2006 Texas gubernatorial election
November 7, 2006
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County results Perry: 20–30% 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% Bell: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% Strayhorn: 20–30% 30–40% 40–50% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Texas |
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| Government |
The 2006 Texas gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2006, to elect the governor of Texas. The election was a rare five-way race, with incumbent Republican governor Rick Perry running for re-election against Democrat Chris Bell and Independents Carole Keeton Strayhorn and Kinky Friedman, as well as Libertarian nominee James Werner.
Perry was re-elected to a second full term in office, winning 39% of the vote to Bell's 30%, Strayhorn's 18%, and Friedman's 12%. Perry carried 209 of the state's 254 counties, while Bell carried 39 and Strayhorn carried 6.
Perry was inaugurated for a second full four-year term on January 16, 2007. The ceremony was held inside the House of Representatives chamber at the Texas Capitol after thunderstorms canceled the planned outdoor ceremony. This remains the last time Republicans won a statewide race in Texas with only a plurality. Despite only winning 29% of the vote, this is the closest the Democrats have come to winning a Texas gubernatorial election in the 21st century.
To date, this is the most recent gubernatorial election where Swisher, Crosby, Fisher, Haskell, Red River, Morris, Marion, Bastrop, Newton, Jefferson, Bee, and Calhoun counties voted for the Democratic candidate, and the most recent in which Cooke, Nolan, Wilson, Goliad, and Wharton counties did not vote for the Republican candidate.