1994 Texas gubernatorial election

1994 Texas gubernatorial election
Turnout	50.87%
	County results; Bush: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%; Richards: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%
Governor before election; Ann Richards; Democratic	Elected Governor ; George W. Bush; Republican

The 1994 Texas gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1994, to elect the governor of Texas. Incumbent Democratic Governor Ann Richards was defeated in her bid for re-election by Republican nominee and future President George W. Bush, the son of former President George H. W. Bush.

Before the election, Richards had a high approval rating due to the strength of the state economy. However, Bush's campaigning on cultural and religious issues resonated with many Texan voters, and the race was considered a tossup on election day.

On election day, Bush carried 188 of the state's 254 counties, while Richards carried 66. As of 2022, this is the last time the Democratic candidate for governor has carried Briscoe, Hall, Cottle, Hardeman, Knox, Baylor, Dickens, Jones, Nolan, Mitchell, Clay, Palo Pinto, Comanche, Menard, Fannin, Delta, Rains, Camp, San Augustine, Sabine, Tyler, Orange, Caldwell, Galveston, Robertson, Milam, Limestone, and San Patricio counties. Exit polls revealed that Bush won overwhelmingly among white voters (69% to 31%) while Richards performed well among African Americans (83% to 15%) and Latinos (75% to 25%). The 1994 election marked the last time that a Democrat won more than 45% of the vote in a Texas gubernatorial election, though the party was more successful in other statewide offices: Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock, Attorney General Dan Morales, Land Commissioner Garry Mauro and Comptroller John Sharp all won reelection. This is also the last time a Democrat won statewide in Texas as it is the state with the longest drought of electing Democrats to statewide office.

Bush's victory was one of the most notable in the 1994 Republican Revolution, as he was one of four candidates to defeat an incumbent governor that cycle. As of 2023, this is the last time an incumbent governor of Texas lost re-election.

Primaries

Republican

Republican primary
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	George W. Bush	520,130	93.32%	+93.32%
	Republican	Ray Hollis	37,210	6.68%	+6.68%
Total votes			557,340	100.00%

Democratic

Democratic primary
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Ann Richards (incumbent)	806,607	77.79%	+20.70%
	Democratic	Gary Espinosa	230,337	22.21%	+22.21%
Total votes			1,036,944	100.00%

Campaign

On June 11, 1994, 54 delegates met at the Libertarian state convention to statewide nominees. Keary Ehlers was given the gubernatorial nomination and the other statewide nominees were selected on June 12.^[1] Tom Pauken, the chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, stated that Keary Ehlers should withdraw to help Bush win the election. Jay Manifold, the chairman of the Libertarian Party of Texas, stated that Bush should withdraw to help Ehlers win the election in response.^[2]

Polling

Source	Date	George W. Bush (R)	Ann Richards (D)
KPRC-TV	November 4, 1994	48%	44%
Dallas Morning News/Houston Chronicle	October 30 – November 3, 1994	47%	44%
Houston Post/KHOU-TV	November 2, 1994	44%	47%
KPRC-TV	October 23, 1994	47%	44%
Houston Post/KHOU-TV	October 7, 1994	43%	41%

Endorsements

Bush endorsements

Organizations

Associated Builders and Contractors of Texas^[3]
Coalition for a Safer Society^[3]
Concerned Insurance Texas Agents^[3]
Justice for All^[3]
Texas Association of Business^[3]
Texas Association of Dairymen^[3]
Texas Cattle Feeders Association^[3]
Texas Cotton Ginners Association^[3]
Texas Farm Bureau Friends of Agriculture^[3]
Texas Forestry Association^[3]

Newspapers

Notable individuals

Billy Joe DuPree, former Dallas Cowboys receiver^[5]
Nolan Ryan, former Texas Rangers pitcher^[5]

Richards endorsements

Organizations

Austin Progressive Coalition^[3]
Texas AFL–CIO^[3]
Combined Law Associations of Texas^[3]
Sierra Club^[3]
Texas National Organization for Women^[3]
Texas State Teachers Association^[3]

Newspapers

Notable individuals

Ross Perot, independent presidential candidate in the 1992 presidential election^[5]

Ehlers endorsements

Organizations

North Texas Arms Rights Coalition^[3]

Results

General election results^[6]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	George W. Bush	2,350,994	53.48%	+6.56%
	Democratic	Ann Richards (incumbent)	2,016,928	45.88%	−3.59%
	Libertarian	Keary Ehlers	28,320	0.64%	−2.68%
Total votes			4,396,242	100.00%
	Republican gain from Democratic

References

^ "Libertarians pick gubernatorial candidate". El Paso Times. June 12, 1994. p. 26. Archived from the original on March 9, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Libertarian leader asks Bush to quit". Austin American-Statesman. September 30, 1994. p. 20. Archived from the original on March 9, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q "Endorsements". Austin American-Statesman. October 16, 1994. p. 113. Archived from the original on March 9, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v "Hutchison wins endorsements; governor's race still tight". The Monitor. November 1, 1994. p. 36. Archived from the original on March 9, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Richards, Bush keep frantic paces as Election Day quickly appearances". Austin American-Statesman. November 5, 1994. p. 8. Archived from the original on March 9, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
^ 1994 General Election, Office of the Secretary of State