Election results statewide tell us that we can expect a lot of things to remain consistent in Texas. State leaders were re-elected for another four-year term. Governor Greg Abbott and and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick will have their third inauguration in January.

And for a year when every single legislative district was up for election following redistricting and under new maps, the number of new state senators and representatives entering the Texas Legislature is relatively low--25 in the Texas House and 6 in the Texas Senate. This election was one that was very kind to incumbents. In fact, only two incumbent legislators lost their seats at all through the whole election process, and that happened back in March. Voters granted every bid for re-election this November, and the turnover we see is due to retirements or the officeholder's desire to seek a new office.

You can take a look at the full list of legislators who have been elected to serve in the 88th Legislative Session via the link below. This spreadsheet has tabs for both the House and Senate and compares who held the seat for each district in the 87th Legislative Session (2021) to who will hold that seat during the 88th Legislative Session (2023). It also provides details on the partisan makeup of each chamber (which changed a little, but not much--Republicans picked up one seat in the Texas Senate and three seats in the Texas House).

When it comes to school district elections, it's a little more difficult to predict anything (much less call it consistent). We have three years worth of data on Voter-Approval Tax Rate Elections (VATRE). We are aware of 32 school districts who conducted a VATRE this year, and 53% of those saw their community approve the proposed tax rate. That's a much lower approval rate than we saw a year ago when the election was coupled with a statewide election to ratify constitutional amendments rather than a mid-term election.

When it comes to bond elections, a total of 74 districts proposed 135 different bond propositions for more than $15 billion in the November 2022 election cycle. Of those, 46 districts saw at least one proposition pass for a total approval rate of 76 of the 135 propositions (56%). Taxpayers approved propositions amounting to more than $12 billion.  

These results hold steady with what has emerged as a new trend for bond elections. In May 2022, more districts proposed more propositions for more money, but the approval rates are very similar. Comparative approval rates can also be found when taking a look at the purpose of the bond. General school facilities propositions enjoy a higher approval rate (62% this cycle, and 65% before) compared to stadiums (17%), performing arts centers (33%), and recreational/multipurpose facilities (29%). Teacher housing and technology are both propositions that appear more popular with voters, enjoying an approval rate above 75%.

You can see all the details of who passed what per district for VATRE, bonds, and Attendance Credit Elections (ACE) at the link below. Just access the tabs within the sheet to access the information you're looking for.

The Coalition has adopted our priorities for the upcoming 88th Legislative Session in 2023.

You can take a look at the priorities on our website to get more information behind each of those statements. And if you are interested in even more details about what all of this means, we have expanded further with an itemized list of priorities under each of those headings.