2014 Texas gubernatorial election


The 2014 Texas gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 2014, to elect the governor of Texas. Incumbent Republican governor Rick Perry, who had served since the resignation of then-Governor George W. Bush on December 21, 2000, declined to run for an unprecedented fourth full term, making this the first open election for governor of the state since 1990.
The election took place between nominees who were selected on March 4, 2014: Republican State Attorney General Greg Abbott and Democratic State Senator Wendy Davis. Also on the ballot were Libertarian Party candidate Kathie Glass and Green Party candidate Brandon Parmer. Abbott was projected to carry the election, and ultimately won handily with a 20.4 percentage point advantage. As of 2022, this is the most recent gubernatorial election in which Bexar, Harris and Hays counties voted Republican and in which Frio, Jim Wells, and Val Verde counties voted Democratic. Exit polls showed Abbott winning Whites, while Davis received majorities among African Americans and Hispanics. Abbott won roughly half of Hispanic men, 54% of all women, and 62% of married women.
Abbott took office on January 20, 2015, as the 48th governor of Texas.

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

Withdrew

Declined

Polling

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Rick
Perry		Greg
Abbott		Someone elseUndecided
Public Policy PollingJune 28–July 1, 2013318± ?%46%34%—20%
Public Policy PollingJune 28–July 1, 2013318± ?%44%—39%17%
UoT/Texas TribuneMay 31–June 9, 2013492± 5.27%45%19%11%25%
UoT/Texas TribuneFebruary 15–24, 2013549± 4.18%49%17%—31%
Public Policy PollingJanuary 24–27, 2013400± 4.9%47%—41%13%
Public Policy PollingJanuary 24–27, 2013400± 4.9%41%38%—20%
Burnt Orange ReportMay 15–16, 2012462± 4.6%42%35%7%16%

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

Declined

Libertarian nomination

Candidates

Declared

Withdrew

Results

Kathie Glass was nominated at the 2014 party convention.

Green nomination

Candidates

Declared

Independents

Candidates

Declared

Declined

General election

Debates

The first of two confirmed gubernatorial debates between Wendy Davis and Greg Abbott took place at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance at 18:00 on Friday, September 19, co-hosted by KGBT-TV, The Monitor and KTLM-TV. KGBT-TV posted the complete video online and can be viewed . The debate took place in Edinburg, Texas, and it gave both candidates an opportunity to appeal to the Hispanic community, a grouping seen by Reuters as an "increasingly important voting bloc in Texas." The second debate took place on September 30 and was also posted .

Polling

With Castro

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Greg
Abbott 		Julian
Castro 		OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingJune 28–July 1, 2013500± 4.4%48%34%—18%
Public Policy PollingJanuary 24–27, 2013400± 4.9%46%36%—18%

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Rick
Perry 		Julian
Castro 		OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingJune 28–July 1, 2013500± 4.4%50%43%—8%
Public Policy PollingJanuary 24–27, 2013400± 4.9%47%42%—11%

With Davis

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Tom
Pauken 		Wendy
Davis 		OtherUndecided
UoT/Texas TribuneOctober 18–27, 20131,200± 3.3%34%38%—28%
UoT/Texas TribuneOctober 18–27, 20131,200± 3.3%33%36%6%25%

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Rick
Perry 		Wendy
Davis 		OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingJune 28–July 1, 2013500± 4.4%53%39%—8%
Public Policy PollingJanuary 24–27, 2013400± 4.9%47%41%—13%

With Parker

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Greg
Abbott 		Annise
Parker 		OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingJune 28–July 1, 2013500± 4.4%50%31%—20%
Public Policy PollingJanuary 24–27, 2013400± 4.9%47%35%—18%

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Rick
Perry 		Annise
Parker 		OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingJune 28–July 1, 2013500± 4.4%52%35%—13%
Public Policy PollingJanuary 24–27, 2013400± 4.9%47%40%—13%

With White

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Greg
Abbott 		Bill
White 		OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingJune 28–July 1, 2013500± 4.4%48%36%—16%
Public Policy PollingJanuary 24–27, 2013400± 4.9%46%39%—15%

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Rick
Perry 		Bill
White 		OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingJune 28–July 1, 2013500± 4.4%50%40%—10%
Public Policy PollingJanuary 24–27, 2013400± 4.9%44%47%—9%

  • * Poll for the Wendy Davis campaign
  • ^ Poll for the Greg Abbott campaign

Results

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

By congressional district

Abbott won 25 of 36 congressional districts.
DistrictAbbottDavisRepresentative
77%23%Louie Gohmert
64%36%Ted Poe
66%34%Sam Johnson
77%23%Ralph Hall
77%23%John Ratcliffe
67%33%Jeb Hensarling
59%41%Joe Barton
61%39%John Culberson
79%21%Kevin Brady
24%76%Al Green
60%40%Michael McCaul
85%15%Mike Conaway
66%34%Kay Granger
84%16%Mac Thornberry
61%39%Randy Weber
47%53%Rubén Hinojosa
40%60%Beto O'Rourke
64%36%Bill Flores
24%76%Sheila Jackson Lee
82%18%Randy Neugebauer
43%57%Joaquín Castro
60%40%Lamar Smith
65%35%Pete Olson
57%43%Pete Gallego
57%43%Will Hurd
63%37%Kenny Marchant
60%40%Roger Williams
69%31%Michael Burgess
65%35%Blake Farenthold
46%54%Henry Cuellar
37%63%Gene Green
21%79%Eddie Bernice Johnson
63%37%John Carter
58%42%Pete Sessions
30%70%Marc Veasey
47%53%Filemon Vela Jr.
36%64%Lloyd Doggett
76%24%Steve Stockman
76%24%Brian Babin