Texas's 25th congressional district of the United States House of Representatives stretches from Arlington and Fort Worth to some of its outer southwestern suburbs, as well as rural counties east of Abilene. <!--This list of towns needs updating: Some towns entirely or partially in this district include Burleson, Cedar Park, Cleburne, Gatesville, Killeen, Leander, and Stephenville.--> The district's current Representative is Roger Williams.
History
1980s
The 25th district was created as a result of the redistricting cycle after the 1980 census. The district was originally anchored in the southern parts of Houston and Harris County, including the Texas Medical Center, the Astrodome, Astroworld and the southern shores of the Houston Ship Channel, as well as Rice University, Hobby Airport and Ellington Field. An economically and racially diverse district that narrowly favored Ronald Reagan in 1980, the 25th encompassed such a diverse collection of Houston neighborhoods including both the middle-class suburban neighborhoods of Westbury and Meyerland in southwest Houston (the latter also being the center of Houston's Jewish community) and Park Place and Glenbrook Valley in southeast Houston, the majority African-American neighborhoods of Sunnyside and South Park in southern Houston and Harris County, and much of southeast Harris County including northern parts of the Clear Lake City master-planned community in southeast Houston and such working-class suburbs as Pasadena, Deer Park, La Porte and Seabrook.
Much of this area previously comprised the northern half of the previous 22nd district represented by conservative Republican Ron Paul, and at the time was largely prosperous as Houston continued to benefit from the oil boom of the previous decade that resulted in thousands moving to the Houston area during this time, as well as from growing medical and space industry sectors that benefited respectively from both the increased prominence of the Med Center and the launch of the Space Shuttle program. In the 1980 election, Paul narrowly defeated former Harris County assistant district attorney Mike Andrews in his 1980 reelection to a second full term, largely on the basis of his strong support in the then-emerging Republican stronghold of Fort Bend County as well as his home county of Brazoria.
While Paul's 22nd district was redrawn into a heavily Republican seat comprising the aforementioned emerging suburban counties, along with a largely Republican section of southwest Houston and Harris County along the Southwest Freeway (what eventually became Interstate 69) extending as far east as Greenway Plaza, that he would easily win reelection in 1982, the new 25th took in much of the former 22nd's Democratic-leaning Harris County portion. In the 1982 election, Andrews was the Democratic nominee for the new district against Republican attorney Mike Faubion, winning 60.4 percent of the vote in a district whose voters largely favored President Reagan's economic program but otherwise favored abortion rights and defense spending. in March 2017, a panel of federal judges ruled that the new 35th district and two others were illegally drawn with discriminatory intent. However, the district was allowed to stand in the Supreme Court's 2018 Abbott v. Perez ruling.
2020s
For the 2022 election, the 25th was redrawn into a district anchored in the southwest corner of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, including a southern portion of Tarrant County encompassing most of Arlington including AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Field and Six Flags Over Texas, as well as most or all of several rural counties between the Metroplex and Abilene. Donald Trump won less than 65 percent of the vote in this new district, with only the Tarrant County portion considered competitive. Roger Williams won reelection unopposed in the new 25th district, which includes Weatherford where he owns an automobile dealership.
Recent election results from statewide races
2023–2027 boundaries
{| class=wikitable
! Year
! Office
! Results
|-
||2008
| President
| align="right" |McCain 66% - 34%
|-
||2012
| President
| align="right" |Romney 70% - 30%
|-
|rowspan=2|2014
| Senate
| align="right" |Cornyn 73% - 27%
|-
| Governor
| align="right" |Abbott 70% - 30%
|-
||2016
| President
| align="right" |Trump 66% - 29%
|-
|rowspan=5|2018
| Senate
| align="right" |Cruz 65% - 35%
|-
| Governor
| align="right" |Abbott 69% - 30%
|-
| Lt. Governor
| align="right" |Patrick 64% - 34%
|-
| Attorney General
| align="right" |Paxton 64% - 34%
|-
| Comptroller of Public Accounts
| align="right" |Hegar 66% - 31%
|-
|rowspan=2|2020
| President
| align="right" |Trump 65% - 34%
|-
| Senate
| align="right" |Cornyn 66% - 32%
|-
|rowspan=4|2022
| Governor
| align="right" |Abbott 68% - 31%
|-
| Lt. Governor
| align="right" |Patrick 66% - 32%
|-
| Attorney General
| align="right" |Paxton 66% - 31%
|-
| Comptroller of Public Accounts
| align="right" |Hegar 69% - 29%
|-
|rowspan=2|2024
| President
| align="right" |Trump 68% - 31%
|-
| Senate
| align="right" |Cruz 64% - 33%
|}
2027–2033 boundaries
{| class=wikitable
! Year
! Office
! Results
|-
||2008
| President
| align="right" |McCain 56% - 43%
|-
||2012
| President
| align="right" |Romney 60% - 40%
|-
|rowspan=2|2014
| Senate
| align="right" |Cornyn 63% - 37%
|-
| Governor
| align="right" |Abbott 60% - 40%
|-
||2016
| President
| align="right" |Trump 58% - 38%
|-
|rowspan=5|2018
| Senate
| align="right" |Cruz 57% - 43%
|-
| Governor
| align="right" |Abbott 60% - 38%
|-
| Lt. Governor
| align="right" |Patrick 56% - 42%
|-
| Attorney General
| align="right" |Paxton 56% - 42%
|-
| Comptroller of Public Accounts
| align="right" |Hegar 58% - 39%
|-
|rowspan=2|2020
| President
| align="right" |Trump 57% - 41%
|-
| Senate
| align="right" |Cornyn 58% - 40%
|-
|rowspan=4|2022
| Governor
| align="right" |Abbott 61% - 37%
|-
| Lt. Governor
| align="right" |Patrick 60% - 38%
|-
| Attorney General
| align="right" |Paxton 60% - 37%
|-
| Comptroller of Public Accounts
| align="right" |Hegar 62% - 36%
|-
|rowspan=2|2024
| President
| align="right" |Trump 61% - 37%
|-
| Senate
| align="right" |Cruz 58% - 39%
|}
Composition
For the 118th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the 2020 census), the district contains all or portions of the following counties and communities:
Callahan County (4)
: Baird, Clyde (part; also 19th), Cross Plains, Putnam
Comanche County (5)
: All 5 communities
Eastland County (6)
: All 6 communities
Erath County (5)
: All 5 communities
Hood County (9)
: All 9 communities
Jack County (3)
: All 3 communities
Johnson County (11)
: Briaroaks, Burleson (part; also 6th; shared with Tarrant County), Cleburne, Coyote Flats (part; also 6th), Cresson (shared with Hood and Johnson counties), Cross Timber, Fort Worth (part; also 12th, 24th, 26th, and 33rd; shared with Denton, Parker, Tarrant, and Wise counties), Godley, Joshua, Keene (part; also 6th), Rio Vista
Palo Pinto County (8)
: All 8 communities
Parker County (9)
: Aledo (part; also 12th), Annetta North (part; also 12th), Cresson (shared with Hood and Johnson counties), Dennis, Fort Worth (part; also 12th, 24th, 26th, and 33rd; shared with Denton, Johnson, Tarrant, and Wise counties), Horseshoe Bend, Weatherford (part; also 12th), Western Lake, Willow Park (part; also 12th)
Somervell County (1)
: Glen Rose
Stephens County (1)
: Breckenridge
Tarrant County (12)
: Arlington (part; also 6th, 30th, and 33rd), Burleson (part; also 6th; shared with Johnson County), Crowley (part; also 12th), Dalworthington Gardens, Edgecliff Village, Forest Hill (part; also 33rd), Fort Worth (part; also 12th, 24th, 26th, and 33rd; shared with Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise counties), Grand Prairie (part; also 6th and 33rd; shared with Dallas and Ellis counties), Kennedale, Mansfield (part; also 6th), Pantego, Rendon
Young County (4)
: All 4 communities
List of members representing the district
{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
! Member
! Party
! Years
! Cong<br />ress
! Electoral history
! width=350 | District location
|- style="height:3em"
| colspan=6 | District established January 3, 1983
|- style="height:3em"
| rowspan=3 align=left | 100px<br />Michael A. Andrews<br>
| rowspan=3 | Democratic
| rowspan=3 nowrap | January 3, 1983 –<br /> January 3, 1995
| rowspan=3 |
| rowspan=3 | Elected in 1982.<br />Re-elected in 1984.<br />Re-elected in 1986.<br />Re-elected in 1988.<br />Re-elected in 1990.<br />Re-elected in 1992.<br />Retired to run for U.S. senator.
| 1983–1985<br>
|- style="height:3em"
| 1985–1993<br>
|- style="height:3em"
| rowspan=2 | 1993–1997<br>Parts of Fort Bend and Harris
|- style="height:3em"
| rowspan=2 align=left | 100px<br />Ken Bentsen Jr.<br>
| rowspan=2 | Democratic
| rowspan=2 nowrap | January 3, 1995 –<br /> January 3, 2003
| rowspan=2 |
| rowspan=2 | Elected in 1994.<br />Re-elected in 1996.<br />Re-elected in 1998.<br />Re-elected in 2000.<br />Retired to run for U.S. senator.
|- style="height:3em"
| 1997–2003<br>Parts of Harris
|- style="height:3em"
| align=left | 100px<br />Chris Bell<br>
| | Democratic
| nowrap | January 3, 2003 –<br /> January 3, 2005
|
| Elected in 2002.<br />Redistricted to the and lost renomination.
| 2003–2005<br>Parts of Fort Bend and Harris
|- style="height:3em"
| rowspan=2 align=left | 100px<br />Lloyd Doggett<br>
| rowspan=2 | Democratic
| rowspan=2 nowrap | January 3, 2005 –<br /> January 3, 2013
| rowspan=2 |
| rowspan=2 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 2004.<br />Re-elected in 2006.<br />Re-elected in 2008.<br />Re-elected in 2010.<br />Redistricted to the .
| 2005–2007<br>300px<br>Caldwell, Duval, Gonzales, Jim Hogg, Karnes, Live Oak, and Starr; parts of Hidalgo and Travis
|- style="height:3em"
| 2007–2013<br>300px<br>Caldwell, Colorado, Fayette, Gonzales, Hays and Lavaca; parts of Bastrop and Travis
|- style="height:3em"
| rowspan=2 align=left | 100px<br />Roger Williams<br>
| rowspan=2 | Republican
| rowspan=2 nowrap | January 3, 2013 –<br />present
| rowspan=2 |
| rowspan=2 | Elected in 2012.<br />Re-elected in 2014.<br />Re-elected in 2016.<br />Re-elected in 2018.<br />Re-elected in 2020.<br />Re-elected in 2022.<br />Re-elected in 2024.
| 2013–2023<br>300px<br>Bosque, Burnet, Coryell, Hamilton, Hill, Johnson, Lampasas, and Somervell; parts of Bell, Erath, Hays, Tarrant, and Travis
|- style="height:3em"
| 2023–2027<br>300px<br>Callahan (part), Comanche, Eastland, Erath, Hood, Jack, Johnson (part), Palo Pinto, Parker (part), Somervell, Stephens, Tarrant (part), and Young
|}
Recent elections
2004
2006
On June 28, 2006, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that the Texas legislature's 2003 redistricting plan violated the Voting Rights Act in the case of the 23rd district. The main basis for the ruling was that the old 23rd was a protected majority-Hispanic district—in other words, if the 23rd was redrawn in a way to put Hispanics in a minority, a new majority-Hispanic district had to be created. Since the 25th was not compact enough to be an acceptable replacement, the 23rd had to be struck down. The size of the 23rd required the redrawing of nearly every district from El Paso to San Antonio.
As a result, on August 4, 2006, a three-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 five districts held open primaries; if any candidate received over 50%, they were elected. Otherwise, a runoff election in December decided the seat.
The redrawn 25th was more compact and restricted to Central Texas, comprising more of Travis County, most of Bastrop County, and all of Hays, Caldwell, Fayette, Gonzales, Lavaca, and Colorado Counties.[http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/texas/redistricting-8-4-2006.pdf]
Incumbent congressman Doggett faced Republican Grant Rostig (formerly the Libertarian nominee), independent candidate Brian Parrett, and Libertarian Party Barbara Cunningham, and won re-election.
2008
In the 2008 election Doggett faced Republican George Morovich, a structural engineer from La Grange and Libertarian Jim Stutsman, a retired Army veteran. Doggett won with 65.8% of the vote to Morovich's 30.5% and Stutsman's 3.7%. Doggett won 73.8% of the vote in his Austin-based stronghold of Travis County.
2010
Dogget faced Republican and "Tea Party favorite" Donna Campbell, and again held his seat, though by a surprisingly small margin.
2012
The new district boundaries were more favorable to Republicans, as had been foreseen.
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
References
- Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present