Texas House of Representatives district 62

Texas House of Representatives district 62 is a single-member electoral district for the lower chamber of the Texas Legislature. Encompassing a largely rural region of North Central Texas, the district includes all of Comanche County, Erath County, and Hamilton County, along with portions of Bosque County and Coryell County. The district is known for its staunchly conservative political character and has been represented exclusively by members of the Republican Party since the early 2000s.

History

The district was established in 1972 following the United States Supreme Court decision in Reynolds v. Sims, which mandated state legislative districts be roughly equal in population. Its boundaries have been redrawn several times during the state's redistricting processes, notably after the 1990, 2000, and 2010 censuses. For much of its early history, the district was a competitive swing district, electing Democrats like Robert Junell and James E. "Pete" Laney, the latter of whom served as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives. A significant political shift occurred in the 2002 elections, part of a broader realignment in rural Texas, when Republican Dianne White Delisi won the seat. Since that election, the district has remained solidly in Republican control, with its boundaries consistently drawn to favor the Republican Party of Texas.

List of representatives

The following individuals have represented District 62 in the Texas House of Representatives. * Robert Junell (D) – 1973–1975 * James E. "Pete" Laney (D) – 1975–1983 * Bob McFarland (D) – 1983–1993 * Robert Junell (D) – 1993–2003 * Dianne White Delisi (R) – 2003–2007 * Larry Phillips (R) – 2007–2021 * Shelby Slawson (R) – 2021–present

Election results

Election results in District 62 have demonstrated a strong and growing Republican advantage since the early 2000s. In the 2002 general election, Dianne White Delisi defeated her Democratic opponent with approximately 58% of the vote. Her successor, Larry Phillips, consistently won re-election by margins exceeding 70% of the vote throughout his tenure. In the 2020 Republican primary, Shelby Slawson unseated the incumbent Phillips, a rare occurrence in the district, before winning the general election with over 80% of the vote. Democratic candidates have failed to garner more than 30% of the vote in any election since 2010, reflecting the district's status as a Safe seat.

District composition

As constituted after the 2020 redistricting cycle by the Texas Legislative Council, District 62 covers a significant portion of the Texas Hill Country and the Cross Timbers region. Major population centers include Stephenville, the county seat of Erath County and home to Tarleton State University, and Comanche. The economy is primarily based on agriculture, ranching, and education, with some manufacturing near Gatesville in Coryell County. The district is served by several major transportation routes, including U.S. Route 67, U.S. Route 281, and U.S. Route 377.

Recent elections

In the 2022 general election, incumbent Shelby Slawson was re-elected without Democratic opposition, receiving 100% of the vote. The most competitive recent contest was the 2020 Republican primary, where Slawson defeated longtime representative Larry Phillips by a margin of 54% to 46%, a race focused on issues of conservative purity and Texas Right to Life endorsements. The 2024 Republican primary saw Slawson face only nominal opposition, securing over 90% of the vote. These results underscore the district's overwhelming partisan lean, where the decisive contest is typically the Republican primary election rather than the November general election.