2010 Texas elections
All 32 Texas seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 2010. Incumbent Republican Governor Rick Perry ran for re-election against Democratic challenger and former mayor of Houston Bill White and several third-party candidates, and won. Incumbent Republican Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst ran for re-election and won. Incumbent Republican Greg Abbott ran for re-election as Texas Attorney General against Democrat Barbara Ann Radnofsky and Libertarian candidate Jon Roland, and won. Approximately half of the 31 seats of the Texas Senate were up for election in 2010. All 150 seats in the Texas House of Representatives were up for election in 2010. The GOP captured 99 seats (a record), including 22 that were held by Democrats after the 2008 Texas House of Representatives election. This left the Democrats with 51 seats. Edmund Kuempel, the incumbent GOP candidate for District 44 seat, subsequently died; the seat was filled by special election on December 14 and won by his son, John, also a Republican. Also on December 14, two Democrats (Allan Ritter and Aaron Peña) announced they were switching parties and joining the Republicans, thus giving the GOP 101 seats, and a 2/3 majority in the House, giving them considerable leverage. Under Texas law, any bill which passes with 2/3 of both legislative chambers can become effective immediately upon the governor's signature (otherwise a bill does not become effective until September 1, the start of Texas' fiscal year). This also meant that the Democrats could not quorum bust, or deprive the House of the 2/3 of members required for operation. Elections were held for the positions of Comptroller of Public Accounts, Commissioner of General Land Office, Commissioner of Agriculture, and Railroad Commissioner in 2010. Multiple judicial positions were up for election in 2010, including three justices on the Texas Supreme Court. There are no statewide ballot measures in Texas in 2010. Many elections for county and city offices were also be held on November 2, 2010.
State
The Republican Party continued its dominance over Texas politics, maintaining control of all statewide offices and increasing its majorities in both chambers of the Texas Legislature.