In 2021, white men are still overrepresented in the Texas Legislature
By Alexa Ura, Texas Tribune, Carla Astudillo and Texas Tribune
PublishedÂ
In a perennial takeaway of The Texas Tribune’s demographic analysis, the Texas Legislature remains mostly white and male.
When the 2021 legislative session begins Tuesday, 3 of every 5 lawmakers in the state House and Senate will be white, although white Texans make up just 41% of the state s population. That’s largely a function of the Republican dominance of the Capitol and the dearth of diversity in the party’s ranks. All but five of the 100 Republicans in the Legislature are non-Hispanic white people.
Jan. 11, 2021
In a perennial takeaway of The Texas Tribune’s demographic analysis, the Texas Legislature remains mostly white and male.
When the 2021 legislative session begins Tuesday, 61% of lawmakers in the state House and Senate will be white, although white Texans make up just 41% of the state s population. That’s largely a function of the Republican dominance of the Capitol and the dearth of diversity in the party’s ranks. All but five of the 100 Republicans in the Legislature are non-Hispanic white people.
Women have seen gains in the Legislature in recent years, but their underrepresentation is underscored by how marginal those gains have been. Four years ago, women held just 20% of seats; on Tuesday they’ll take roughly 27%. And unlike at the start of the legislative session two years ago, there won’t be more lawmakers named “John” than Republican women in the House.