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Jessica Steinmann
Jessica Steinmann (Republican Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Texas' 8th Congressional District. She declared candidacy for the Republican primary scheduled on March 3, 2026.[source]
Biography
Steinmann received a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a J.D. from Baylor University.[1] She served as Director of the Office of Victims of Crime in the U.S. Department of Justice from 2020 to 2021.[1] Her career experience includes working as an attorney.[1]
2026 battleground election
Ballotpedia identified the March 3, 2026, Republican primary for Texas' 8th Congressional District as a battleground election. The summary below is from our coverage of this election, found here.
Five candidates are running in the Republican primary for Texas' 8th Congressional District on March 3, 2026. The filing deadline is December 8, 2025. Two candidates lead in media attention and endorsements: Jessica Steinmann (R) and Nick Tran (R).
Incumbent Morgan Luttrell (R) is not running for re-election. For a list of U.S. Representatives who are not running for re-election in 2026, click here. The last time this district was open was 2022, when Luttrell was first elected.
Steinmann is an attorney and works as general counsel for the America First Policy Institute.[1][2] She served as Director of the Office of Victims of Crime in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) from 2020 to 2021 and previously worked for the office of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and the Texas House of Representatives.[3] Steinmann says she would focus on family-related policies, highlighting her work in the DOJ addressing human trafficking and her litigation requiring transgender athletes to participate in sports based on their sex.[1] Steinmann is campaigning on her legal experience, saying she has "led the charge in conservative fights" through litigation.[1] Highlighting President Donald Trump (R) appointing her to the DOJ, Steinmann says she supports Trump’s policies and has "stood shoulder-to-shoulder with President Trump and the America First movement."[1] Cruz, Luttrell, and Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) endorsed Steinmann.[4][5][6]
Tran is a small business owner and U.S. Army veteran.[7] Tran says he would focus on economic growth and reducing the cost of living by decreasing small business regulations, lowering taxes, and reducing federal spending.[8] Highlighting his career experience in the energy industry, he also says he would promote oil and gas production to improve the economy.[8] Tran says he would improve public safety by increasing funding for border patrol and law enforcement, as well as by "staunchly oppos[ing] legislation that restricts our right to bear arms."[8] Tran is campaigning on his military service and says he would "create a system that honors our veterans, empowers them to succeed, and ensures that no one who served this great nation is left behind."[8] Former Republican Party of Texas chair Allen West (R) and Veterans for America First endorsed Tran.[9][10]
Also running in the primary are Jay Fondren (R), Brett Jensen (R), and Deddrick Wilmer (R).
As of November 2025, The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, Inside Elections with Nathan Gonzales, and Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball each rated the general election Safe/Solid Republican. Luttrell won re-election in 2024 with 68% of the vote.
Texas conducted redistricting between the 2024 and 2026 elections. As a result, district lines in this state changed. To review how redistricting took place in Texas, click here. For a list of all states that drew new district lines between 2024 and 2026, click here.
Elections
2026
See also: Texas' 8th Congressional District election, 2026
General election
The primary will occur on March 3, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 8
Keith Coleman and Laura Jones are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 8 on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Keith Coleman | |
 | Laura Jones | |
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 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 8
Jay Fondren, Brett Jensen, Jessica Steinmann, Nick Tran, and Deddrick Wilmer are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 8 on March 3, 2026.
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Jeff Yuna (R)
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
We provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from RealClearPolitics, when available. We will regularly check for polling aggregation for this race and add polls here once available. To notify us of polls available for this race, please email us.
Election campaign finance
Candidate spending
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jay Fondren | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Brett Jensen | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Jessica Steinmann | Republican Party | $627,225 | $9,473 | $617,752 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Nick Tran | Republican Party | $118,063 | $106,101 | $11,962 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Deddrick Wilmer | Republican Party | $46,032 | $26,396 | $19,636 | As of September 30, 2025 |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
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Satellite spending
- See also: Satellite spending
Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[11][12][13]
If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.
| By candidate | By election |
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Endorsements
Steinmann received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.
- U.S. Sen Ted Cruz (R)
- U.S. Rep. Brandon Gill (R)
- U.S. Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R)
- U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls (R)
- Texas Sen. Brandon Creighton (R)
- Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R)
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
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Campaign website
Steinmann's campaign website stated the following:
JESSICA'S TOP FIGHTS FOR THE 8TH DISTRICT
AMERICA FIRST
We have a once-in-a-generation chance to create real, lasting change in Washington that will make life better, safer, and happier under President Trump’s leadership. I have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with President Trump and the America First movement to secure our borders, defend our Constitution, and put American workers and families first. In Congress, I will never apologize for prioritizing Texas and America before global elites and career politicians.
I have the experience and a proven America First conservative record to help President Trump finish the job.
PROTECT OUR WAY OF LIFE
Every day, America and Americans are under attack from those who want to destroy what we hold dear. That’s why Texas needs a fighter and protector in Washington. From the courtroom to the Department of Justice, I have spent my life defending what makes this country great — freedom, safety, and opportunity. I will stand up to the Democrats, stop Washington’s overreach, and protect the Texas way of life from those who want to tear it down.
I’ve pushed back against the Biden Administration’s woke policies and led investigations into higher education’s DEI practices. I’ve defended the religious-liberty rights of our military, representing 36 members of the United States Air Force in their lawsuit against the Biden Administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates. I’ve defended the First Amendment rights of high school track and field athletes who spoke out against boys in girls’ sports and the government’s Title IX violations and were sidelined.
We must fight to protect the American way of life and ensure our country continues to be a “shining city upon a hill.”
PROTECT CHILDRENS & FAMILIES
Strong families are the foundation of a strong nation. At the Department of Justice, I led the fight against human trafficking — protecting the most vulnerable and standing up for victims. As Director of the Office of Victims of Crime under President Trump, I oversaw nearly $9 billion and awarded over $2.5 billion in 2020 to support victims of crime. My office provided the largest federal funding to combat domestic human trafficking.
As a mother, Christian, and conservative, I will defend parental rights, protect children from radical agendas, and keep Texas a stronghold for faith, freedom, and traditional values. I brought a lawsuit all the way to the Supreme Court when a school district attempted to indoctrinate 12-year-old children into their radical gender agenda, telling them they must
be transgender. I will continue to fight for parents — not the government — overseeing the upbringing of their children.
STAND UP FOR GIRLS IN SPORTS
The Democrats have weaponized Title IX — a law created to protect girls. Today, girls are being pressured to stay silent rather than speak the biological, biblical, and legal truth. I will continue to fight for the next generation of girls.
At the America First Policy Institute, I led the legal fight to keep boys out of girls’ sports — taking on the Biden Administration’s radical Title IX agenda in court. As a mom and constitutional conservative, I know what’s at stake and won’t back down from defending fairness, truth, and opportunity for the next generation. Working with Riley Gaines, I sued the state of Oregon after it allowed a biological male athlete to compete in girls’ track and field. Based on our lawsuit, the U.S. Department of Education launched an investigation into the state.
STOP THE LAWFARE & WEAPONIZATION OF GOVERNMENT
Our country must return to law and order. I will continue fighting to end lawfare and government weaponization.
We’ve seen the Democrats use the courts as a tool of political warfare, weaponizing institutions to target their opponents. To fight back, I sued Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, exposing his office’s connections with senior Biden officials in his unprecedented prosecution of President Trump. I also defended President Trump’s rights all the way to the Supreme Court and fought the Biden Administration’s unconstitutional executive orders — from election interference efforts to COVID-19 vaccine mandates on our military and citizens.
I’ve fought alongside President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi, pushing back at the Democrat’s efforts to turn the law and courts against Americans; I’ll continue to do so.
ELECTION INTEGRITY
Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our Republic. I’ve fought to protect them and I’ll continue this fight in Congress.
In 2021, I helped draft Texas’s landmark election integrity law, which drew national attention when Democrats fled the state in protest. At America First Policy Institute, I led lawsuits across the nation to protect election integrity leading up to the 2024 election. I fought against the Biden Administration’s unconstitutional executive order weaponizing federal agencies to boost Democrat turnout. I sued the Arizona Secretary of State for trying
to block election monitoring at drop boxes and polling places, violating citizens’ First Amendment rights. I also led an investigation into ActBlue for fraudulent donations and defended election integrity in Fulton County, Georgia.
Since President Trump took office, I have worked to further his efforts to secure our elections. After his Executive Order 14248 to safeguard elections, I launched a multi-phase accountability campaign against state officials. I will continue to stand with him to protect American elections.
UNLEASH AMERICAN ENERGY
Reliable, abundant, and affordable energy is the lifeblood of our economy. Growing up in Houston, where my father worked in the oil and gas industry, I know how critical energy independence is for our state and nation.
Under President Trump, the U.S. became the world’s leading producer of oil and natural gas. Now, we must end crippling restrictions and unleash American energy to make America the dominant energy producer in the world and protect our national security.
SECURE THE BORDER
I will fight to finish President Trump’s wall, end catch-and-release, and restore law and order at our southern border. Under Biden’s open-border policies, we’ve seen record illegal immigration, crime, human trafficking, and deadly drugs pouring into our communities.
As Director of the Office of Victims of Crime at the Department of Justice under President Trump, I oversaw nearly $9 billion and directed record funding to fight human trafficking. I’ve met families whose children were murdered by illegal immigrants. I know the true cost of an open border for Texans and our Nation.
I have led lawsuits pushing back against Biden’s failed immigration policies. In Congress, I will continue to fight to end the border crisis and put Texans’ safety first.
— Jessica Steinmann's campaign website (November 20, 2025)
Campaign ads
Ballotpedia did not come across any campaign ads for Jessica Steinmann while conducting research on this election. If you are aware of any ads that should be included, please email us.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 LinkedIn, "Jessica Hart Steinman," accessed November 2, 2025 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "steinmann" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Maverick PAC, "Jessica Hart Steinmann - Class of 2017," accessed November 2, 2025
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Jessica Hart Steinmann," accessed November 2, 2025
- ↑ Facebook, "Jessica Hart Steinmann on September 22, 2025," accessed November 2, 2025
- ↑ Facebook, "Jessica Hart Steinmann on October 14, 2025," accessed November 2, 2025
- ↑ Jessica Hart Steinmann on September 16, 2025," accessed November 2, 2025
- ↑ Nick Tran 2026 campaign website, "About Me," accessed November 2, 2025
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Nick Tran 2026 campaign website, "Political Priorities," accessed November 2, 2025
- ↑ X, "Nick Tran on October 13, 2025," accessed November 2, 2025
- ↑ Facebook, "Nick Tran for Congress on October 23, 2025," accessed November 2, 2025
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," December 12, 2021
