1996Final results
1996 election for Texas's 21st District
U.S. House · Texas
Lamar Smith (R) won with 76.4% of the vote, defeating Gordon H. Wharton (D) by 54.0 points.
Lamar SmithRepublican · winner
76.4%205,830
Gordon H. WhartonDemocrat
22.4%60,338
Randy RutenbeckNatural Law
1.2%3,139
269,307 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 1996
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.
Gordon H. WhartonLamar Smith
$28.1K
Raised by the campaign
$526.4K
$20.4K
Spent by the campaign
$443.6K
$224
Cash on hand
$501.4K
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1996.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1996