Larry Rubin
Larry Rubin (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Texas' 38th Congressional District. He lost in the Republican primary on March 3, 2026.
Rubin completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Larry Rubin earned a graduate degree from the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University. His career experience includes working as a business executive and nonprofit leader. As of 2025, Rubin was affiliated with The American Society, Rotary International, and the Frank Devlyn Rotary Club.[1]
2026 battleground election
Ballotpedia identified the March 3 Republican primary for Texas' 38th Congressional District as a battleground election. The summary below is from our coverage of this election, found here.
Jon Bonck (R) and Shelly deZevallos (R) were the top two finishers among the 10 candidates running in the Republican primary for Texas' 38th Congressional District on March 3, 2026. Bonck and deZevallos advanced to a May 26 runoff because neither received more than 50% of the vote. As of March 2026, Bonck, deZevallos, Barrett McNabb (R), and Michael Pratt (R) led in fundraising and local media attention.[2] Click here for detailed results.
Incumbent Wesley Hunt (R) ran for U.S. Senate rather than seeking re-election, leaving the seat open. Hunt won re-election in 2024 63%–37%.
Bonck was, as of the 2026 primary, a manager at a mortgage brokerage firm. Bonck described himself as "a Christian, husband, father, and mortgage leader from Greater Houston — not a political celebrity, but a servant leader ready to fight for Texas families."[3] Bonck's campaign website said his real estate experience "has shown him firsthand how outdated policies and red tape can frustrate families...Jon will work to reform these outdated policies and eliminate red tape to help Americans thrive and achieve the American dream."[3] President Donald Trump (R) endorsed Bonck on February 16, 2026.[4]
DeZevallos was, as of the 2026 election, the president of the West Houston Airport. DeZevallos' campaign website described her as "a business leader, pilot, and lifelong Houstonian who has dedicated her life to service, innovation, and advancing our shared America First values."[5] DeZevallos said she was running "because President Trump needs trusted conservative leaders in Congress who will end Democrat obstruction and keep the results coming for the American people."[6]
McNabb was a 16-year veteran of the U.S. Army and the founder of a healthcare management group. McNabb said he was "not a career politician. I am a servant leader shaped by faith, combat leadership, and business experience. I understand what it takes to protect families, grow businesses, and defend American values, and I am committed to serving with integrity, strength, and accountability."[7] McNabb said he would "always put Texas first, streamline politics, and enact swift action on conservative policies."[8]
Pratt was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps who had worked as an executive at Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, and Amazon. As of the 2026 elections, Pratt was a trustee of the Tomball ISD Board of Trustees. Pratt said he supported "America First policies that secure our borders, protect families, restore military strength, and defend our children from harmful ideologies."[9] Pratt said his "identity is rooted in service, sacrifice, and duty, both in the military and in public office."[10]
Also running in the primary were Avery Ayers (R), Craig Goralski (R), Carmen Montiel (R), Larry Rubin (R), Jennifer Sundt (R), and Jeff Yuna (R).
As of March 2026, The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales, and Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball each rated the general election Solid/Safe Republican. An Inside Elections analysis of the redistricting in Texas ahead of the 2026 elections found that President Donald Trump (R) won the 2024 presidential election in both the old and the new versions of the 38th district by 21 percentage points.[11]
Elections
2026
See also: Texas' 38th Congressional District election, 2026
General election
The primary will occur on May 26, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
General election for U.S. House Texas District 38
Melissa McDonough (D) and William Taggart (Independent) are running in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 38 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Melissa McDonough (D)  | |
 | William Taggart (Independent) | |
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
Republican primary runoff
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Republican primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 38
Jon Bonck (R) and Shelly deZevallos (R) are running in the Republican primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 38 on May 26, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Jon Bonck | |
 | Shelly deZevallos | |
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
Democratic primary
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 38
Melissa McDonough (D) defeated Marvalette Hunter (D) and Theresa Courts (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 38 on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Melissa McDonough | 51.6 | 26,998 |
 | Marvalette Hunter | 28.3 | 14,791 | |
 | Theresa Courts | 20.1 | 10,497 | |
| Total votes: 52,286 | |||
| = 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
- Curtis Cook II (D)
Republican primary
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 38
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 38 on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jon Bonck | 47.7 | 24,288 |
| ✔ | | Shelly deZevallos | 18.6 | 9,473 |
 | Michael Pratt | 10.9 | 5,569 | |
 | Larry Rubin | 6.7 | 3,391 | |
 | Barrett McNabb | 6.2 | 3,151 | |
 | Jeff Yuna | 2.3 | 1,172 | |
 | Jennifer Sundt | 2.3 | 1,168 | |
 | Carmen Montiel | 2.2 | 1,140 | |
 | Craig Goralski | 1.5 | 774 | |
 | Avery Ayers | 1.5 | 759 | |
| Total votes: 50,885 | |||
| = 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
- Wesley Hunt (R)
- Damien Mockus (R)
Green Party convention
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Green convention for U.S. House Texas District 38
Alex McMenemy (G) is running in the Green Party convention for U.S. House Texas District 38 on April 11, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Alex McMenemy | |
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
We provide results for polls from a wide variety of sources, including media outlets, social media, campaigns, and aggregation websites, when available. No polls were available for this election. To notify us of polls published in this election, please email us.
Election campaign finance
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avery Ayers | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $210 | As of October 31, 2025 |
| Jon Bonck | Republican Party | $1,075,937 | $679,301 | $396,636 | As of February 11, 2026 |
| Craig Goralski | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Barrett McNabb | Republican Party | $348,060 | $325,626 | $22,434 | As of February 11, 2026 |
| Carmen Montiel | Republican Party | $105,265 | $90,093 | $15,614 | As of February 11, 2026 |
| Michael Pratt | Republican Party | $371,358 | $68,294 | $303,064 | As of February 11, 2026 |
| Larry Rubin | Republican Party | $349,646 | $272,196 | $77,450 | As of February 11, 2026 |
| Jennifer Sundt | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Jeff Yuna | Republican Party | $85,738 | $32,523 | $4,008 | As of February 11, 2026 |
| Shelly deZevallos | Republican Party | $765,099 | $421,911 | $343,188 | As of February 11, 2026 |
|
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.[12][13][14]
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 |
|---|---|
Note: As of January 15, 2026, Jennifer Sundt (R) had not registered as a candidate with the Federal Election Commission.
Endorsements
Rubin received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Larry Rubin completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Rubin's responses.
| Collapse all
- Secure our border. Protect our families. Texas is being failed by Washington. As a father who faced a kidnapping extortion attempt, I know the cost of a weak border and soft-on-crime policies. I’ll fight to finish the wall, stop illegal immigration, back the Blue without apology, and put Texans’ safety above D.C. politics. Our families deserve real security—not excuses.
- Defend Texas jobs, Texas energy, and Texas freedom. Texas powers America, and I’ll push back hard on federal overreach that threatens our economy. I’ll stand with our oil & gas workers, cut red tape, and stop D.C. bureaucrats from killing jobs with endless regulations. As someone who has served Texas businesses for decades, I’ll fight to keep Texas the strongest economy in the nation.
- A proven conservative who will shake up Washington. Texans don’t want another politician—they want someone who’ll stand up to the D.C. establishment. I’ve spent decades serving Texas, defending conservative values, and building strong ties between our state and America’s allies. As a Houston homeowner and proud Texan, I’ll bring accountability, common sense, and backbone to Congress.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
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
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Candidate U.S. House Texas District 38 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Email communication with Larry Rubin," December 16, 2025
- ↑ Houston Public Media, "U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt enters GOP Senate primary against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, Texas AG Ken Paxton," October 6, 2025
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Jon Bonck campaign website, "Home page," accessed October 24, 2025
- ↑ X.com, "Renzo Downey on February 16, 2026," accessed February 17, 2026
- ↑ Shelly deZevallos campaign website, "About," accessed October 24, 2025
- ↑ Shelly deZevallos campaign website, "Issues," accessed October 24, 2025
- ↑ Candidate Connection survey submitted to Ballotpedia on January 31, 2026.
- ↑ Barrett McNabb campaign website, "Home page," accessed October 24, 2025
- ↑ Michael Pratt campaign website, "Home page," accessed February 5, 2026
- ↑ Candidate Connection survey submitted to Ballotpedia on December 10, 2025.
- ↑ Inside Elections, "A Detailed Analysis of Texas’ New Congressional Map," August 27, 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
