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| Texas House of Representatives District 79 | ||
| Current incumbent | Art Fierro  | |
| Population | 160,658 | |
| Race | 12.6% White, 85.8% Black/Hispanic, 1.6% Other | |
| Ethnicity | 17.6% Not Hispanic, 82.4% Hispanic | |
| Voting age | 70.0% age 18 and over | |
Texas' seventy-ninth state house district is represented by Democratic Representative Art Fierro.
As of the 2010 census, a total of 160,658 civilians reside within Texas' seventy-ninth state house district. Texas state representatives represent an average of 167,637 residents. After the 2000 Census, each member represented 139,012 residents.
Members of the Texas House of Representatives serve two-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Texas legislators assume office at the beginning of the legislative session (January).
To be eligible to serve in the Texas House of Representatives, a candidate must be:
| State legislators | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $7,200/year | $190/day. Set by the ethics commission. |
When calculating a legislators' pension, their normal salary is artificially inflated to $125,000. This goes back to 1981, when lawmakers linked their salaries to those of state judges. Since then, they raised judges' salaries while removing the caps on their own pensions, pushing the maximum benefit up to 100% of a judge's salary.
In 2011, this resulted in an average state employee pension of $17,526 annually. The maximum pension a legislator can earn is $125,000, of which Rep. Tom Craddick (R) will be the first to qualify for when he retires. .
If there is a vacancy in the house, the Governor must call a special election to fill the vacant seat. A Governor's proclamation to a special election must be delivered to local elections authorities representing the vacant seat no later than 36 days before the scheduled election.
The Secretary of State can declare a candidate duly elected in a special election if there is no opposition.
Elections for the office of Texas House of Representatives will take place in 2020. The general election will be held on November 3, 2020. A primary is scheduled for March 3, 2020, and a primary runoff is scheduled for May 26, 2020. The filing deadline was December 9, 2019.
A special election for District 79 of the Texas House of Representatives was called for January 29, 2019. Candidates wishing to run in this election were required to file by January 3, 2019. Democrat Art Fierro won the seat in the special general election.
The seat became vacant after Joe Pickett (D) resigned on January 4, 2019, for health reasons.
Art Fierro (D) defeated Michiel Noe (D) and Hans Sassenfeld (R) in the special general election for Texas House of Representatives District 79 on January 29, 2019.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Art Fierro (D) |
53.3
|
2,521 |
|
|
Michiel Noe (D) |
26.7
|
1,263 | |
|
|
Hans Sassenfeld (R) |
20.0
|
948 | |
|
|
Total votes: 4,732 |
Incumbent Joe Pickett (D) won election in the general election for Texas House of Representatives District 79 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Joe Pickett (D) |
100
|
33,015 |
|
|
Total votes: 33,015 |
Incumbent Joe Pickett advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 79 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Joe Pickett (D) |
100
|
8,780 |
|
|
Total votes: 8,780 |
No Republican candidates ran in the primary.
Elections for the Texas House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election was held on March 1, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was December 14, 2015.
Incumbent Joe Pickett ran unopposed in the Texas House of Representatives District 79 general election.Texas House of Representatives, District 79 General Election, 2016
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Joe Pickett Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 35,427 | |
| Total Votes | 35,427 | |||
| Source: Texas Secretary of State | ||||
Texas House of Representatives, District 79 Democratic Primary, 2016
| Party | Candidate | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joe Pickett Incumbent (unopposed) |
Elections for all 150 seats in the Texas House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on March 4, 2014. Those candidates who did not receive 50 percent or more of the vote in their party primary on March 4 faced an additional May 27 primary runoff. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was December 9, 2013. Incumbent Joe Pickett defeated Chuck Peartree in the Democratic primary. Pickett was unopposed in the general election. Stephen Shaw (L) and Janet Bonner West (L) were removed from the ballot before the election.
Elections for the office of Texas House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on May 29, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. Incumbent Joe Pickett (D) was unchallenged in the general election. Pickett was unopposed in the Democratic primary election.
From 2002 to 2014, candidates for Texas House of Representatives District 79 raised a total of $1,013,283. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $84,440 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.
Campaign contributions, Texas House of Representatives District 79
| Year | Amount | Candidates | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | $158,170 | 2 | $79,085 |
| 2012 | $74,648 | 1 | $74,648 |
| 2010 | $202,631 | 1 | $202,631 |
| 2008 | $89,802 | 1 | $89,802 |
| 2006 | $99,768 | 2 | $49,884 |
| 2004 | $125,579 | 2 | $62,790 |
| 2002 | $131,017 | 2 | $65,509 |
| 2000 | $131,668 | 1 | $131,668 |
| Total | $1,013,283 | 12 | $84,440 |
