Texas Senate | |
|---|---|
| 88th Texas Legislature | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | of the Texas Legislature |
Term limits | None |
| History | |
New session started | January 10, 2023 |
| Leadership | |
Majority Leader | |
Minority Leader | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 31 |
 | |
Political groups | Majority
Minority
|
Length of term | 4 years (with one 2-year term each decade) |
| Authority | Article 3, Texas Constitution |
| Salary | $7,200/year + per diem |
| Elections | |
| First-past-the-post | |
Last election | November 8, 2022 (31 seats) |
Next election | November 5, 2024 (15 seats) |
| Redistricting | Legislative control |
| Meeting place | |
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| State Senate Chamber Texas State Capitol Austin, Texas | |
| Website | |
| Texas State Senate | |
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature, with the Texas House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, they compose the state legislature of the state of Texas.
There are 31 members of the Senate, representing single-member districts across the U.S. state of Texas, with populations of approximately 940,000 per constituency, based on the 2020 U.S. Census. Elections are held in even-numbered years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
There are no term limits. Terms are four years in length, with one two-year term each decade. Senators are divided into two groups based in part on the intervening Census:
- In elections in years ending in 2 (the election after the Census), all 31 seats are up for election.
- Once the Senate meets in session after said election, the Senators will participate in a drawing to determine their election cycle:
- One-half will have a 2-4-4 cycle, whereupon the seat would stand for election after two years (the year ending in 4) for a four-year term, followed by another four-year term (elected in the year ending in 8).
- The other half will have a 4-4-2 cycle, whereupon the seat would stand for election after four years (the year ending in 6) for another four-year term, followed by a two-year term (elected in the year ending in 0).
As such, every two years, about half of the Texas Senate is on the ballot.
The Senate meets at the Texas State Capitol in Austin. The Republicans currently control the chamber, which is made up of 19 Republicans and 12 Democrats.