TEXAS CONTENDERS FOR THE WHITE HOUSE BY PRESIDENTIAL CYCLE

2020

Julián Castro, Democrat. The former San Antonio mayor became one of the first candidates to declare for the White House. Castro was considered by Hillary Clinton as a potential running mate in 2016 and was secretary of the Department of U.S. Housing and Urban Development under Barack Obama.

Beto O’Rourke, Democrat. The former El Paso congressman would jump in a short time after Castro, raising big money early but slipping in polling later.

Both O’Rourke and Castro dropped out before the Iowa caucuses.

2016

Ted Cruz, Republican. The U.S. senator got a big jump on the presidential field, winning the Iowa caucuses over second-place finisher Donald Trump. Cruz would go on to win 11 states before withdrawing in May and eventually backed Trump after the Republican National Convention.

Rick Perry, Republican. The former Texas governor announced his campaign in June 2015 in Addison. The campaign didn’t last long. Perry quit in September amid poor polling.

2012

Ron Paul, Republican. The longtime Texas congressman filed to run for president as a Republican after early straw polls showed him winning many contests. Paul finished in third place in Iowa and second in New Hampshire. He would win 190 delegates before losing at the convention to Mitt Romney.

Rick Perry, Republican. The former Texas governor made his first campaign for president. Perry finished a distant fifth place at the Iowa caucuses and then last in New Hampshire. He suspended his campaign shortly after that.

2008

Ron Paul, Republican. The former congressman jumped into the GOP primary in March 2007. Paul finished a distant fifth place in Iowa and won less than 40 delegates overall.

2004

George W. Bush, Republican. The former Texas governor defeated U.S. Sen. John Kerry and won re-election. He had no serious primary opposition.

2000

George W. Bush, Republican. The former Texas governor easily won the Iowa caucuses but faltered in New Hampshire, where Sen. John McCain won. Bush then won in South Carolina as he rolled to the GOP nomination.

1996

Phil Gramm, Republican. The U.S. senator announced his campaign for the White House at Texas A&M University in February 1995. About a year later, he finished fifth in the Iowa caucuses and withdrew from the race.

Ross Perot, Reform Party. In his second run for the White House, the Dallas tycoon ran as a member of the Reform Party and made little impact. He won just 8 percent of the vote nationwide.

1992 George H.W. Bush, Republican.

The incumbent president was renominated by the GOP but would lose re-election to former Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton.

Ross Perot, Independent. The Texarkana native in February 1992 announced he would run for president as an independent. He won almost 20 percent of the national vote.

1988 George H.W. Bush, Republican.

The former vice president from Houston had the backing of President Ronald Reagan in the primaries. Though he lost the Iowa caucuses, Bush dominated other early states to secure the nomination and eventually defeated Democrat Michael Dukakis for the White House. Lloyd Bentsen, Democrat. Bentsen, who lived in Houston, declined to run for president early in the campaign, but Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts chose him as his running mate.

Ron Paul, Libertarian. The Texas congressman ran as the Libertarian candidate for president.

1984 George H.W. Bush, Republican.

Bush was again Ronald Reagan’s running mate as the two cruised to victory over Democrat Walter Mondale.

1980 George H.W. Bush, Republican.

Bush jumped out to an early lead by winning the Iowa caucuses over Ronald Reagan. But Reagan would win New Hampshire and dominate the race from there. Bush suspended his campaign in May of 1980 and later endorsed Reagan, who, in turn, made him his vice president.

John Connally. Republican. The former Texas governor who had switched from being a Democrat to a Republican jumped in the race in January 1979. Connally finished a distant fourth in Iowa but rebounded in South Carolina for a second place finish to Reagan. It wasn’t enough, though, as he withdrew from the race the next day.

1976

Lloyd Bentsen, Democrat. In February 1975, Bentsen jumped into the race and was an early favorite due to big fundraising numbers. He focused his campaign on a few key states early but lost in then-early voting states Mississippi and Oklahoma. Bentsen would struggle the rest of the way, even losing Texas to eventual nominee Jimmy Carter of Georgia.