2020 Texas elections

Texas state elections in 2020 were held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Its primaries were held on March 3, 2020, with runoffs taking place on July 14.

In addition to the U.S. presidential race, Texas voters elected the Class II U.S. senator from Texas, one of three members of the Texas Railroad Commission, eight of 15 members of the Texas Board of Education, all of its seats to the House of Representatives, four of nine seats on the Supreme Court of Texas, three of nine seats on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, 21 of 80 seats on the Texas Appellate Courts, all of the seats of the Texas House of Representatives and 17 of 34 seats in the Texas State Senate.

To vote by mail, registered Texas voters had to request a ballot by October 23, 2020. After the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a bid to expand eligibility for requesting postal ballots, postal ballots were available only to voters over 65, those sick or disabled, those who were out of their county on election day, and those who were in jail (and otherwise eligible to vote), as defined by Texas law.

President of the United States
Texas has 38 electoral votes in the Electoral College.

United States House of Representatives
There were 36 U.S. Representatives in Texas up for election in addition to six open seats.

Nominee

 * Jim Wright, cattle rancher

Eliminated in primary

 * Ryan Sitton, incumbent Railroad Commissioner

Nominee

 * Chrysta Castañeda, oil and energy industry attorney

Eliminated in runoff

 * Roberto Alonzo, former state representative (2003–2019)

Eliminated in primary

 * Kelly Stone, environmental activist
 * Mark Watson, attorney

State Board of Education
eight of 15 seats of the Texas Board of Education were up for election. Before the election the composition of that board was:

Chief Justice
Incumbent Chief Justice Nathan Hecht ran for re-election to his last term.

Candidates

 * Nathan Hecht, incumbent Chief Justice

Candidates

 * Amy Clark Meachum, Judge of the Travis County District Court (201st District)
 * Jerry Zimmerer, Associate Justice of the Fourteenth Court of Appeals of Texas

Place 6
Incumbent Justice Jane Bland was appointed by Governor Abbott in 2019 to replace Jeff Brown. Justice Bland ran to finish the remainder of Brown's term ending in 2024.

Candidates

 * Jane Bland, incumbent Associate Justice

Candidates

 * Kathy Cheng, civil and commercial litigation attorney
 * Larry Praeger, family law attorney

Place 7
Incumbent Justice Jeff Boyd ran for re-election to a second six-year term.

Candidates

 * Jeff Boyd, incumbent Associate Justice

Candidates

 * Brandy Voss, McAllen-based appellate attorney
 * Staci Williams, Judge of the Dallas County District Court (101st District)

Place 8
Incumbent Justice Brett Busby ran for a full six-year term after being appointed by Governor Abbott in 2019 due to the retirement of Phil Johnson.

Candidates

 * Brett Busby, incumbent Associate Justice

Candidates

 * Peter Kelly, Associate Justice of the First Court of Appeals of Texas
 * Gisela Triana, Associate Justice of the Third Court of Appeals of Texas

Place 3
Incumbent Judge Bert Richardson ran for re-election to a second six-year term.

Candidates

 * Gina Parker, Waco-based criminal defense attorney, former Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation Commissioner
 * Bert Richardson, incumbent judge

Candidates

 * William Pieratt Demond, constitutional rights attorney
 * Elizabeth Davis Frizell, former Judge of the Dallas County Criminal District Court (2007–2017)
 * Dan Wood, Terrell-based appellate attorney

Place 4
Incumbent Judge Kevin Yeary ran for re-election to a second six-year term.

Candidates

 * Kevin Yeary, incumbent judge

Candidates

 * Tina Yoo Clinton, Judge of the Dallas County Criminal Court (No. 1)
 * Steven Miears, Grapevine-based criminal appellate attorney

Place 9
Incumbent Judge David Newell ran for re-election to a second six-year term.

Candidates

 * David Newell, incumbent judge

Candidates

 * Brandon Birmingham, Judge of the Dallas County District Court (292nd District)

Legislature
All 150 seats of the Texas House of Representatives and 16 of 31 seats of the Texas State Senate were up for election.

Senate
Before the election, the composition of the state senate was: After the election, the composition of the state senate was:

House of Representatives
Before and after the election, the composition of the state house was: