After the defeat of the Confederacy in 1865, Texas would vote democratic. However, many of the democratic parties, including Texas, supported the civil right act in 1964. Following the southern strategy by Nixon, Wallace and Texas switched to republican.
History of Texan Government
Texas Government System
Texas used to be a democratic state from the reconstruction up until the 1990s, which was almost a hundred years. However, ever since the 1960s, the republican party of the state kept getting more prominent. From the 1990s till now (2022), Texas remains a total republican state.
Change in Government System
During the 70s and after, many conservatives started moving to Texas. The act of helping others using the tax dollars by the democratic is what many of them didn’t like since others must pay for that tax. A little strike from the republican parties afterward changed Texas to a red state totally.
Rise of the Republicans
The civil rights Act of 1964 made many southern whites flip to Republicans. Following the voting rights act of 1965, the voting registration among black and Latinos rose. The moving of many conservatives to Texas also worked in republican favor.
How Long Has the Democratic Party Been Dominant in Texas?
Ever since the reconstruction until the 1990s, the democratic party has been dominant in Texas for around 99 years. In 1976, Jim Carter was the last Democratic presidential candidate to win the state election. Afterward, the republicans took the lead.
Which Socioeconomic Factor Most Influences Voter Turnout?
Without any doubt, education is the largest socioeconomic factor that influences and increases voter turnout. Since educated people are more likely to vote, states with a higher literate percentage will get increased voter turnout. Other similar factors can be the class and incomes of civilians.
In What Decade Was the Poll Tax Abolished in Texas?
The poll tax was abolished on January 23, 1964, with the 24th Amendment to the Constitution. It forbids any poll tax in elections. So, people wouldn’t need to pay any taxes to vote for their favored parties.
Which States Had Poll Taxes?
Aside from Texas, many other states in the USA had poll taxes. Some of them are Florida, Arkansas, California, Oklahoma, Alabama, Maine, Georgia, Minnesota, North Carolina, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Mississippi, Vermont, Pennsylvania, etc.
Final Note
If we summarize the whole thing, the civil act movement was the primary and major trigger for Texas’s shift to republican from democratic. Other factors will be conservative immigrants, the Voting Rights Act, and the sudden absence of the rule where one has to win Texas to win the white house.