Texas TX-02 House2018
RACE AT A GLANCE
RACE TYPE
OPEN
Ted Poe (R)
Retiring
COOK PARTISAN VOTING INDEX
Last updated : Apr 3, 2018Key Dates
Filing Deadline: Dec 11, 2017
Primary Election: Mar 6, 2018
INCUMBENT
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INCUMBENT
Full Bio:
POE, Ted, a Representative from Texas; born in Temple, Bell County, Tex.,
September 10, 1948; B.A., Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Tex., 1970;
J.D., University of Houston, Houston, Tex., 1973; United States Air Force
Reserves, 1970-1976; teacher; lawyer, private practice; district attorney,
Harris County, Houston, Tex., 1973-1981; district judge, Harris County,
Houston, Tex., 1981-2003; elected as a Republican to the One Hundred Ninth and
to the six succeeding Congresses (January 3, 2005-present).
Source: Bioguide
CANDIDATES
Democrats
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Republicans
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Independents / Other Parties
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DISTRICT DATA
Texas - 02
Houston suburbs: Kingwood, Humble
Population Breakdown
Source: American Community Survey 2015
Past Presidential Results from this District
2016 Election Results
Source: Dave's Redistricting/VEST
2012 Election Results
Source:
RACE ANALYSIS
The Bottom Line
Updated: Jul 27, 2018
Likely Republican. President Trump only won this suburban Houston seat 52 percent to 43 percent in 2016, and that has Democrats intrigued, especially now that Rep. Ted Poe is retiring. In addition, Democratic attorney and after-school non-profit head Todd Litton avoided a runoff and ended June with a $407,000 to $100,000 lead over the GOP runoff victor, former Navy SEAL Dan Crenshaw. But Democrats' biggest obstacle could be Crenshaw's appeal.
Republicans view Crenshaw, who lost his right eye in an IED blast in Afghanistan, as a potential star. He's a credible outsider whose campaign logo incorporates his eye patch. In the primary, he came from nowhere to beat better-funded opponents, including a well-established state legislator and a businesswoman who spent over $6 million of her own money. After a competitive runoff, he should be able to get to financial parity with Litton by the fall.
Litton is married to Jennifer Litton, a cancer doctor and researcher at MD Anderson, and hopes their profile will resonate in a district that includes Rice University. But this heavily gerrymandered district is 31 percent Latino, and historically Latino turnout has been abysmal in midterms. Crenshaw is still the clear favorite.
Race Analysis
Updated: Jul 28, 2026
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