Robert Nichols

Full Name: Robert Lee Nichols

Terms of Service
Biographical Notes
Committee Information
Legislation
Official Senate Web Site

Terms of Service top

Chamber	District	Dates of Service	Legislatures	Party	City/County	Note	Counties in District
S	3	Jan 10, 2023 - Jan 12, 2027	88th ⁽¹⁾ 89th	Republican	Jacksonville / Cherokee		Anderson, Angelina, Cherokee, Hardin, Henderson, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler
S	3	Jan 8, 2019 - Jan 10, 2023	86th 87th	Republican	Jacksonville / Cherokee		Anderson, Angelina, Cherokee, Hardin, Henderson, Houston, Jasper, Liberty, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler
S	3	Jan 13, 2015 - Jan 8, 2019	85th ⁽²⁾ 84th 85th ⁽²⁾	Republican	Jacksonville / Cherokee	Senate President Pro Tempore (85th)	Anderson, Angelina, Cherokee, Hardin, Henderson, Houston, Jasper, Liberty, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler
S	3	Jan 8, 2013 - Jan 13, 2015	83rd ⁽³⁾	Republican	Jacksonville / Cherokee		Anderson, Angelina, Cherokee, Hardin, Henderson, Houston, Jasper, Liberty, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler
S	3	Jan 11, 2011 - Jan 8, 2013	82nd ⁽⁴⁾	Republican	Jacksonville / Cherokee		Anderson, Angelina, Cherokee, Hardin, Henderson, Jasper, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Smith, Tyler
S	3	Jan 9, 2007 - Jan 11, 2011	80th ⁽⁵⁾ 81st	Republican	Jacksonville / Cherokee		Anderson, Angelina, Cherokee, Hardin, Henderson, Jasper, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Smith, Tyler

(1) 88th Legislature - Drawing for Terms of Office, 1/11/2023, SR 9, pp. 26-27. Drew 4-year term. Senate Journal.
(2) 85th Legislature - Senate President Pro Tempore, Ad Interim R.S., elected 5/29/2017. Senate Journal.
(3) 83rd Legislature - Drawing for Terms of Office, 1/23/2013, SR 36, pp. 81-82. Drew 2-year term. Senate Journal.
(4) 2-year term; entire Senate went up for reelection in 2012 due to redistricting. Texas Constitution Art. III, §3, Election and term of office of Senators.
(5) Won election in Democratic primary 3/7/2006; uncontested in general election. Texas Secretary of State - Historical Election Returns, 1992-2019.

Terms of Service top

Senate District 3
Jan 10, 2023 - Jan 12, 2027
Legislatures: 88th ⁽¹⁾ 89th
Party: Republican
Home City/County: Jacksonville / Cherokee
Counties in district: Anderson, Angelina, Cherokee, Hardin, Henderson, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler

Senate District 3
Jan 8, 2019 - Jan 10, 2023
Legislatures: 86th 87th
Party: Republican
Home City/County: Jacksonville / Cherokee
Counties in district: Anderson, Angelina, Cherokee, Hardin, Henderson, Houston, Jasper, Liberty, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler

Senate District 3
Jan 13, 2015 - Jan 8, 2019
Legislatures: 85th ⁽²⁾ 84th 85th ⁽²⁾
Senate President Pro Tempore (85th)
(85th)
(85th)
Party: Republican
Home City/County: Jacksonville / Cherokee
Counties in district: Anderson, Angelina, Cherokee, Hardin, Henderson, Houston, Jasper, Liberty, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler

Senate District 3
Jan 8, 2013 - Jan 13, 2015
Legislatures: 83rd ⁽³⁾
Party: Republican
Home City/County: Jacksonville / Cherokee
Counties in district: Anderson, Angelina, Cherokee, Hardin, Henderson, Houston, Jasper, Liberty, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler

Senate District 3
Jan 11, 2011 - Jan 8, 2013
Legislatures: 82nd ⁽⁴⁾
Party: Republican
Home City/County: Jacksonville / Cherokee
Counties in district: Anderson, Angelina, Cherokee, Hardin, Henderson, Jasper, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Smith, Tyler

Senate District 3
Jan 9, 2007 - Jan 11, 2011
Legislatures: 80th ⁽⁵⁾ 81st
Party: Republican
Home City/County: Jacksonville / Cherokee
Counties in district: Anderson, Angelina, Cherokee, Hardin, Henderson, Jasper, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Smith, Tyler

Biographical Information top

Biographical Sketches

Biographical sketch, 82nd Legislature. Texas Senate.
Biographical sketch and photo. Texas Senators, 80th Legislative Session, 2007.
Biographical sketch and photo. Texas Senators, 81st Legislative Session, 2009.
Biographical sketch and photo. Texas Senators, 82nd Legislative Session, 2011.
Biographical sketch and photo. Texas Senators, 83rd Legislative Session, 2013.
Biographical sketch and photo. Texas Senators, 84th Legislature, 2015.
Biographical sketch and photo. Texas Senators, 85th Legislature, 2017.
Biographical sketch and photo. Texas Senators, 86th Legislature, 2019.
Biographical sketch and photo. Texas Senators, 87th Legislature, 2021.
Biographical sketch and photo. Texas Senators, 88th Legislature, 2023.

Other Resources

Only the second person with a beard elected to the Senate in over one hundred years, "New State Senator Shares Weighty Research," 12/8/2006. Quorum Report.
Per David Mauzy, Senate Research Center, research memo in Dec. 2006: bearded Senators prior to Robert Nichols were Craig A. Washington who served in the Senate in the 68th-71st Leg., 1983-89; and William Sebastian, 26th-28th Senate 1899-1905. Senate Research Center.

Photographs

Photograph. Robert Nichols, 86th Legislature, Texas Senate
Photograph. Robert Nichols, 82nd Legislature, Texas Senate
Photograph. Robert Nichols, 81st Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Robert Nichols, 80th Legislature, State Preservation Board

Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol

80th session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, north wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
81st session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, north wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
82nd session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, north wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
83rd session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, north wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
84th session composite photo of Senate members (Senate chamber, west wall. 2E.8). State Preservation Board.
85th session composite photo of Senate members (Senate chamber, west wall. 2E.8). State Preservation Board.
86th session composite photo of Senate members (Senate chamber, west wall. 2E.8). State Preservation Board.
87th session composite photo of Senate members(Senate chamber, west wall. 2E.8). State Preservation Board.

Committee Information top

89th R.S. - 2025 Business and Commerce Finance Local Government Transportation (Chair)
88th R.S. - 2023 Business and Commerce Finance Grid Reliability, Legislative Oversight Hurricane and Tropical Storm Preparedness, Recovery, and Electricity, Special Local Government Redistricting, Special Transportation (Chair)
87th R.S. - 2021 Business and Commerce (Vice Chair) Criminal Justice Finance Local Government Redistricting, Special To Protect All Texans, Special (Chair) Transportation (Chair)
86th R.S. - 2019 Administration Business and Commerce (Vice Chair) Finance Intergovernmental Relations Judicial Selection, Texas Commission on Redistricting, Select Transportation (Chair)
85th R.S. - 2017 Administration Business and Commerce Employment Practices, Select Finance Transportation (Chair)
84th R.S. - 2015 Finance Intergovernmental Relations Natural Resources and Economic Development Transportation (Chair) Transportation Planning, Select (Chair)
83rd R.S. - 2013 Border Wait Times (Co-Chair) Economic Stabilization Fund Balance, Select (Vice Chair) Finance Health and Human Services Intergovernmental Relations (Vice Chair) Natural Resources State Affairs Transportation (Chair) Transportation Funding, Expenditures, and Finance, Select (Chair) (Vice Chair)
82nd R.S. - 2011 Alzheimer's Disease Committee of the Whole Senate Health and Human Services Intergovernmental Relations (Vice Chair) Intergovernmental Relations Subcommittee on Flooding and Evacuations Natural Resources Nominations Transportation and Homeland Security (Chair)
81st R.S. - 2009 Committee of the Whole Senate Health and Human Services Intergovernmental Relations (Vice Chair) Intergovernmental Relations Subcommittee on Flooding and Evacuations Natural Resources Nominations Transportation and Homeland Security
80th R.S. - 2007 Committee of the Whole Senate Health and Human Services Intergovernmental Relations (Vice Chair) Intergovernmental Relations Subcommittee on Flooding and Evacuations Nominations Transportation and Homeland Security

This website is a work in progress. Information on this website is provided as a public service by the Legislative Reference Library. The Legislative Reference Library makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy and makes no warranty in regard to its use. Users assume all risk of reliance on the information included on this site.

Party information is not available for the 1st-11th Legislatures.

Have a question, comment or contribution? Email the Library or call 512-463-1252.

Many photos in Texas Legislators: Past and Present are used with permission of the Texas State Preservation Board. For permission to reproduce these photos, please contact the Texas State Preservation Board graphics coordinator at 512-475-3060.