2006 United States Senate election in Texas

2006 United States Senate election in Texas

← 2000 November 7, 2006 2012 →
 
Nominee Kay Bailey Hutchison Barbara Ann Radnofsky
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 2,661,789 1,555,202
Percentage 61.69% 36.04%

County results
Hutchison:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Radnofsky:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. senator before election

Kay Bailey Hutchison
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Kay Bailey Hutchison
Republican

The 2006 United States Senate election in Texas was held November 7, 2006. Incumbent Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison won re-election to a third full term.

As of 2024, this was the last time a Republican won Texas's Class 1 Senate seat with over 60% of the vote, as well as the last time a Republican candidate for this seat won Dallas, Jefferson, or Bexar counties.

To date, this is the most recent statewide election in which Dallas County voted for the Republican candidate.

General election

[edit]

Major candidates

[edit]
  • Barbara Ann Radnofsky, attorney
  • Gene Kelly, retired attorney & 2000 Democratic Senate Nominee
  • Darrel Reece Hunter

Campaign

[edit]

The Democratic nominee had never run for public office and was expected to face an uphill battle in the general election, especially in a state that has not elected a Democrat statewide since 1994 and against a historically popular Hutchison. Since neither Radnofsky nor her main opponent, Gene Kelly, had received a majority of votes in the Democratic primary, a runoff was held April 11, 2006, which Radnofsky won. Radnofsky's campaign platform is available on her website.[1] Scott Lanier Jameson won the Libertarian Party nomination at the party's state convention on June 10, 2006, defeating Timothy Wade and Ray Salinas. Arthur W. Loux, a Roman Forest City Councilman and a member of the Minutemen, was running as an independent.

Hutchison co-sponsored legislation supporting the creation of a constitutional amendment that would limit terms for senators but had been quoted saying that she would only leave after two terms if such a law applied to all senators.[2] After deciding not to challenge Governor Rick Perry this year, as had been widely speculated, Hutchison was running for a third term.[3]

She had no opposition in the 2006 Republican primary and had approval ratings in the 60 percent range going into the election,[4] although they had been slipping rapidly.

Debate

[edit]
2006 United States Senate election in Texas debate
No. Date Host Moderator Link Republican Democratic Libertarian
Key:
 P  Participant   A  Absent   N  Not invited   I  Invited  W  Withdrawn
Kay Bailey
Hutchison
Barbara Ann
Radnofsky
Scott Jameson
1 Oct. 19, 2006 KLRN
Texas League of Women Voters
Yolette Garcia C-SPAN[5] P P P

Predictions

[edit]
Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[6] Solid R November 6, 2006
Sabato's Crystal Ball[7] Safe R November 6, 2006
Rothenberg Political Report[8] Safe R November 6, 2006
Real Clear Politics[9] Safe R November 6, 2006

Polling

[edit]
Source Date Hutchison (R) Radnofsky (D)
Polimetrix[10] November 5, 2006 65% 29%
Zogby[11] October 25, 2006 61% 27%
Rasmussen[12] October 23, 2006 60% 34%
Rasmussen[13] August 31, 2006 58% 32%
Rasmussen[14] August 3, 2006 61% 31%
Rasmussen[15] July 13, 2006 58% 31%
Rasmussen[16] May 18, 2006 53% 34%
Rasmussen[17] January 8, 2006 64% 25%

Results

[edit]
United States Senate election in Texas, 2006[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison (incumbent) 2,661,789 61.69 −4.65
Democratic Barbara Ann Radnofsky 1,555,202 36.04 +3.69
Libertarian Scott Jameson 97,672 2.26 +1.10
Majority 1,106,587 25.7
Turnout 4,314,663
Republican hold Swing

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

[edit]

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Radnofsky Mediation Services". Radnofsky.com. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  2. ^ Hamilton, By Reeve (November 17, 2009). "Working Overtime". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  3. ^ Ramsey, By Ross (November 22, 2010). "Kay Será, Será". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  4. ^ "SurveyUSA News Poll #9993". www.surveyusa.com. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  5. ^ C-SPAN
  6. ^ "2006 Senate Race Ratings for November 6, 2006" (PDF). The Cook Political Report. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 5, 2008. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  7. ^ "Election Eve 2006: THE FINAL PREDICTIONS". Sabato's Crystal Ball. November 6, 2006. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  8. ^ "2006 Senate Ratings". Senate Ratings. The Rothenberg Political Report. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  9. ^ "Election 2006". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  10. ^ Polimetrix
  11. ^ Zogby
  12. ^ Rasmussen
  13. ^ Rasmussen
  14. ^ Rasmussen
  15. ^ Rasmussen
  16. ^ Rasmussen
  17. ^ Rasmussen
  18. ^ "2006 General Election". Texas Secretary of State. November 7, 2006.
[edit]

Official campaign websites (Archived)