HD137
From Texas Political Almanac
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Contents |
Overview
| Counties: | Harris (part) |
| 2012 SSVR: | 21.6% |
| 2012 non-Anglo: | 85.5% |
| 2012 non-Anglo (CVAP): | 66.1% |
| 2012 Rep: | Gene Wu |
| 2010 Rep: | Scott Hochberg |
| 2008 Rep: | Scott Hochberg |
| 2006 Rep: | Scott Hochberg |
| 2004 Rep: | Scott Hochberg |
| 2002 Rep: | Scott Hochberg |
| 2000 Rep: | Debra Danburg |
Southwest Houston is the most diverse region in Texas, and among the most diverse in the United States. Within Southwest Houston, District 137 serves as an entry point for new immigrants due to a vast array of inexpensive apartments in the area - namely, the Gulfton neighborhood. While there are still several established, single-family home neighborhoods such as Sharpstown, Briarmeadow, Shenendoah, Tanglewilde, and a small part of Alief that constitute the district, over 80% of the population within the district resides in apartments surrounding these neighborhoods.
Most of these voters are not eligible to vote, however. This is due to the recent immigrant nature of the district. That creates a unique dynamic of District 137 being majority-Hispanic by demographic, political, and legal definitions. But there is no functional majority for any demographic group among eligible voters, registered voters, or actual voters.
Gene Wu
Gene Wu succeeds outgoing State Representative, Scott Hochberg, who had represented the district since 2002. Hochberg had previously represented HD132 in an area adjacent to HD137, but with no shared geography. On December 2nd, 2011, Hochberg announced that he would not run for re-election in 2012.
Wu entered a 4-way Democratic Primary in 2012 as a former Prosecutor with the Harris County District Attorney, highlighting his record as a neighborhood volunteer. The contest led to a runoff which favored Wu and then a General Election against former City Council Member, M.J. Khan, as the Republican nominee. Despite Khan's previous tenure on City Council being won with support of Democratic voters, there was not enough cross-over support to make the General Election close. Wu ultimately demonstrated cross-over support in key neighborhoods in the district, allowing him to be among the top performers in the district despite being a first-time candidate.
District Outlook
Southwest Houston continues to be shaped, politically, by changing demographics. As the Hispanic population grows due to both migration and a positive net birthrate, the older Anglo population continues to relocate and pass away. The electorates in Presidential and mid-term cycles should still continue to demonstrate significant differences in composition. But with the latest Presidential cycle peaking at around 65%, the dropoff in Democratic support during midterms may no longer be close enough to give Republicans hope of being competitive in this district.
District Map
Population & Demographics
| Total Pop. | 18+ Pop. | CVAP-10 | CVAP-11 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 170,652 | 126,727 | 62,380 | 61,830 |
| Anglo | 14.5% | 17.1% | 33.9% | 33.9% |
| Hispanic | 57.5% | 53.3% | 25.1% | 25.3% |
| Afr-Am | 17.5% | 17.8% | 28.3% | 27.2% |
| Other | 11.7% | 12.9% | ||
| Asian | 11.6% | 12.1% |
- Total and 18+ Population taken from 2010 Census data, provided by the Texas Legislative Council.
- CVAP-10: American Community Survey data from 2006-2010, provided by the Texas Legislative Council.
- CVAP-11: American Community Survey data from 2007-2011, provided by the Texas Legislative Council.
2012 Election Analysis
48,003 Registered Voters
10,348 Spanish-Surnamed Registered Voters
25,293 Total Ballots
| Contest | Rep. Candidate | R-% | Dem. Candidate | D-% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. President | Mitt Romney | 34.1% | Barack Obama | 64.2% |
| U.S. Senate | Ted Cruz | 35.0% | Paul Sadler | 61.6% |
| RR Commish | Christi Craddick | 35.0% | Dale Henry | 60.7% |
| Supreme Court | Nathan Hecht | 33.0% | Michele Petty | 63.2% |
| Crt. of Criminal Appeals | Sharon Keller | 33.9% | Keith Hampton | 63.4% |
| State Representative | M.J. Khan | 34.2% | Gene Wu | 65.8% |
| County Sheriff | Louis Guthrie | 31.5% | Adrian Garcia | 65.8% |
| County Attorney | Robert Talton | 34.1% | Vince Ryan | 65.9% |
| District Attorney | Mike Anderson | 37.4% | Lloyd Oliver | 62.6% |
| Tax Assessor | Mike Sullivan | 34.3% | Ann Bennett | 62.7% |
| County Brd. of Education | Mike Wolfe | 34.4% | Diane Trautman | 65.6% |
July 31st Democratic Primary Runoff
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Gene Wu | 695 | 61.6% |
| Jamaal Smith | 433 | 38.4% |
| Total Votes | 1,128 |
May 29th Democratic Primary
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Joseph Carlos Madden | 391 | 21.8% |
| Gene Wu | 773 | 43.1% |
| Jamaal Smith | 431 | 24.1% |
| Sarah Winkler | 197 | 11.0% |
| Total Votes | 1,792 |
2010 Election Analysis
48,859 Registered Voters
9,715 Spanish-Surnamed Registered Voters
15,057 Total Ballots
| Contest | Rep. Candidate | R-% | Dem. Candidate | D-% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | Rick Perry | 37.4% | Bill White | 60.7% |
| Lt. Governor | David Dewhurst | 43.9% | Linda Chavez-Thompson | 52.5% |
| Attorney General | Greg Abbott | 46.3% | Barbara Radnofsky | 51.5% |
| Comptroller | Susan Combs | 71.6% | ||
| Land Commish | Jerry Patterson | 43.7% | Hector Uribe | 53.5% |
| Ag. Commish | Todd Staples | 43.0% | Hank Gilbert | 54.0% |
| RR Commish | David Porter | 41.8% | Jeff Weems | 54.2% |
| Supreme Court | Debra Lehrmann | 42.7% | Jim Sharp | 54.8% |
| Supreme Court | Paul Green | 42.0% | Bill Moody | 55.4% |
| Supreme Court | Eva Guzman | 44.6% | Blake Bailey | 52.5% |
| Crt. of Criminal Appeals | Michael Keasler | 43.4% | Keith Hampton | 54.2% |
Redistricting
2011 Redistricting
- Plan H309 - House District 137 - plan under which the 2012 elections were held
- Plan H303 - House District 137 - MALDEF/Abbott Compromise Plan
- Plan H302 - House District 137 - San Antonio court's original interim plan
- Plan H283 - House District 137 - plan passed by the 82nd Texas legislature
In the redistricting plan submitted by the 82nd Legislature and signed by Governor Perry, HD149 was primarily folded into the HD137 while the new nominal HD149 was placed in Williamson County. The court-ordered Plan H302 recreated HD137 and HD149 as distinct districts - a feature that was upheld in the court's redrawn plan H309.
2001 Redistricting
- House District 137 - 2001 Map - Election History (2002-2010) and District Map
News Results
- The Railroad Commission does what? - Dallas Morning News
[#]
Dallas Morning NewsThe Railroad Commission does what?
Dallas Morning News
Even among those barely old enough to remember Texas' last oil boom three decades ago, the Railroad Commission brand retains a certain charm. At the sunset hearing, Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, who at 35 is one of the House's younger members, said he ...and more » - Houston's international presence celebrated at Asia Society Texas Center ... - CultureMap Houston
[#]Houston's international presence celebrated at Asia Society Texas Center ...
CultureMap Houston
... Chao, Lilly and Hamid Kooros, Nananko and Dale Tingleaf, Neda and Mosoud Ladjevardian, Dorothee Sauter Helfenstein and Josef Helfenstein, Sultana Mangalji, Kalyani Giri, Rathana Kumar, Miya Shay and Gene Wu and Eduardo and Pilar de la Garza.- Pipeline Bills Moving This Session, But Maybe Not the Ones You Were Thinking - StateImpact Texas
[#]
StateImpact TexasPipeline Bills Moving This Session, But Maybe Not the Ones You Were Thinking
StateImpact Texas
Gene Wu, D-Houston, the House sponsor of the bill, explained to StateImpact Texas. The money stemming from penalties could then go back to the Railroad Commission of Texas to fund enforcement, Wu added. As for an overhaul how pipelines use eminent ...
House Votes to Limit Drone UseKUT News
House tentatively backs bill restricting surveillance dronesSan Marcos Mercury all 41 news articles »
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