1986Final results
1986 election for Texas's 5th District
U.S. House · Texas
John Bryant (D) won with 58.5% of the vote, defeating Tom Carter (R) by 17.8 points.
John BryantDemocrat · winner
58.5%57,410
Tom CarterRepublican
40.7%39,945
Bob BrewerLibertarian
0.8%749
98,104 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.
John BryantTom Carter
$1M
Raised by the campaign
$353.1K
$994.3K
Spent by the campaign
$349.9K
$109.7K
Cash on hand
$3.2K
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1986.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1986