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| Texas House of Representatives District 8 | ||
| Current incumbent | Cody Harris  | |
| Population | 161,098 | |
| Race | 64.5% White, 33.9% Black/Hispanic, 1.6% Other | |
| Ethnicity | 81.5% Not Hispanic, 18.5% Hispanic | |
| Voting age | 77.0% age 18 and over | |
Texas' eighth state house district is represented by Republican Representative Cody Harris.
As of the 2010 census, a total of 161,098 civilians reside within Texas' eighth 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.
Cody Harris (R) defeated Wesley Ratcliff (D) in the general election for Texas House of Representatives District 8 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Cody Harris (R) |
78.2
|
36,535 |
|
|
Wesley Ratcliff (D) |
21.8
|
10,171 | |
|
|
Total votes: 46,706 |
Cody Harris defeated Thomas McNutt in the Republican primary runoff for Texas House of Representatives District 8 on May 22, 2018.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Cody Harris (R) |
57.0
|
8,379 |
|
|
Thomas McNutt (R) |
43.0
|
6,329 | |
|
|
Total votes: 14,708 |
Wesley Ratcliff advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 8 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Wesley Ratcliff (D) |
100
|
2,534 |
|
|
Total votes: 2,534 |
Cody Harris and Thomas McNutt advanced to a runoff. They defeated Linda Timmerman in the Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 8 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Cody Harris (R) |
44.9
|
8,864 |
| ✔ |
|
Thomas McNutt (R) |
39.5
|
7,786 |
|
|
Linda Timmerman (R) |
15.6
|
3,080 | |
|
|
Total votes: 19,730 |
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 Byron Cook ran unopposed in the Texas House of Representatives District 8 general election.Texas House of Representatives, District 8 General Election, 2016
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Byron Cook Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 43,240 | |
| Total Votes | 43,240 | |||
| Source: Texas Secretary of State | ||||
Texas House of Representatives, District 8 Republican Primary, 2016
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Byron Cook Incumbent |
50.39% | 14,421 | |
| Republican | Thomas McNutt | 49.61% | 14,196 | |
| Total Votes | 28,617 | |||
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 Byron Cook defeated Bobby Vickery and Charles Morgan in the Republican primary. Cook defeated John Wilford (L) in the general election.
Texas House of Representatives, District 8 General Election, 2014
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Byron Cook Incumbent |
87.9% | 25,897 | |
| Libertarian | John Wilford | 12.1% | 3,581 | |
| Total Votes | 29,478 | |||
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. Byron Cook (R) defeated Charles E. Morgan (D) in the general election. Cook defeated Bobby Vickery in the Republican primary election. Morgan was unopposed in the Democratic primary election.
Texas House of Representatives, District 8, General Election, 2012
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Byron Cook Incumbent |
73% | 35,996 | |
| Democratic | Charles Morgan | 27% | 13,339 | |
| Total Votes | 49,335 | |||
Texas House of Representatives District 8 Republican Primary, 2012
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Byron Cook Incumbent |
62% | 9,600 |
| Bobby Vickery | 38% | 5,885 |
| Total Votes | 15,485 | |
From 2002 to 2014, candidates for Texas House of Representatives District 8 raised a total of $2,572,241. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $122,488 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.
Campaign contributions, Texas House of Representatives District 8
| Year | Amount | Candidates | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | $399,144 | 4 | $99,786 |
| 2012 | $564,007 | 3 | $188,002 |
| 2010 | $304,963 | 2 | $152,482 |
| 2008 | $306,614 | 2 | $153,307 |
| 2006 | $247,296 | 2 | $123,648 |
| 2004 | $73,079 | 1 | $73,079 |
| 2002 | $597,363 | 6 | $99,561 |
| 2000 | $79,775 | 1 | $79,775 |
| Total | $2,572,241 | 21 | $122,488 |
