2002 Texas gubernatorial election

2002 Texas gubernatorial election

← 1998 November 5, 2002 2006 →
 
Nominee Rick Perry Tony Sanchez
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 2,632,591 1,819,798
Percentage 57.8% 40.0%

County results
Perry:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Sanchez:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%

Governor before election

Rick Perry
Republican

Elected Governor

Rick Perry
Republican

The 2002 Texas gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2002, to elect the governor of Texas. Incumbent Republican governor Rick Perry, who had ascended to the governorship after the resignation of George W. Bush to become President of the United States, was elected to his first full term in office, winning 58% of the vote to Democrat Tony Sanchez's 40%.

Perry carried 218 out of 254 counties, while Sanchez only carried 36. Exit polls showed Perry easily won among white voters with 72% while Sanchez won the African American vote with 85% and the Latino vote with 65%. His second inauguration for a first full four-year term began on January 21, 2003, on the Texas State Capitol South Grounds.

As of 2023, this was the last time the Republican candidate carried Dallas County, the last time the Democratic candidate carried Cass, Hudspeth, Pecos, Terrell, Nueces, and Kenedy counties, and the last time Republicans kept the vote margins within the single digits in Travis County.