Texas's 15th congressional district
Encyclopedia
Texas District 15 of the United States House of Representatives
is a Congressional district that serves a thin section of the far south of the state of Texas
. The district's current Representative is Democrat Rubén Hinojosa
, elected in 1996.
The district's best-known Representative was John Nance Garner
, who represented the district from its creation in 1903 until 1933, and was Speaker of the House from 1931 to 1933 and Vice President of the United States from 1933 to 1941.
's redistricting plan violated the Voting Rights Act
in the case of District 23. As a result, on August 4, 2006, a 3 judge panel announced replacement district boundaries for 2006 election for the 23rd district, as well as for the 15th, 21st, 25th and 28th districts. On election day in November, these 5 districts will have open primaries; a candidate will need to receive more than 50% of the popular vote to be elected. Otherwise, a runoff election in December will decide the seat.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
is a Congressional district that serves a thin section of the far south of the state of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The district's current Representative is Democrat Rubén Hinojosa
Rubén Hinojosa
Rubén E. Hinojosa is the U.S. House of Representative for , serving since 1997. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district stretches from the Rio Grande Valley to historic Goliad County and the Coastal Bend region...
, elected in 1996.
The district's best-known Representative was John Nance Garner
John Nance Garner
John Nance Garner, IV , was the 32nd Vice President of the United States and the 44th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives .- Early life and family :...
, who represented the district from its creation in 1903 until 1933, and was Speaker of the House from 1931 to 1933 and Vice President of the United States from 1933 to 1941.
List of representatives
| Representative | Party | Years | District home | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District created | March 4, 1903 | |||
| John Nance Garner John Nance Garner John Nance Garner, IV , was the 32nd Vice President of the United States and the 44th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives .- Early life and family :... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
March 4, 1903 - March 3, 1933 | Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1931 - 1933, Resigned after being elected Vice-President of the United States | |
| Vacant | March 4, 1933 – April 23, 1933 | |||
| Milton H. West Milton H. West Milton Horace West was a seven-term Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives representing Texas's 15th congressional district from 1933 until his death in 1948.-Early life:... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
April 23, 1933 - October 28, 1948 | Died | |
| Vacant | October 28, 1948 – December 4, 1948 | |||
| Lloyd Bentsen Lloyd Bentsen Lloyd Millard Bentsen, Jr. was a four-term United States senator from Texas and the Democratic Party nominee for Vice President in 1988 on the Michael Dukakis ticket. He also served in the House of Representatives from 1949 to 1955. In his later political life, he was Chairman of the Senate... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
December 4, 1948 - January 3, 1955 | ||
| Joe M. Kilgore Joe M. Kilgore Joe Madison Kilgore was a U.S. Representative from Texas.Born in Brown County, near Brownwood, Texas, Kilgore attended the public schools of Rising Star, Texas.... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
January 3, 1955 - January 3, 1965 | ||
| Kika de la Garza Kika de la Garza Eligio “Kika” de la Garza, II was the Democratic representative for the 15th congressional district of Texas from January 3, 1965, to January 3, 1997.... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
January 3, 1965 - January 3, 1997 | ||
| Rubén Hinojosa Rubén Hinojosa Rubén E. Hinojosa is the U.S. House of Representative for , serving since 1997. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district stretches from the Rio Grande Valley to historic Goliad County and the Coastal Bend region... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
January 3, 1997 - present | Incumbent | |
2006 Elections
On June 28, 2006, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that the Texas legislatureTexas Legislature
The Legislature of the state of Texas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The Legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin...
's redistricting plan violated the Voting Rights Act
Voting Rights Act
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of national legislation in the United States that outlawed discriminatory voting practices that had been responsible for the widespread disenfranchisement of African Americans in the U.S....
in the case of District 23. As a result, on August 4, 2006, a 3 judge panel announced replacement district boundaries for 2006 election for the 23rd district, as well as for the 15th, 21st, 25th and 28th districts. On election day in November, these 5 districts will have open primaries; a candidate will need to receive more than 50% of the popular vote to be elected. Otherwise, a runoff election in December will decide the seat.