The 2010 Texas gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010, to elect the governor of Texas. Incumbent Republican governor Rick Perry ran successfully for election to a third consecutive term. He won the Republican primary against U.S. senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and political newcomer, Debra Medina. The former mayor of Houston, Bill White, won the Democratic nomination. Kathie Glass, a lawyer from Houston and previous candidate for Texas attorney general, won the Libertarian nomination. Deb Shafto was the nominee of the Texas Green Party. Andy Barron, an orthodontist from Lubbock, was a declared write-in candidate.
Exit polls showed Perry winning Whites (71% to 29%), while White performed well among African Americans (88% to 12%) and Latinos (61% to 38%). Perry's fourth inauguration for a third full four-year term began on January 18, 2011, on the State Capitol South Grounds. As of 2023, this is the last time Foard, Falls, Trinity, Reeves, La Salle and Kleberg counties voted for the Democratic candidate for governor.
Republican primary Candidates Kay Bailey Hutchison, U.S. senator Debra Medina, political activist Rick Perry, incumbent governor
Endorsements
Polling Note: polls used different sample sizes and citizen groups. A candidate must have a majority of the vote (>50%) to avoid a runoff with their second place opponent. Poll source Date(s)administered Rick Perry Kay Bailey Hutchison Debra Medina Other Unde-cidedRasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports February 23, 2010 48% 27% 16% — 9% Public Policy Polling (report) February 19–21, 2010 40% 31% 20% — 9% Research 2000 (report) February 8–10, 2010 42% 30% 17% — 11%Public Policy Polling (report) February 4–7, 2010 39% 28% 24% — 10% University of Texas (report) February 1–7, 2010 45% 21% 19% — 16%Rasmussen Reports (report) February 1, 2010 44% 29% 16% — 11%Rasmussen Reports (report) January 17, 2010 43% 33% 12% — 11%Rasmussen Reports (report) November 13, 2009 46% 35% 4% — 14%University of Texas (report) November 3, 2009 42% 30% 7% 4% 18%Rasmussen Reports (report) September 16, 2009 38% 40% 3% — 19%Rasmussen Reports (report) July 15, 2009 46% 36% — 5% 14% Texas Politics (report) June 11–22, 2009 38% 27% — 8% 26% 38% 26% — 9% 27%Texas Lyceum (report) June 5–12, 2009 33% 21% — 1% 41%Rasmussen Reports (report) May 7, 2009 42% 38% — 7% 13%Texas Politics (report) February 24 – March 6, 2009 29% 37% — 10% 24%Public Policy Polling (report) February 18–20, 2009 31% 56% — — —Texas Lyceum (report) June 12–20, 2008 22% 35% — — —
Debate + 2010 Texas gubernatorial election Republican primary debate Date Host Moderator Link Republican Republican RepublicanKey: Participant Absent Not invited Invited Withdrawn Kay Bailey Hutchison Debra Medina Rick Perry1 Jan. 14, 2010 Fort Worth Star-TelegramKERA-TVKTVT-TV Shelley Kofler C-SPAN
Results
Democratic primary
Candidates Declared Alma Ludivina Aguado, physician Felix Alvarado, educator and U.S. Air Force veteran Bill Dear, private investigator Clement E. Glenn, associate professor of education at Prairie View A&M University Star Locke, homebuilder Farouk Shami, businessman Bill White, former mayor of Houston
Withdrew Tom Schieffer, former U.S. Ambassador to Japan & U.S. Ambassador to Australia
Endorsements
Polling Poll source Date(s) administered Felix Alvarado Alma Aguado Kinky Friedman* Tom Schieffer* Bill White Farouk Shami Unde-cided Public Policy Polling (report) February 19–21, 2010 5% 3% — — 59% 12% 18% Public Policy Polling (report) February 4–7, 2010 5% 2% — — 49% 19% 24% University of Texas (report) October 20–27, 2009 2% — 19% 10% — — 55% University of Texas (report) June 11–22, 2009 — — 12% 2% — — 62% Texas Lyceum (report) June 5–12, 2007 — — 10% 6% — — 73% Wilson Research (report) September 21, 2007 — — 9% — 12% — 30%
* Dropped out prior to the primary.
Results
General election
Candidates Andy Barron (write-in), orthodontist Kathie Glass (L), attorney Rick Perry (R), incumbent governor Deb Shafto (G), educator Bill White (D), former Houston mayor
Predictions Source Ranking As of Cook Political Report October 14, 2010 Rothenberg October 28, 2010 RealClearPolitics November 1, 2010 Sabato's Crystal Ball October 28, 2010 CQ Politics October 28, 2010
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror Rick Perry (R) Kathie Glass (L) BillWhite (D) Other Unde-cided Public Policy Polling (report) October 26–28, 2010 568 ± 4.1% 53% — 44% — 3% Lighthouse Opinion and Polling Research (report) October 15–17, 2010 1200 ± 2.9% 48% 3% 37% 1% 11% Public Policy Polling (report) September 2–6, 2010 538 ± 4.2% 48% — 42% — 10% Rasmussen Reports (report) August 22, 2010 500 ± 4.5% 49% — 41% 3% 7% Rasmussen Reports (report) July 13, 2010 500 ± 4.5% 50% — 41% 2% 7% Public Policy Polling (report) June 19–21, 2010 500 ± 4.4% 43% — 43% — 14% Rasmussen Reports (report) June 16, 2010 500 ± 4.5% 48% — 40% 5% 8% Rasmussen Reports (report) May 13, 2010 500 ± 4.5% 51% — 38% 4% 6% Rasmussen Reports (report) April 14, 2010 500 ± 4.5% 48% — 44% 2% 6% Rasmussen Reports (report) March 3, 2010 500 ± 4.5% 49% — 43% 3% 6% Rasmussen Reports (report) February 22, 2010 1,200 ± 3.0% 47% — 41% 5% 7% Public Policy Polling (report) February 4–7, 2010 1,200 ± 2.8% 48% — 42% — 10%Rasmussen Reports (report) February 1, 2010 1,000 ± 3.0% 48% — 39% 5% 8%Rasmussen Reports (report) January 17, 2010 1,000 ± 3.0% 50% — 40% 4% 6%
Results
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Bee (largest city: Beeville) Fisher (largest city: Rotan) Haskell (largest city: Haskell) Marion (largest city: Jefferson) Morris (largest city: Daingerfield) Newton (largest city: Newton) Calhoun (largest city: Port Lavaca) Bastrop (largest city: Elgin) Stonewall (largest city: Aspermont) Swisher (largest city: Tulia) Crosby (largest city: Crosbyton) Red River (largest city: Clarksville) Jefferson (largest city: Beaumont)
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Bexar (largest city: San Antonio) Cameron (largest city: Brownsville) Culberson (largest municipality: Van Horn) Harris (largest municipality: Houston) Kleberg (largest municipality: Kingsville) Trinity (largest city: Trinity)
Counties that flipped from Independent to Democratic Falls (largest city: Marlin)
Counties that flipped from Independent to Republican Nolan (largest city: Sweetwater) Cooke (largest city: Gainesville) Goliad (largest city: Goliad) Wilson (largest city: Floresville) Wharton (largest city: El Campo)
Analysis Texas does not have term limits for its governors; thus, gubernatorial incumbents have been free to run as often as they want, if they are eligible for the office. The Republicans and Democrats chose their gubernatorial nominees based on the results of primary votes held on March 2, 2010 (the first Tuesday in MarchTexas Election Code, Section 41.007(a).). Both parties' candidates received at least 20 percent of the total votes cast for governor in the 2006 election; thus, they must nominate their candidates via primary election.Texas Election Code, Section 172.001. Any third party that obtains ballot access must nominate its candidates via a statewide convention, which by law must be held on June 12, 2010 (the second Saturday in JuneTexas Election Code, Section 181.061(a).). The Libertarian Party obtained ballot access automatically due to its 2008 showing, in which one of its nominees attracted over one million votes.
In the primary election, the party's winning candidate must garner a majority (over 50%) of votes cast; otherwise, the top two candidates face each other in a runoff election. However, in the general election, the winning candidate needs only a plurality of votes to be elected governor (as was the case with the 2006 election and the 1990 election, in which Libertarian Jeff Daiell attracted over 129,000 votes). Independent and write-in candidates may seek ballot access; however, the criteria for such access are quite strict (see "Ballot Access" below). Nevertheless, in the 2006 election, two independent candidates, Carole Keeton Strayhorn, the Republican State Comptroller, and Kinky Friedman, a popular Texas country musician, obtained enough signatures to qualify. The Libertarian nominee, James Werner, was on the ballot automatically because of that party's Texas showing in the 2004 general election.
Political party candidates Any political party whose candidate for governor, during the 2006 election, garnered at least 20 percent of the total votes cast, must nominate all its candidates for all offices sought via primary election. In the 2006 election, both the Democratic candidate (Chris Bell) and the Republican candidate (Rick Perry) received this many votes; thus, both parties must hold primary elections using the two-round system. The primary elections must be held on the first Tuesday in March, and a candidate must receive a majority of votes cast in the primary election;Texas Election Code, Section 172.003. otherwise, a runoff election between the top two finishers must be heldTexas Election Code, Section 172.004. on the second Tuesday in April.Texas Election Code, Section 41.007(b).
A political party whose candidate for governor, during the 2006 election, received at least two percent but less than 20 percent of the total votes cast, may nominate its candidates for all offices sought via either a primary election (using the two-round system) or a state convention. If the party chooses to conduct a primary election, it must notify the Texas Secretary of State at least one year prior to the general election date and must nominate all its candidates via primary election.Texas Election Code, Section 172.002. No third-party candidate met this requirement in 2006; the last to do so was the Libertarian Party in 1990 (when nominee Jeff Daiell polled over 3.3% of the vote).
All other political parties must nominate their candidates via state convention,Texas Election Code, Section 181.003. which by law must be held on the second Saturday in June. In order to qualify for ballot access at the general election, the party must either: have had at least one candidate, in the previous statewide election, garner at least five percent of the total votes cast for that officeTexas Election Code, Section 181.005(b). (only the Libertarian Party met this requirement), or within 75 days after conducting its precinct conventions, submit lists of said conventions, whose total participant count equals at least one percent of the total votes cast in the previous gubernatorial election.Texas Election Code, Section 181.005(a). If the political party cannot meet the precinct convention count requirement, it may file a supplemental petition, the number of signatures on which, when added to the count from the precinct convention lists, totals the required one percent,Texas Election Code, Section 181.006(b)(2). but must do so within the 75-day period above. Any person signing a supplemental petition must not have voted in any party's primary election or runoff election, or participated in any other third-party's convention.Texas Election Code, Section 181.006(g).
Independent candidates Should an independent gubernatorial candidate seek ballot access in the state of Texas, the candidate must meet the following requirements: The candidate must obtain signatures from registered voters, in an amount equalling at least one percent of the total votes cast in the prior gubernatorial election,Texas Election Code, Section 142.007. the same as for third-party access. The signatures must come from registered voters who did not vote in either the Democratic or Republican primaries or in any runoff elections for governor.Texas Election Code, Sections 142.008 and 142.009. The signatures must come from registered voters who have not signed a petition for any other independent candidate. If a supporter signed more than one petition, only the first signature counts.Texas Election Code, Section 141.066.