The Seventeenth Texas Legislature met from 11 January 1881 to 5 May 1882 in its regular session and one called session. All members of the House of Representatives and about half of the members of the Senate were elected in 1880 General Election.

Sessions

• 17th Regular session: 11 January–1 April 1881
• 17th First called session: 6 April–5 May 1882

Senate

Lieutenant Governor

Leonidas Jefferson Storey, Democrat

President pro tempore

Edwin Hobby, Democrat, Regular session

Francis Marion Martin, Democrat, ad interim, First called session

Members

Members of the Seventeenth Texas Legislature as of the beginning of the Regular Session, 11 January 1881:

Senate

District	Senator	Party	Took office
1 Texas Senate, District 1 District 1 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that serves all of Bowie, Camp, Cass, Franklin, Gregg, Harrison, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Panola, Red River, Rusk, Titus, Upshur and Wood counties and a portion of Smith county in the U.S. state of Texas...	Samuel Bronson Cooper	Democrat	1881
2 Texas Senate, District 2 District 2 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that serves all of Delta, Fannin, Hopkins, Hunt, Kaufman, Rains, Rockwall and Van Zandt counties, and portions of Dallas and Smith counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 2 is Robert F...	William Wallace Weatherred		1881
3 Texas Senate, District 3 District 3 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that serves all of Anderson, Angelina, Cherokee, Hardin, Henderson, Jasper, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby and Tyler counties, and portions of Montgomery and Smith counties in the U.S. state of Texas...	Richard M. Wynne		1881
4 Texas Senate, District 4 District 4 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that serves all of Liberty and Orange counties, and portions of Chambers, Harris, Jefferson and Montgomery counties in the southeastern portion of the state of Texas...	Robert L. Hightower		1881
5 Texas Senate, District 5 District 5 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that serves Brazos, Burleson, Freestone, Grimes, Houston, Lee, Leon, Limestone, Madison, Milam, Robertson, Trinity, Walker and Williamson counties in the U.S. state of Texas...	William H. Tilson		1879
6 Texas Senate, District 6 District 6 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that serves a portion of Harris county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 6 is Mario Gallegos, Jr. who has served since 1995.-2004:-2002:-1998:...	William Jesse Swain		1879
7 Texas Senate, District 7 District 7 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that serves a portion of Harris county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 7 is Dan Patrick.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:-1994:...	John Martin Duncan		1879
8 Texas Senate, District 8 District 8 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Collin and Dallas counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 8 is Florence Shapiro.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:...	John Young Gooch		1879
9 Texas Senate, District 9 District 9 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 9 is Chris Harris.-2004:-2002:-2000:...	Henry W. Lightfoot		1881
10 Texas Senate, District 10 District 10 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of Tarrant county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 10 is Wendy Davis.-2008:-2004:-2002:-2000:...	John C. Buchanan		1879
11 Texas Senate, District 11 District 11 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Brazoria, Galveston and Harris counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 11 is Mike Jackson.-2004:-2002:-1998:...	J. M. Martin		1881
12 Texas Senate, District 12 District 12 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Denton and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 12 is Jane Nelson.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:...	William D. Lair	Democrat	1879 (Prior: 1861–1863)
13 Texas Senate, District 13 District 13 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Fort Bend and Harris counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 13 is Rodney Ellis.-2006:-2002:-1998:-1994:...	Anson Rainey Anson Rainey Anson Frank Rainey was Professor Emeritus of Ancient Near Eastern Cultures and Semitic Linguistics at Tel Aviv University. He is known in particular for contributions to the study of the Amarna tablets, the legendary administrative letters from the period of Pharaoh Akhenaten's rule during the...		1881
14 Texas Senate, District 14 District 14 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of Travis county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 14 is Kirk Watson.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:-1994:...	Francis Marion Martin	Democrat	1879 (Prior: 1859–1861)
15 Texas Senate, District 15 District 15 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of Harris county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 15 is John Whitmire.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:...	John Nathaniel Henderson		1881
16 Texas Senate, District 16 District 16 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of Dallas county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 16 is John J. Carona.-2008:-2004:-2004:-2002:-1998:...	John T. Buchanan		1879
17 Texas Senate, District 17 District 17 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Texas. Senator Kyle Janek announced his resignation on May 29, 2008. Governor Rick Perry called for a special...	Walter Moses Burton	Republican	1874
18 Texas Senate, District 18 District 18 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Aransas, Austin, Bastrop, Caldwell, Calhoun, Colorado, DeWitt, Fayette, Goliad, Gonzales, Jackson, Lavaca, Matagorda, Refugio, Victoria, Waller, Washington and Wharton counties and a western portion of Fort Bend...	Charles Stewart Charles Stewart (Texas politician) Charles Stewart was a U.S. Representative from Texas.-Biography:Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Stewart moved to Texas in 1845 with his parents, who settled in Galveston. He attended the common schools, and later studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1854 and commenced the practice of law in...		1879
19 Texas Senate, District 19 District 19 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Bandera, Brewster, Crockett, Culberson, Edwards, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Kinney, Loving, Maverick, Medina, Pecos, Presidio, Real, Reeves, Sutton, Terrell, Uvalde, Val Verde, Ward and Winkler counties, and portions...	James B. Stubbs		1881
20 Texas Senate, District 20 District 20 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Brooks, Jim Wells and Nueces counties and a portion of Hidalgo county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 20 is Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa.-2004:...	William Kercheval Homan		1879
21 Texas Senate, District 21 District 21 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Atascosa, Bee, Dimmit, Duval, Frio, Jim Hogg, Karnes, La Salle, Live Oak, McMullen, San Patricio, Starr, Webb, Wilson, Zapata, and Zavala counties and a portion of Bexar county in the U.S. state of Texas...	Andrew Jackson Harris		1881
22 Texas Senate, District 22 District 22 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves Bosque, Coryell, Ellis, Falls, Hill, Hood, Johnson, McLennan, Navarro and Somervell counties in the U.S. state of Texas...	Lawrence Sullivan Ross Lawrence Sullivan Ross Lawrence Sullivan "Sul" Ross was the 19th Governor of Texas , a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War, and a president of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, now called Texas A&M University.Ross was raised in the Republic of Texas, which was later annexed to...	Democrat	1881
23 Texas Senate, District 23 District 23 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of Dallas county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 23 is Royce West.-2004:-2002:-1998:-1994:-1992:...	William R. Shannon	Democrat	1879 (Prior: 1865–1867)
24 Texas Senate, District 24 District 24 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves Bell, Blanco, Brown, Burnet, Callahan, Coleman, Comanche, Eastland, Erath, Gillespie, Hamilton, Kerr, Kimble, Lampasas, Llano, Mason, McCulloch, Menard, Mills, San Saba and Taylor counties in the U.S. state of Texas...	Jewett H. Davenport		1879 (Prior: 1874–1876)
25 Texas Senate, District 25 District 25 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Comal, Guadalupe, Hays and Kendall counties, and portions of Bexar and Travis counties in the U.S. state of Texas...	Alexander Watkins Terrell	Democrat	1876
26 Texas Senate, District 26 District 26 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of Bexar county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 26 is Leticia R. Van de Putte.-2004:-2002:-2000:...	A. W. Moore	Democrat	1881 (Prior: 1861–1865)
27 Texas Senate, District 27 District 27 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Cameron, Kenedy, Kleberg and Willacy counties and a portion of Hidalgo county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 27 is Eddie Lucio, Jr.....	Samuel C. Patton		1879
28 Texas Senate, District 28 District 28 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves Armstrong, Borden, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Childress, Coke, Collingsworth, Concho, Cottle, Crosby, Dawson, Dickens, Donley, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Garza, Gray, Hale, Hall, Hardeman, Haskell, Hockley, Irion, Jones, Kent,...	Ellsberry R. Lane		1876
29 Texas Senate, District 29 District 29 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of El Paso county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 29 is Eliot Shapleigh.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:...	Stephen Powers Stephen Powers *This article is about the 19th-century journalist and historian of California Indians.Stephen Powers was an American journalist, ethnographer, and historian of Native American tribes in California. He traveled extensively to study and learn about their cultures, and wrote notable accounts of them...		1881
30 Texas Senate, District 30 District 30 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Archer, Baylor, Clay, Cooke, Grayson, Jack, Montague, Palo Pinto, Parker, Shackelford, Stephens, Throckmorton, Wichita, Wilbarger, Wise and Young counties, and portions of Collin and Denton counties in the U.S....	Augustus W. Houston	Democrat	1879
31 Texas Senate, District 31 District 31 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves Andrews, Bailey, Cochran, Crane, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Ector, Gaines, Glasscock, Hansford, Hartley, Hemphill, Howard, Hutchinson, Lipscomb, Martin, Midland, Moore, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Randall, Roberts,...	William Henry Burges	Democrat	1881

House of Representatives

• Benjamin M. Baker
• Thomas Beck
• William John Caven
• R. J. Evans
• George Finlay
• George Washington Lafayette Fly
• Lafayette Lumpkin Foster
• Charles Reese Gibson
• Andrew Jackson Harris
• William Kercheval Homan
• Joseph Chappell Hutcheson
  Joseph Chappell Hutcheson
  Joseph Chappell Hutcheson was a Texas politician and a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives.-External links:...
  
  
• Robert A. Kerr
• Absolom C. Oliver
• Henry Joseph Richarz
• Thomas A. Rodríguez
• George Robertson Reeves
• Benjamin Dudley Tarlton
• George T. Todd
• Arthur Tompkins
• John Henry Traylor
• James W. Truitt
• William Wallace Weatherred
• Charles Louis Wurzbach

Membership Changes

District	Outgoing Senator	Reason for Vacancy	Successor	Date of Successor's Installation
District 11 Texas Senate, District 11 District 11 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Brazoria, Galveston and Harris counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 11 is Mike Jackson.-2004:-2002:-1998:...	J. M. Martin	Martin died 9 March 1882.	William O. Davis	6 April 1882
District 16 Texas Senate, District 16 District 16 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of Dallas county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 16 is John J. Carona.-2008:-2004:-2004:-2002:-1998:...	John T. Buchanan	Buchanan died 29 January 1882.	James G. McDonald	6 April 1882
District 28 Texas Senate, District 28 District 28 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves Armstrong, Borden, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Childress, Coke, Collingsworth, Concho, Cottle, Crosby, Dawson, Dickens, Donley, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Garza, Gray, Hale, Hall, Hardeman, Haskell, Hockley, Irion, Jones, Kent,...	Ellsberry R. Lane	Lane resigned 1 February 1882.	Lucas H. Brown	6 April 1882
District 29 Texas Senate, District 29 District 29 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of El Paso county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 29 is Eliot Shapleigh.-2006:-2002:-2000:-1996:...	Stephen Powers Stephen Powers *This article is about the 19th-century journalist and historian of California Indians.Stephen Powers was an American journalist, ethnographer, and historian of Native American tribes in California. He traveled extensively to study and learn about their cultures, and wrote notable accounts of them...	Powers died after the Regular Session.	Charles A. McLane	6 April 1882