The state will have at least four new senators next year, but don't expect the partisan balance to change in any important way.Fifteen of the state's 31 senators are not on the ballot this cycle. Six incumbents drew no major party opposition: Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler; Florence Shapiro, R-Plano; Rodney Ellis, D-Houston; John Whitmire, D-Houston, Kyle Janek, R-Houston, and Kip Averitt, R-Waco. Kirk Watson, an Austin Democrat seeking to replace Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos, D-Austin, is alone in his primary and the Republicans ducked.
Three open seats in the Senate attracted more competition. In SD-3, where Todd Staples, R-Palestine, is giving up the seat to run for commissioner of agriculture, four Republicans have signed up, including Frank Denton, Dave Kleimann, Robert Nichols, and Bob Reeves. However it goes, it'll go to a Republican; no Democrats showed up for the race. In Houston's SD-7, where Republican Jon Lindsay is leaving, a spirited four-way race has opened up between city councilman Mark Ellis, talk radio host Dan Patrick and Republican Reps. Peggy Hamric and Joe Nixon.
In SD-18, where Ken Armbrister, D-Victoria, is retiring, Bret Baldwin and Henry Boehm Jr. are after the Democratic nomination; Gary Gates, Rep. Glenn Hegar, and David Stall are after the GOP slot. That could flip party preferences; though Armbrister has successfully held on, the numbers in that district favor elephants over donkeys.
Five incumbents will skate in March but face opponents from the other party in November: Sens. Jane Nelson, R-Lewisville; Steve Ogden, R-Bryan; Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio; John Whitmire, D-Houston; and Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso. Each serves a district that favors the incumbent party, but they'll have to prove it against, in the same order, Dwight Fullingim, Stephen Wyman, Kathleen "Kathi" Thomas, Angel DeLaRosa, and Donald "Dee" Margo.
The last two senators on the ballot -- Bob Deuell, R-Greenville, and Frank Madla Jr., D-San Antonio -- have intraparty feuds in March. Deuell will face Tim McCallum; Madla is being challenged by Rep. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio. The winner of that second contest will have a fight ahead in June against the winner of a GOP primary between Dick Bowen and Darrel Brown.