1986Final results
1986 election for Texas's 21st District
U.S. House · Texas
Lamar Smith (R) won with 60.6% of the vote, defeating Pete Snelson (D) by 22.1 points.
Lamar SmithRepublican · winner
60.6%100,346
Pete SnelsonDemocrat
38.5%63,779
James A. RobinsonLibertarian
0.9%1,432
165,567 votes
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 1986
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
Money in this race
Each line compares the two campaigns on one scale.
Pete SnelsonLamar Smith
$346.5K
Raised by the campaign
$1M
$345.1K
Spent by the campaign
$1M
$1.3K
Cash on hand
$4.4K
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1986.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1986