35 Composition
Learning Objectives
At the end of this section you’ll be able to:
- Understand the partisan make up of the Texas State Legislature
- Understand the gender makeup of the Texas State Legislature
- Understand the racial makeup of the Texas State Legislature
Introduction
It’s often been said the Texas State Legislature is “pale, male, and stale.” This may not be quite as accurate as in the past, but the Texas State Legislature is prodominantly white, male, and middle aged.
Partisan Makeup
The Republican Party controls both the Texas State House of Representatives and the Texas State Senate:
- The Texas State House of Representatives currently has 93 Republicans, 56 Democrats, and one vacancy.
- The Texas State Senate currently has 20 Republicans and 11 Democrats
Gender Makeup
The Texas State Legislature is predominantly male.
- Approximately 81% of the Texas State House of Representatives is male (121 males, 29 females)
- Approximately 74% of the Texas State Senate is male (23 males, 8 females)
- Take together, almost 80% of the total membership of the Texas State Legislature is male (144 of 181 total members)
Racial Makeup
Approximately two-thirds of the Texas State Legislature is white.
The 84th Legislature (beginning 2015) was composed as follows:
- 115 White members
- 41 Hispanic members
- 19 African-American members
- 3 Asian members