Texas' 34th Congressional District election, 2020
- Election date: Nov. 3
- Registration deadline(s): Oct. 5
- Online registration: No
- Same-day registration: No
- Recount laws
- Early voting starts: Oct. 13
- Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): Nov. 3 (postmarked); Nov. 4 (received)
- Processing, counting, and challenging absentee/mail-in ballots
- Voter ID: Photo ID
- Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
All U.S. congressional districts, including the 34th Congressional District of Texas, held elections in 2020.
Incumbent Filemon Vela won election in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 34.
| Candidate filing deadline | Primary election | General election |
|---|---|---|
Heading into the election the incumbent was Democrat Filemon Vela, who was first elected in 2012. The race was one of 56 U.S. House rematches from 2018.
Texas' 34th Congressional District is located in the southern portion of the state and includes Bee, Cameron, DeWitt, Goliad, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, and Willacy counties and portions of Gonzales, Hidalgo, and San Patricio counties.[1]
Post-election analysis
The table below compares the vote totals in the 2020 presidential election and 2020 U.S. House election for this district. The presidential election data was compiled by Daily Kos.
| Presidential and congressional election results, Texas' 34th Congressional District, 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race | Presidential | U.S. House |
Democratic candidate  |
51.5 | 55.4 |
Republican candidate  |
47.5 | 41.8 |
| Difference | 4 | 13.6 |
Election procedure changes in 2020
Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.
Texas modified its absentee/mail-in voting, candidate filing, and early voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:
- Absentee/mail-in voting: Local election officials could not reject an absentee ballot due to a perceived signature mismatch unless the voter was given a pre-rejection notice of this finding and a "meaningful opportunity to cure his or her ballot's rejection." Return locations for absentee/mail-in ballots were limited to one per county.
- Candidate filing procedures: The petition deadline for independent candidates for non-presidential office was extended to August 13, 2020.
- Early voting: Early voting began on October 13, 2020.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Candidates and election results
General election
General election for U.S. House Texas District 34
Incumbent Filemon Vela defeated Rey Gonzalez Jr., Anthony Cristo, and Chris Royal in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 34 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Filemon Vela (D) | 55.4 | 111,439 |
 | Rey Gonzalez Jr. (R)  | 41.8 | 84,119 | |
 | Anthony Cristo (L) | 1.6 | 3,222 | |
 | Chris Royal (Independent) | 1.1 | 2,247 | |
| Total votes: 201,027 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 34
Incumbent Filemon Vela defeated Diego Zavala and Osbert Rodriguez Haro III in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 34 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Filemon Vela | 75.1 | 39,484 |
 | Diego Zavala | 18.5 | 9,707 | |
 | Osbert Rodriguez Haro III | 6.5 | 3,413 | |
| Total votes: 52,604 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 34
Rey Gonzalez Jr. defeated Rod Lingsch in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 34 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Rey Gonzalez Jr. | 56.3 | 10,665 |
 | Rod Lingsch | 43.7 | 8,271 | |
| Total votes: 18,936 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 34
Anthony Cristo advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 34 on March 21, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Anthony Cristo (L) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
One of 254 Texas counties—0.4 percent—is a Pivot County. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
| Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Trump margin of victory in 2016 | Obama margin of victory in 2012 | Obama margin of victory in 2008 | ||||
| Jefferson County, Texas | 0.48% | 1.61% | 2.25% | ||||
In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Texas with 52.2 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 43.2 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Texas cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 66.7 percent of the time. In that same time frame, Texas supported Democratic candidates slightly more often than Republicans, 53.3 to 46.7 percent. The state, however, favored Republicans in every presidential election between 2000 and 2016.
Presidential results by legislative district
The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Texas. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[2][3]
| In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 54 out of 150 state House districts in Texas with an average margin of victory of 37.4 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 65 out of 150 state House districts in Texas with an average margin of victory of 36.4 points. Clinton won 10 districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections. |
| In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 96 out of 150 state House districts in Texas with an average margin of victory of 36.2 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 85 out of 150 state House districts in Texas with an average margin of victory of 34.5 points. |
| 2016 presidential results by state House district | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
| 1 | 26.82% | 72.17% | R+45.3 | 22.76% | 75.13% | R+52.4 | R |
| 2 | 20.93% | 77.91% | R+57 | 17.59% | 79.78% | R+62.2 | R |
| 3 | 22.26% | 76.65% | R+54.4 | 21.37% | 75.80% | R+54.4 | R |
| 4 | 25.04% | 73.93% | R+48.9 | 22.70% | 74.70% | R+52 | R |
| 5 | 23.75% | 75.33% | R+51.6 | 20.20% | 77.72% | R+57.5 | R |
| 6 | 28.44% | 70.49% | R+42 | 28.89% | 67.98% | R+39.1 | R |
| 7 | 27.14% | 71.97% | R+44.8 | 24.48% | 73.09% | R+48.6 | R |
| 8 | 24.96% | 74.07% | R+49.1 | 21.12% | 76.63% | R+55.5 | R |
| 9 | 27.47% | 71.73% | R+44.3 | 22.23% | 76.13% | R+53.9 | R |
| 10 | 25.56% | 73.21% | R+47.7 | 25.20% | 71.62% | R+46.4 | R |
| 11 | 26.75% | 72.23% | R+45.5 | 24.48% | 72.79% | R+48.3 | R |
| 12 | 36.06% | 62.67% | R+26.6 | 32.54% | 64.35% | R+31.8 | R |
| 13 | 22.71% | 76.25% | R+53.5 | 20.47% | 77.18% | R+56.7 | R |
| 14 | 34.77% | 62.91% | R+28.1 | 38.79% | 54.03% | R+15.2 | R |
| 15 | 21.79% | 76.77% | R+55 | 28.86% | 66.69% | R+37.8 | R |
| 16 | 18.22% | 80.76% | R+62.5 | 18.80% | 78.35% | R+59.5 | R |
| 17 | 37.30% | 60.79% | R+23.5 | 33.92% | 62.02% | R+28.1 | R |
| 18 | 27.18% | 71.69% | R+44.5 | 23.96% | 73.47% | R+49.5 | R |
| 19 | 22.22% | 76.79% | R+54.6 | 17.21% | 81.00% | R+63.8 | R |
| 20 | 26.22% | 72.13% | R+45.9 | 25.81% | 70.27% | R+44.5 | R |
| 21 | 23.92% | 74.97% | R+51.1 | 21.50% | 76.09% | R+54.6 | R |
| 22 | 66.82% | 32.57% | D+34.3 | 65.95% | 31.80% | D+34.1 | D |
| 23 | 44.24% | 54.56% | R+10.3 | 40.89% | 55.86% | R+15 | R |
| 24 | 25.11% | 73.48% | R+48.4 | 27.42% | 68.20% | R+40.8 | R |
| 25 | 28.74% | 69.92% | R+41.2 | 27.55% | 69.14% | R+41.6 | R |
| 26 | 35.86% | 62.95% | R+27.1 | 45.81% | 50.71% | R+4.9 | R |
| 27 | 68.80% | 30.44% | D+38.4 | 70.03% | 27.23% | D+42.8 | D |
| 28 | 34.81% | 64.22% | R+29.4 | 43.01% | 53.21% | R+10.2 | R |
| 29 | 35.44% | 63.32% | R+27.9 | 41.21% | 54.83% | R+13.6 | R |
| 30 | 30.24% | 68.64% | R+38.4 | 26.80% | 70.36% | R+43.6 | R |
| 31 | 61.89% | 37.31% | D+24.6 | 55.47% | 42.31% | D+13.2 | D |
| 32 | 41.43% | 56.92% | R+15.5 | 42.04% | 53.45% | R+11.4 | R |
| 33 | 26.49% | 72.25% | R+45.8 | 31.27% | 64.67% | R+33.4 | R |
| 34 | 54.64% | 44.24% | D+10.4 | 53.40% | 43.18% | D+10.2 | D |
| 35 | 66.43% | 32.71% | D+33.7 | 63.43% | 33.59% | D+29.8 | D |
| 36 | 74.73% | 24.41% | D+50.3 | 73.70% | 23.21% | D+50.5 | D |
| 37 | 69.28% | 29.75% | D+39.5 | 68.98% | 27.77% | D+41.2 | D |
| 38 | 66.13% | 32.95% | D+33.2 | 65.76% | 30.74% | D+35 | D |
| 39 | 74.02% | 25.10% | D+48.9 | 70.48% | 26.40% | D+44.1 | D |
| 40 | 75.32% | 23.68% | D+51.6 | 70.73% | 25.91% | D+44.8 | D |
| 41 | 56.64% | 42.35% | D+14.3 | 59.53% | 36.87% | D+22.7 | D |
| 42 | 75.54% | 23.57% | D+52 | 73.73% | 23.49% | D+50.2 | D |
| 43 | 46.96% | 52.09% | R+5.1 | 43.79% | 53.10% | R+9.3 | R |
| 44 | 30.83% | 67.97% | R+37.1 | 30.22% | 65.99% | R+35.8 | R |
| 45 | 41.83% | 55.19% | R+13.4 | 44.53% | 49.14% | R+4.6 | R |
| 46 | 76.62% | 20.14% | D+56.5 | 78.16% | 16.34% | D+61.8 | D |
| 47 | 39.32% | 58.05% | R+18.7 | 46.98% | 47.16% | R+0.2 | R |
| 48 | 56.86% | 39.56% | D+17.3 | 65.17% | 28.12% | D+37 | D |
| 49 | 70.19% | 24.89% | D+45.3 | 76.63% | 16.65% | D+60 | D |
| 50 | 57.79% | 38.81% | D+19 | 63.38% | 30.05% | D+33.3 | D |
| 51 | 78.49% | 17.43% | D+61.1 | 79.52% | 14.04% | D+65.5 | D |
| 52 | 42.57% | 54.91% | R+12.3 | 46.12% | 47.56% | R+1.4 | R |
| 53 | 22.29% | 76.50% | R+54.2 | 20.74% | 76.30% | R+55.6 | R |
| 54 | 45.85% | 53.04% | R+7.2 | 44.07% | 51.07% | R+7 | R |
| 55 | 33.08% | 65.48% | R+32.4 | 31.96% | 63.28% | R+31.3 | R |
| 56 | 29.70% | 69.02% | R+39.3 | 31.16% | 64.82% | R+33.7 | R |
| 57 | 25.97% | 73.09% | R+47.1 | 22.50% | 75.69% | R+53.2 | R |
| 58 | 21.12% | 77.52% | R+56.4 | 18.84% | 77.90% | R+59.1 | R |
| 59 | 21.36% | 77.31% | R+56 | 19.19% | 77.44% | R+58.2 | R |
| 60 | 15.70% | 83.09% | R+67.4 | 13.33% | 84.19% | R+70.9 | R |
| 61 | 16.19% | 82.54% | R+66.3 | 14.49% | 82.74% | R+68.3 | R |
| 62 | 24.72% | 73.77% | R+49.1 | 20.89% | 76.05% | R+55.2 | R |
| 63 | 26.39% | 72.13% | R+45.7 | 30.22% | 65.26% | R+35 | R |
| 64 | 37.33% | 60.30% | R+23 | 40.00% | 54.49% | R+14.5 | R |
| 65 | 40.84% | 57.52% | R+16.7 | 46.51% | 48.62% | R+2.1 | R |
| 66 | 37.46% | 61.15% | R+23.7 | 46.24% | 49.45% | R+3.2 | R |
| 67 | 37.26% | 61.08% | R+23.8 | 44.69% | 50.41% | R+5.7 | R |
| 68 | 17.78% | 81.15% | R+63.4 | 14.23% | 83.37% | R+69.1 | R |
| 69 | 23.27% | 75.20% | R+51.9 | 20.26% | 76.12% | R+55.9 | R |
| 70 | 29.25% | 69.37% | R+40.1 | 32.82% | 62.78% | R+30 | R |
| 71 | 22.84% | 75.76% | R+52.9 | 21.49% | 74.23% | R+52.7 | R |
| 72 | 23.33% | 75.26% | R+51.9 | 21.45% | 74.81% | R+53.4 | R |
| 73 | 20.22% | 78.37% | R+58.2 | 21.25% | 75.11% | R+53.9 | R |
| 74 | 56.99% | 41.57% | D+15.4 | 56.27% | 39.58% | D+16.7 | D |
| 75 | 72.33% | 26.62% | D+45.7 | 73.74% | 21.38% | D+52.4 | D |
| 76 | 76.91% | 21.86% | D+55.1 | 77.93% | 17.86% | D+60.1 | D |
| 77 | 64.07% | 34.29% | D+29.8 | 68.79% | 25.97% | D+42.8 | D |
| 78 | 54.41% | 44.15% | D+10.3 | 59.28% | 35.16% | D+24.1 | D |
| 79 | 64.73% | 34.12% | D+30.6 | 68.62% | 26.73% | D+41.9 | D |
| 80 | 68.25% | 30.91% | D+37.3 | 65.06% | 32.31% | D+32.7 | D |
| 81 | 24.20% | 74.66% | R+50.5 | 26.33% | 70.49% | R+44.2 | R |
| 82 | 19.38% | 79.31% | R+59.9 | 20.58% | 75.76% | R+55.2 | R |
| 83 | 21.27% | 77.50% | R+56.2 | 19.94% | 76.49% | R+56.5 | R |
| 84 | 34.95% | 63.28% | R+28.3 | 35.12% | 59.58% | R+24.5 | R |
| 85 | 37.99% | 61.03% | R+23 | 41.09% | 56.10% | R+15 | R |
| 86 | 16.18% | 82.55% | R+66.4 | 16.16% | 80.17% | R+64 | R |
| 87 | 22.12% | 76.56% | R+54.4 | 21.74% | 74.43% | R+52.7 | R |
| 88 | 19.06% | 79.89% | R+60.8 | 16.48% | 80.59% | R+64.1 | R |
| 89 | 31.79% | 66.67% | R+34.9 | 36.08% | 59.03% | R+23 | R |
| 90 | 73.70% | 25.21% | D+48.5 | 74.97% | 21.48% | D+53.5 | D |
| 91 | 30.45% | 67.90% | R+37.5 | 32.14% | 63.08% | R+30.9 | R |
| 92 | 37.22% | 61.08% | R+23.9 | 40.54% | 54.66% | R+14.1 | R |
| 93 | 38.26% | 60.21% | R+21.9 | 40.40% | 54.84% | R+14.4 | R |
| 94 | 38.10% | 60.29% | R+22.2 | 40.87% | 54.30% | R+13.4 | R |
| 95 | 76.11% | 22.99% | D+53.1 | 74.24% | 22.89% | D+51.4 | D |
| 96 | 40.22% | 58.60% | R+18.4 | 42.55% | 53.74% | R+11.2 | R |
| 97 | 38.92% | 59.59% | R+20.7 | 42.59% | 52.42% | R+9.8 | R |
| 98 | 23.57% | 75.01% | R+51.4 | 28.91% | 66.33% | R+37.4 | R |
| 99 | 30.70% | 67.69% | R+37 | 32.12% | 63.36% | R+31.2 | R |
| 100 | 77.89% | 21.07% | D+56.8 | 77.24% | 19.30% | D+57.9 | D |
| 101 | 64.01% | 34.87% | D+29.1 | 66.06% | 30.36% | D+35.7 | D |
| 102 | 45.32% | 53.02% | R+7.7 | 52.27% | 42.74% | D+9.5 | R |
| 103 | 69.87% | 28.77% | D+41.1 | 73.55% | 22.33% | D+51.2 | D |
| 104 | 72.70% | 26.36% | D+46.3 | 75.60% | 20.85% | D+54.7 | D |
| 105 | 46.48% | 52.14% | R+5.7 | 52.13% | 43.60% | D+8.5 | R |
| 106 | 30.86% | 67.69% | R+36.8 | 35.83% | 59.70% | R+23.9 | R |
| 107 | 46.89% | 51.83% | R+4.9 | 52.37% | 43.40% | D+9 | D |
| 108 | 39.31% | 58.99% | R+19.7 | 50.32% | 44.01% | D+6.3 | R |
| 109 | 81.75% | 17.68% | D+64.1 | 81.55% | 16.42% | D+65.1 | D |
| 110 | 88.74% | 10.77% | D+78 | 86.76% | 11.25% | D+75.5 | D |
| 111 | 77.24% | 22.06% | D+55.2 | 77.40% | 20.17% | D+57.2 | D |
| 112 | 43.50% | 55.03% | R+11.5 | 48.28% | 47.10% | D+1.2 | R |
| 113 | 46.31% | 52.53% | R+6.2 | 49.13% | 47.23% | D+1.9 | R |
| 114 | 43.48% | 55.23% | R+11.7 | 52.14% | 43.21% | D+8.9 | R |
| 115 | 43.23% | 55.27% | R+12 | 51.54% | 43.64% | D+7.9 | R |
| 116 | 60.53% | 37.80% | D+22.7 | 63.73% | 31.10% | D+32.6 | D |
| 117 | 51.99% | 46.85% | D+5.1 | 53.23% | 42.14% | D+11.1 | D |
| 118 | 55.33% | 43.41% | D+11.9 | 55.58% | 40.41% | D+15.2 | D |
| 119 | 60.26% | 38.58% | D+21.7 | 60.13% | 36.08% | D+24.1 | D |
| 120 | 64.75% | 34.11% | D+30.6 | 63.51% | 32.10% | D+31.4 | D |
| 121 | 37.61% | 60.88% | R+23.3 | 43.42% | 51.69% | R+8.3 | R |
| 122 | 30.87% | 67.87% | R+37 | 37.75% | 57.87% | R+20.1 | R |
| 123 | 61.36% | 36.80% | D+24.6 | 65.02% | 30.27% | D+34.7 | D |
| 124 | 60.94% | 37.65% | D+23.3 | 62.19% | 33.04% | D+29.1 | D |
| 125 | 59.11% | 39.59% | D+19.5 | 61.62% | 33.69% | D+27.9 | D |
| 126 | 36.72% | 62.08% | R+25.4 | 43.00% | 52.94% | R+9.9 | R |
| 127 | 29.60% | 69.21% | R+39.6 | 34.90% | 61.23% | R+26.3 | R |
| 128 | 26.59% | 72.37% | R+45.8 | 28.77% | 68.15% | R+39.4 | R |
| 129 | 33.88% | 64.47% | R+30.6 | 40.06% | 55.33% | R+15.3 | R |
| 130 | 22.81% | 75.91% | R+53.1 | 27.96% | 68.06% | R+40.1 | R |
| 131 | 83.65% | 15.69% | D+68 | 84.29% | 13.35% | D+70.9 | D |
| 132 | 39.77% | 58.92% | R+19.2 | 45.68% | 50.04% | R+4.4 | R |
| 133 | 30.41% | 68.14% | R+37.7 | 41.12% | 54.52% | R+13.4 | R |
| 134 | 41.74% | 56.39% | R+14.7 | 55.09% | 39.61% | D+15.5 | R |
| 135 | 39.86% | 58.83% | R+19 | 46.82% | 48.89% | R+2.1 | R |
| 136 | 41.43% | 55.34% | R+13.9 | 47.69% | 45.16% | D+2.5 | R |
| 137 | 63.91% | 34.49% | D+29.4 | 67.00% | 28.92% | D+38.1 | D |
| 138 | 39.30% | 59.18% | R+19.9 | 47.85% | 47.78% | D+0.1 | R |
| 139 | 75.62% | 23.61% | D+52 | 76.12% | 20.61% | D+55.5 | D |
| 140 | 70.10% | 28.98% | D+41.1 | 75.09% | 21.87% | D+53.2 | D |
| 141 | 87.41% | 12.07% | D+75.3 | 85.19% | 12.59% | D+72.6 | D |
| 142 | 77.41% | 21.97% | D+55.4 | 76.20% | 20.97% | D+55.2 | D |
| 143 | 67.18% | 31.86% | D+35.3 | 71.02% | 26.02% | D+45 | D |
| 144 | 50.77% | 47.88% | D+2.9 | 57.75% | 38.37% | D+19.4 | D |
| 145 | 60.26% | 38.28% | D+22 | 66.92% | 28.72% | D+38.2 | D |
| 146 | 78.82% | 20.05% | D+58.8 | 79.43% | 17.32% | D+62.1 | D |
| 147 | 78.07% | 20.30% | D+57.8 | 78.99% | 16.78% | D+62.2 | D |
| 148 | 56.59% | 41.08% | D+15.5 | 63.82% | 30.50% | D+33.3 | D |
| 149 | 58.76% | 40.12% | D+18.6 | 64.25% | 32.50% | D+31.8 | D |
| 150 | 30.28% | 68.55% | R+38.3 | 36.63% | 59.18% | R+22.6 | R |
| Total | 41.40% | 57.19% | R+15.8 | 43.48% | 52.53% | R+9.1 | - |
| Source: Daily Kos | |||||||
District analysis
- See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
- See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores
The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was D+10, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 10 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made Texas' 34th Congressional District the 119th most Democratic nationally.[4]
FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 1.11. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 1.11 points toward that party.[5]
Campaign finance
The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filemon Vela | Democratic Party | $993,228 | $1,034,382 | $564,720 | As of December 31, 2020 |
| Rey Gonzalez Jr. | Republican Party | $37,118 | $37,446 | $-2,950 | As of December 31, 2020 |
| Anthony Cristo | Libertarian Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Chris Royal | Independent | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2020. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
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Race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from three outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato's Crystal Ball. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[6]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[7][8][9]
| Race ratings: Texas' 34th Congressional District election, 2020 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| November 3, 2020 | October 27, 2020 | October 20, 2020 | October 13, 2020 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season. | |||||||||
Candidate ballot access
The table below details filing requirements for 34th Congressional District candidates in Texas in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Texas, click here.
| Filing requirements, 2020 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Office | Party | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| Texas | 34th Congressional District | Democratic or Republican | N/A | N/A | $3,125.00 | Fixed number | 12/9/2019 | Source |
| Texas | 34th Congressional District | Unaffiliated | 500 | 5% of all votes cast for governor in the district in the last election; not to exceed 500 | N/A | N/A | 12/9/2019 (declaration of intent); 8/13/2020 (final filing deadline) | Source |
District election history
2018
General election
General election for U.S. House Texas District 34
Incumbent Filemon Vela defeated Rey Gonzalez Jr. in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 34 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Filemon Vela (D) | 60.0 | 85,825 |
| Rey Gonzalez Jr. (R) | 40.0 | 57,243 | |
| Total votes: 143,068 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 34
Incumbent Filemon Vela advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 34 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Filemon Vela | 100.0 | 25,344 |
| Total votes: 25,344 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 34
Rey Gonzalez Jr. advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 34 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Rey Gonzalez Jr. | 100.0 | 10,227 |
| Total votes: 10,227 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Democratic. Incumbent Filemon Vela (D) defeated Rey Gonzalez Jr. (R) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Vela faced no opposition in the Democratic primary on March 1, 2016, while Gonzalez defeated William "Willie" Vaden to win the Republican nomination.[10][11]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Filemon Vela Incumbent |
62.7% | 104,638 | |
| Republican | Rey Gonzalez Jr. | 37.3% | 62,323 | |
| Total Votes | 166,961 | |||
| Source: Texas Secretary of State | ||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Rey Gonzalez Jr. |
50.6% | 12,532 | ||
| William Vaden | 49.4% | 12,253 | ||
| Total Votes | 24,785 | |||
| Source: Texas Secretary of State |
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2014
The 34th Congressional District of Texas held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Filemon Vela (D) defeated Larry Smith (R) and Ryan Rowley (L) in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Filemon Vela Incumbent |
59.5% | 47,503 | |
| Republican | Larry Smith | 38.6% | 30,811 | |
| Libertarian | Ryan Rowley | 2% | 1,563 | |
| Total Votes | 79,877 | |||
| Source: Texas Secretary of State | ||||
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in Texas, 2020
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2020
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Texas Redistricting Map, "Map," accessed July 24, 2012
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "2016 March Primary Election Candidate Filings by County," accessed December 15, 2015
- ↑ The New York Times, "Texas Primary Results," March 1, 2016
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