In the recent 2024 presidential election, former President Donald Trump emerged victorious over Vice President Kamala Harris, securing more than 6.3 million votes in Texas alone. This marked a significant increase of almost 500,000 votes compared to his 2020 performance. On the other hand, Harris received 4.8 million votes, about 450,000 fewer than Joe Biden in the previous election.
Trump’s dominance was evident as he won in 242 out of Texas’ 254 counties, while Harris only managed to secure victory in 12 counties. Although Harris clinched major population centers like Harris, Dallas, Bexar, and Travis counties, Trump successfully flipped Tarrant and Williamson counties, along with several counties along the southern border of Texas.
Notably, Trump garnered substantial support from Montgomery County, with a margin of victory exceeding 140,000 votes. Additionally, he secured victories in Parker, Denton, and Collin counties, each with over 50,000 votes in his favor. Conversely, Harris had a significant lead in Travis County, clinching over 225,000 more votes than Trump, although this margin decreased from the previous election.
In comparison to the 2020 election, Democratic margins in Texas’ major cities saw a reduction. For instance, margins decreased from 291,000 to 184,000 in Dallas County, 218,000 to 82,000 in Harris County, 140,000 to 73,000 in Bexar County, and 94,000 to 38,000 in El Paso County.
The overall statewide margin surpassed 1.5 million votes, a considerable increase from 2020. Trump’s victory margin of 13.83 percentage points in Texas was the largest since the 2012 election. Interestingly, almost every county in Texas shifted towards Trump compared to the previous election, with 234 counties moving in his favor while only 20 swung to the left.
Significant swings towards Trump were observed in the border counties of Texas, with counties like Maverick, Webb, Dimmit, Starr, El Paso, and Hidalgo shifting more than 20 points to the right. Furthermore, 17 other counties moved rightward by more than 10 points, highlighting the trend of increasing support for Trump in these regions.
On the contrary, only two counties showed a shift towards the Democrats by more than 5 points. Loving County, the least-populated county in the state, leaned towards Harris by 7.8 points, while Kaufman County, a rapidly growing suburban area in Dallas, swung left by 6 points. These shifts underscore the evolving political landscape within Texas and the impact of changing voter preferences in different regions.
