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Texas's 13th congressional district

Coordinates: 34°50′16″N 100°35′52″W / 34.83778°N 100.59778°W / 34.83778; -100.59778
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Texas's 13th congressional district
Texas's 13th congressional district since January 3, 2023.
Representative
Distribution
  • 68.88% urban
  • 31.12% rural
Population (2023)790,888[1][2]
Median household
income
$64,830[2]
Ethnicity
Cook PVIR+26[3]

Texas's 13th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Texas that includes most of the Texas Panhandle, parts of Texoma and northwestern parts of North Texas. The principal cities in the district are Amarillo, Gainesville and Wichita Falls.[4] It winds across the Panhandle into the South Plains, then runs east across the Red River Valley. Covering over 40,000 square miles (100,000 km2), it is the 19th-largest district by area in the nation, the 14th-largest that does not cover an entire state, as well as the second-largest in Texas behind the 23rd congressional district. After the 2020 census was completed, the 13th district was heavily redrawn to incorporate Denton, an increasingly Democratic-leaning suburb of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex which had previously anchored the 26th district.[5] With a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of R+26, it is one of the most Republican districts in Texas.[3]

The district has been represented in the United States House of Representatives by Republican Ronny Jackson since 2021, and previously by Republican Mac Thornberry, from 1995 until his decision not to run for reelection in 2020.[6] The district's current configuration dates from 1973, when the Panhandle-based 18th district was merged with the Texoma-based 13th. The merged district contained more of the old 18th's territory.

The Panhandle had been one of the first areas of Texas to break away from a Solid South voting pattern. While the region's voters began splitting their tickets as early as the 1940s (and actually elected a Republican during a 1950 special election), Democrats continued to hold most local offices, as well as most of the area's seats in the state legislature, well into the 1990s. As late as 1976, Jimmy Carter won 33 of the 44 counties in the district, getting 60% to 70% of the vote in many of them.

Since Thornberry's ouster of three-term Democrat Bill Sarpalius in 1994, however, a Democrat has only crossed the 30 percent mark in 1996, 1998 and 2000. Republicans now dominate at nearly every level of government, routinely winning by landslide margins when they face any opposition at all. By the turn of the millennium, there were almost no elected Democrats left above the county level.

In 2012, Barack Obama took just 18.5% of the vote in the 13th, his lowest percentage of any congressional district in the nation. In 2016, it was Hillary Clinton's second largest margin of defeat in a congressional district after Alabama's 4th. She received an even lower percentage than President Obama four years prior, gathering 16.9% of the vote compared to Donald Trump's 79.9%.

Election results from presidential races

[edit]
Year Office Result
2000 President Bush 68% – 31%
2004 President Bush 78% – 22%
2008 President McCain 77% – 22%
2012 President Romney 80% – 19%
2016 President Trump 80% – 17%
2020 President Trump 80% – 19%

List of members representing the district

[edit]
Member Party Term Cong
ress
Election history
District established March 4, 1893

Jeremiah V. Cockrell
(Anson)
Democratic March 4, 1893 –
March 3, 1897
53rd
54th
Elected in 1892.
Re-elected in 1894.
[data missing]

John H. Stephens
(Vernon)
Democratic March 4, 1897 –
March 3, 1917
55th
56th
57th
58th
59th
60th
61st
62nd
63rd
64th
Elected in 1896.
Re-elected in 1898.
Re-elected in 1900.
Re-elected in 1902.
Re-elected in 1904.
Re-elected in 1906.
Re-elected in 1908.
Re-elected in 1910.
Re-elected in 1912.
Re-elected in 1914.
[data missing]

J. Marvin Jones
(Amarillo)
Democratic March 4, 1917 –
March 3, 1919
65th Elected in 1916.
Redistricted to the 18th district.

Lucian W. Parrish
(Henrietta)
Democratic March 4, 1919 –
March 27, 1922
66th
67th
Elected in 1918.
Re-elected in 1920.
Died.
Vacant March 27, 1922 –
May 22, 1922
67th

Guinn Williams
(Decatur)
Democratic May 22, 1922 –
March 3, 1933
67th
68th
69th
70th
71st
72nd
Elected to finish Parrish's term.
Re-elected in 1922.
Re-elected in 1924.
Re-elected in 1926.
Re-elected in 1928.
Re-elected in 1930.
[data missing]
William D. McFarlane
(Graham)
Democratic March 4, 1933 –
January 3, 1939
73rd
74th
75th
Elected in 1932.
Re-elected in 1934.
Re-elected in 1936.
[data missing]

Ed Gossett
(Wichita Falls)
Democratic January 3, 1939 –
July 31, 1951
76th
77th
78th
79th
80th
81st
82nd
Elected in 1938.
Re-elected in 1940.
Re-elected in 1942.
Re-elected in 1944.
Re-elected in 1946.
Re-elected in 1948.
Re-elected in 1950.
Resigned.
Vacant July 31, 1951 –
September 8, 1951
82nd

Frank N. Ikard
(Wichita Falls)
Democratic September 8, 1951 –
December 15, 1961
82nd
83rd
84th
85th
86th
87th
Elected to finish Gossett's term.
Re-elected in 1952.
Re-elected in 1954.
Re-elected in 1956.
Re-elected in 1958.
Re-elected in 1960.
Resigned.
Vacant December 15, 1961 –
January 27, 1962
87th

Graham B. Purcell Jr.
(Wichita Falls)
Democratic January 27, 1962 –
January 3, 1973
87th
88th
89th
90th
91st
92nd
Elected to finish Ikard's term.
Re-elected in 1962.
Re-elected in 1964.
Re-elected in 1966.
Re-elected in 1968.
Re-elected in 1970.
Lost reelection after redistricting.

Bob Price
(Pampa)
Republican January 3, 1973 –
January 3, 1975
93rd Redistricted from the 18th district and re-elected in 1972.
Lost reelection.

Jack Hightower
(Vernon)
Democratic January 3, 1975 –
January 3, 1985
94th
95th
96th
97th
98th
Elected in 1974.
Re-elected in 1976.
Re-elected in 1978.
Re-elected in 1980.
Re-elected in 1982.
Lost reelection.

Beau Boulter
(Amarillo)
Republican January 3, 1985 –
January 3, 1989
99th
100th
Elected in 1984.
Re-elected in 1986.
Retired to run for U.S. Senator.

Bill Sarpalius
(Amarillo)
Democratic January 3, 1989 –
January 3, 1995
101st
102nd
103rd
Elected in 1988.
Re-elected in 1990.
Re-elected in 1992.
Lost reelection.

Mac Thornberry
(Amarillo)
Republican January 3, 1995 –
January 3, 2021
104th
105th
106th
107th
108th
109th
110th
111th
112th
113th
114th
115th
116th
Elected in 1994.
Reelected in 1996.
Reelected in 1998.
Reelected in 2000.
Reelected in 2002.
Reelected in 2004.
Reelected in 2006.
Reelected in 2008.
Reelected in 2010.
Reelected in 2012.
Reelected in 2014.
Reelected in 2016.
Reelected in 2018.
Retired.

Ronny Jackson
(Amarillo)
Republican January 3, 2021 –
present
117th
118th
Elected in 2020.
Re-elected in 2022.

Election results

[edit]

Often in recent years, the incumbent has either run unopposed or has only a third/fourth party candidate who is opposing them. Generally, the incumbent gets over 70% of the vote, even during years with huge opposition party pickups.

Texas 13th congressional district 1994[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mac Thornberry 79,466 55.42
Democratic Bill Sarpalius (incumbent) 63,923 44.58
Total votes 143,389 100.00
Texas 13th congressional district 1996[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mac Thornberry (incumbent) 116,098 66.87
Democratic Samuel Brown Silverman 56,066 32.29
Independent Don Harkey 1,463 0.84
Total votes 173,627 100.00
Texas 13th congressional district 1998[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mac Thornberry (incumbent) 81,141 67.92
Democratic Mark Harmon 37,027 30.99
Libertarian Georganne Baker Payne 1,298 1.09
Total votes 119,466 100.00
Texas 13th congressional district 2000[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mac Thornberry (incumbent) 117,995 67.63
Democratic Curtis Clinesmith 54,343 31.15
Libertarian Brad Clardy 2,137 1.22
Total votes 174,475 100.00
Texas 13th congressional district 2002[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mac Thornberry (incumbent) 119,401 79.27
Democratic Zane Reese 31,218 20.73
Total votes 150,619 100.00
Texas 13th congressional district 2004[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mac Thornberry (incumbent) 189,448 92.31
Libertarian John Robert Deek 15,793 7.69
Total votes 205,241 100.00
Texas 13th congressional district 2006[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mac Thornberry (incumbent) 108,107 74.35
Democratic Roger J. Waun 33,460 23.01
Libertarian Keith Dyer 3,829 2.63
Total votes 145,396 100.00
Texas 13th congressional district 2008[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mac Thornberry (incumbent) 180,078 77.65
Democratic Roger James Waun 51,841 22.35
Total votes 231,919 100.00
Texas 13th congressional district 2010[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mac Thornberry (incumbent) 113,201 87.05
Independent Keith Dyer 11,192 8.61
Libertarian John T. Burwell Jr. 5,650 4.34
Total votes 130,043 100.00
Texas 13th congressional district 2012[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mac Thornberry (incumbent) 187,775 90.98
Libertarian John Robert Deek 12,701 6.15
Green Keith F. Houston 5,912 2.86
Total votes 206,388 100.00
Texas 13th congressional district 2014[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mac Thornberry (incumbent) 110,842 84.3
Democratic Mike Minter 16,822 12.8
Libertarian Emily Pivoda 2,863 2.2
Green Don Cook 924 0.7
Total votes 131,451 100
Texas 13th congressional district 2016[8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mac Thornberry (incumbent) 199,050 90.0
Libertarian Calvin DeWeese 14,725 6.7
Green H.F. "Rusty" Tomlinson 7,467 3.4
Total votes 221,242 100
Texas 13th congressional district 2018[9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mac Thornberry (incumbent) 168,090 81.6
Democratic Greg Sagan 34,859 16.9
Libertarian Calvin DeWeese 3,144 1.5
Total votes 206,093 100
Texas 13th congressional district 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ronny Jackson 217,124 79.4
Democratic Gus Trujillo 50,477 18.5
Libertarian Jack B. Westbrook 5,907 2.1
Total votes 273,508 100
Texas's 13th congressional district 2022
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ronny Jackson (incumbent) 161,767 75.3
Democratic Kathleen Brown 52,910 24.6
Total votes 214,677 100

Historical district boundaries

[edit]
2007–2013
2013–2023

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]

Citations

[edit]
  1. ^ "Congressional Districts Relationship Files (State-based) - Geography - U.S. Census Bureau". www.census.gov. Archived from the original on April 2, 2013. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Center for New Media & Promotion (CNMP), US Census Bureau. "My Congressional District". www.census.gov.
  3. ^ a b "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". Cook Political Report. July 12, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  4. ^ "NationalJournal - Log In". www.nationaljournal.com.
  5. ^ Wegman, Jesse; Winter, Damon (July 13, 2022). "Opinion | Gerrymander, U.S.A." The New York Times.
  6. ^ Gilman, Todd J. (September 30, 2019). "Rep. Mac Thornberry becomes 6th Texas Republican in House to announce retirement ahead of 2020 election". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Elections Division, Office of the Texas Secretary of State". elections.sos.state.tx.us. Archived from the original on May 12, 2000. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  8. ^ "Office of the Secretary of State, Race Summary Report, 2016 General Election". elections.sos.state.tx.us.
  9. ^ "2018 General Election - RESULTS". enrpages.sos.state.tx.us. Archived from the original on November 11, 2018. Retrieved January 14, 2022.

General sources

[edit]
  • Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
  • Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
[edit]

34°50′16″N 100°35′52″W / 34.83778°N 100.59778°W / 34.83778; -100.59778