Castro


 * With Davis


 * With Parker


 * With White


 * * Poll for the Wendy Davis campaign
 * ^ Poll for the Greg Abbott campaign

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

 * Bexar (largest city: San Antonio)
 * Culberson (largest municipality: Van Horn)
 * Falls (largest city: Marlin)
 * Foard (largest city: Crowell)
 * Harris (largest community: Houston)
 * Kleberg (largest municipality: Kingsville)
 * La Salle (largest municipality: Cotulla)
 * Reeves (largest municipality: Pecos)
 * Trinity (largest city: Trinity)