2016 Texas Senate election

{{Short description|none}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}

{{Infobox election

| election_name = 2016 Texas Senate election

| country = Texas

| type = legislative

| previous_election = 2014 Texas Senate election

| previous_year = 2014

| next_election = 2018 Texas Senate election

| next_year = 2018

| seats_for_election = 16 of the 31 seats in the Texas State Senate

| majority_seats = 16

| election_date = November 8, 2016

| image1 = Paul Bettencourt.jpg

| leader1 = Paul Bettencourt

| leaders_seat1 = 7th district

| party1 = Republican Party of Texas

| last_election1 = 20 seats, 63.09%{{cite web |url=http://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist175_state.htm |title=Race Summary Report - 2014 General Election |publisher=Texas Secretary of State |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428174916/https://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist175_state.htm |archivedate=2021-04-28 |url-status=live |accessdate=2021-05-29}}

| seats_before1 =

| seats_needed1 = {{steady}}

| seats1 = 20

| seat_change1 = {{steady}}

| popular_vote1 = 1,985,241

| percentage1 = 56.31%

| swing1 = {{Decrease}}6.78%

| image2 = Jose R. Rodriguez.jpg

| leader2 = José R. Rodríguez

| leaders_seat2 = 29th district

| party2 = Texas Democratic Party

| last_election2 = 11 seats, 29.71%

| seats_before2 =

| seats_needed2 = {{increase}} 5

| seats2 = 11

| seat_change2 = {{steady}}

| popular_vote2 = 1,355,412

| percentage2 = 38.45%

| swing2 = {{Increase}}8.74%

| map_image = TxSen2016Results.png

| map_size =

| map_caption = Election results
{{legend0|#F48882|Republican hold}}
{{legend0|#92C5DE|Democratic hold}}
{{legend0|#D3D3D3|No election}}

| ongoing = no

}}

{{Elections in Texas}}

The 2016 Texas Senate elections took place as part of the biennial United States elections. Texas voters elected state senators in 16 of the 31 state senate districts. The winners of this election served in the 85th Texas Legislature. State senators serve four-year terms in the Texas State Senate. A statewide map of Texas's state Senate districts can be obtained from the Texas Legislative Council [https://web.archive.org/web/20190303222448/https://tlc.texas.gov/redist/pdf/senate/map.pdf here], and individual district maps can be obtained from the U.S. Census [https://web.archive.org/web/20151012045929/https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/maps/sldu/st48_tx.html here].

Following the 2014 State Senate elections, the Republicans maintained effective control of the Senate with twenty members to the Democrats' eleven.

To claim control of the chamber from Republicans, the Democrats needed to gain five Senate seats. While the statewide popular vote for this class of Senators swung 8.6 percentage points toward the Democrats when compared to the vote they earned in the 2012 elections,{{NoteTag|Texas holds elections for all Senate seats in years ending in 2. In 2012, for this particular class of Senators, the Republicans and Democrats won 60.42% and 34.00% of the vote, respectively.{{cite web |url=http://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist164_state.htm |title=Race Summary Report - 2012 General Election |publisher=Texas Secretary of State |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210425100633/http://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist164_state.htm |archivedate=2021-04-25 |url-status=live |accessdate=2021-05-29 }}}} both parties retained the eight seats each was defending.