Chapter 4 Political Parties in Texas Political Parties in Texas Role of Political Parties in Texas Politics • Help voters make choices – “R” or “D” next to candidate name on ballot helps people decide who to vote for • Texans vote for unusually high number of offices – Party label offers a very helpful cue on a long ballot where less is known about the candidates Role of Political Parties in Texas Politics • Party Work – Assist in fund-raising for party or specific candidates – Recruit quality candidates to run – Voter mobilization • Get Out The Vote drives (GOTV) • Online activities to connect and engage voters Role of Political Parties in Texas Politics Political Parties #1 Goal CONTROL Government by WINNING Elections!!! Reasons Texas Was a One-Party Democratic State • SLAVERY – Republican Party’s early opposition to slavery • CIVIL WAR – Republican President Lincoln’s role in defeating Confederacy during Civil War • RECONSTRUCTION – Harsh policies pursued by Republicans during Reconstruction CAUSES OF RISE OF REPUBLICAN PARTY IN TEXAS • • Northerners moving to Texas • • Growing liberalism of Democratic Party in 1960s and 1970s • • Popularity of President Reagan-1980s • • Weakening memories of Civil War, Reconstruction HOW DEMOCRATIC WAS TEXAS? • • 1928-1952—No Republicans elected to Texas Legislature • • 1874-1961—No Republican elected to statewide office • • Most races on ballot were uncontested • • 1978 – Democrats won 86% of races – Republicans won 14% of races 2000 Presidential Election - Bush vs. Gore Levels of Party Competition-1961-1984 RISE OF TEXAS REPUBLICAN PARTY1 • • 1961--Election of US Senator John Tower • • 1978—Election of Governor Bill Clements • • 1984—Election of US Senator Phil Gramm • • 1988--Republicans won 4 statewide races RISE OF TEXAS REPUBLICAN PARTY2 • • 1993—Election of US Senator Kay B. Hutchison • • 1994—Election of Gov. George W. Bush • • 1998-Relection of Gov. Bush & Rep. Maj. In Texas Senate • • 2002-Republicans winning all statewide offices & control of both Texas House & Senate RISE OF TEXAS REPUBLICAN PARTY3 • 2003—Top 3 state officials: Governor, Lt. Governor, & Speaker-all Republican • 2007—Top 3 state officials: Governor, Lt. Governor, & Speaker-all Republican (although Republicans lost 6 House seats & gained one Senate seat) Role of Political Parties in Texas Politics • 90% of Texas voters identify with the two parties (Oct. 2012, Texas Tribune) – 51% Republican, 39% Democrat, 8% Independent • Don’t confuse “independent” with “moderate” – Strong ideologues (liberals or conservatives) often self-identify as “independent” because they think their party is not ideological enough. – Independents not synonymous with “swing votes” • Decision between voting for one party or abstaining The Contemporary Republican Party in Texas • Republican Party and Presidential Vote – Since 1980, GOP candidate has won Texas – Last presidential candidate to win in Texas was President Carter in 1976 (well over three decades) – Texans George H.W. and George W. Bush account for some, but not all, of this trend. • Party support grew between 2008 and 2012 – John McCain won Texas by 12-point margin – Mitt Romney won Texas by 16-point margin The Contemporary Republican Party in Texas • Texans have elected Republicans to all statewide offices since 1994, most notably: • Both U.S. Senate Seats • Governor – Though this has included only three people: George W. Bush, Rick Perry and Gregg Abbott • All offices of the plural executive – e.g. Lt. Governor, Attorney General, etc. The Contemporary Republican Party in Texas • Republicans hold all 18 seats in the state’s top judicial institutions since 1994 • The Supreme Court of Texas – Court of last resort for civil cases • The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals – Court of last resort for criminal cases, including death penalty cases • In 2012, Democrats did not run a candidate for several statewide offices The Contemporary Republican Party in Texas • Republicans hold comfortable majorities in both chambers of the Texas Legislature – 2014 Texas House: 98 of 150 seats • This is “more competitive” than recent years, when as many as 101 of 150 House seats were Republican. – 2014 Texas Senate: 20 of 31 seats • Texas Speaker of the House and most legislative committee leadership roles go to Republicans The Contemporary Democratic Party in Texas The Contemporary Democratic Party in Texas • Several counties and electoral districts are strongly Democratic, with little viable Republican opposition. • While Republicans are strong in statewide contests, there are cities and regions in the state where they are not competitive at all. – The 2012 Texas congressional delegation sharply illustrates the reliably “red” and “blue” parts of the state. Party Organization • Texas parties conduct primaries to select the party’s candidates for office. • Texas voters do not register by party. – There is no such thing as a “registered” Republican or Democrat in Texas. • Voters can vote in either party primary, but in only one primary per election cycle. – For example, one could vote in the Democratic primary in 2008, and the GOP primary in 2010. Party Organization • Candidates must win either: – A majority of the primary vote – Or a run-off between the two highest vote getters • One-party dominance in state and regions (some places Democrats dominate local government) means some of the most competitive races occur in the primaries. Party Organization • Party are organized at the precinct, county, and state levels. – See next slide for illustration of party structure and organization Party Organization in Texas Party Organization • Conventions are held at the precinct, county, and state levels. • Precinct chairs are the most local “on-the- ground” party officials. – Lead their precinct convention – Serve on the county executive committee. Party Organization • County executive committees responsible for running county primary election and planning county convention. – Can be arduous task in very large counties like Bexar, Harris, Dallas, and Travis. – In addition, county-level party politics can be very contentious among activists Party Organization • A county chair is elected at the party’s primary election and heads the county executive committee. • The precinct and county chairs decide who will attend the state party convention. – These choices can shape the party platforms. Party Organization • The state executive committee and state chair and vice chair coordinate the party’s statewide activities. – State conventions, statewide primary tasks, and general election tasks fall to this group. – They have an established relationship with the national party organization. – They coordinate to determine delegates to national party conventions. TEXAS REPUBLICANS ISSUE STANDS • • Less government • • Strong national defense • • Pro-life on abortion • • Limit govt. economic regulations • • Anti-union • • Less govt. in civil rights • • End affirmative action • • Traditional family values TEXAS DEMOCRATS ISSUE STANDS • • More activist government • • Protect social programs & funding • • Pro-choice on abortion • • Govt. regs. necessary to protect workers, consumers, environment, & end business abuses • • Active govt. role in civil rights • • Support affirmative action • • Maintain separation of church & state The Texas Democratic & Republican Party Platforms-A Comparison TEXAS REPUBLICANS • Conservatives & ultra-conservatives • • · Evangelical Protestants (“born-again” Christians) • • · Newcomers to Texas • • · Primarily Anglos • • · Younger voters • • · More educated • • · More men TEXAS DEMOCRATS • • Primarily middle class & poor • • • Workers--blue collar/unions • • • Catholics & Jews • • • Native Texans • • • Minorities & liberal Anglos • • • Older Voters • • • Less educated • • • More women Third Parties Third Parties • Extremely hard to run as anything other than a Democrat or Republican – A few notable attempts, but all ultimately failed: • Strayhorn, Friedman, Raza Unida Party, Dixiecrats • Rules for running for office are made by Democrats and Republicans – Partisans have a vested interest in making it difficult for others to challenge them. Third Parties • Steps for Independents/Third Parties to run for statewide office – Candidates must obtain petition signatures equal to 1 percent of the total votes in the last governor’s race. – Signatures must come from registered voters who did not participate in any political party primary election. – Signature collection cannot begin until the day after the last primary election. – Voters may sign only one candidate’s petition. Tea Party Movements and Occupy Wall Street Support in Texas Texas’s History as a One-Party State • After Reconstruction (1873), Texas entered one-party rule era, lasts over a century – The real election was the Democratic primary. – Republicans frequently did not run any candidate at all for many offices. – Many counties had no Republican Party at all. – This was common in the South at this time. • GOP was the party of the North and entirely unpopular in southern states for that reason. Texas’s History as a One-Party State Texas’s History as a One-Party State State and National Democratic Party • 1940s realignment beginning to take shape – National Democratic Party became more liberal on economic and social issues • Support for New Deal, voting rights, desegregation – Presidential Republicanism emerges • Split-ticket voting, southern states (like Texas) voted for conservative Democrats at the state level and Republicans for president