T.C. Manning

T.C. Manning

Republican Party

Candidate, U.S. House Texas District 2

Elections and appointments

Next election

March 3, 2026

Military

Years of service

2003 - 2010

Personal

Birthplace

Ponca City, Okla.

Religion

Christian

Contact

Campaign website

Personal LinkedIn

T.C. Manning (Republican Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Texas' 2nd Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the Republican primary scheduled on March 3, 2026.^[source]

Biography

T.C. Manning was born in Ponca City, Oklahoma. He served in the United States Navy from 2003 to 2010. Ponca pursued his undergraduate education at Lone Star College, Central Texas College, and Tulsa Community College.

Elections

2026

See also: Texas' 2nd 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.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Jameson Ellis (R)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 2

Shaun Finnie is running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 2 on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Shaun Finnie

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	There are no incumbents in this race.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 2

The following candidates are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 2 on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Daniel Crenshaw
	Submit photo	Jon Bonck
		Martin Etwop
		T.C. Manning
	Submit photo	Nicholas Plumb
		Steve Toth
	Submit photo	Ava Zolari

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Nick Tran (R)

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2020

See also: Texas' 18th Congressional District election, 2020

Texas' 18th Congressional District election, 2020 (March 3 Republican primary)

Texas' 18th Congressional District election, 2020 (March 3 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 18

Incumbent Sheila Jackson Lee defeated Wendell Champion, Luke Spencer, and Vince Duncan in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 18 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sheila Jackson Lee (D)	73.3	180,952
		Wendell Champion (R)	23.5	58,033
		Luke Spencer (L)	1.8	4,514
		Vince Duncan (Independent)	1.4	3,396

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 246,895
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Watch the Candidate Conversation for this race!

Republican primary runoff election

Republican primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 18

Wendell Champion defeated Robert Cadena in the Republican primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 18 on July 14, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Wendell Champion	71.8	4,000
		Robert Cadena	28.2	1,570

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,570
= 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 election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 18

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 18 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sheila Jackson Lee	77.1	49,729
		Marc Flores	8.3	5,353
		Bimal Patel	3.8	2,456
		Jerry Ford Sr.	3.7	2,417
		Stevens Orozco	3.4	2,180
		Michael Allen	2.6	1,672
		Donovan Boson	1.1	709

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 64,516
= 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 election

Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 18

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 18 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Wendell Champion	35.1	3,428
✔		Robert Cadena	20.5	2,005
		T.C. Manning	18.7	1,823
		Nathan Milliron	11.0	1,076
		Ava Pate	8.1	794
	Submit photo	Nellie Heiskell	6.5	638

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 9,764
= 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

• Whitney Hatter (R)

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 18

Luke Spencer advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 18 on March 21, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Luke Spencer (L)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= 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.

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

T.C. Manning has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to T.C. Manning asking him to fill out the survey. If you are T.C. Manning, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?

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You can ask T.C. Manning to fill out this survey by using the button below or emailing info@manningforcongress.com.

2020

T.C. Manning completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Manning's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Thomas's lifelong dream has been and is to serve his beloved country. Coming from a family of conservative business owners with over 65 years of family service in the United States military, TC enlisted in the United States Navy immediately after graduating high school in 2003. He quickly proved himself by earning 1 of the 3 meritorious promotions while at boot camp and continued to prove himself throughout his duty stations demonstrating outstanding work ethic and leadership skills. After being honorably discharged from active duty in 2010 T C has taken his experience of "cause and effect analysis" and utilizes it daily to solve complex problems in countries all over the world. T C served on-board the USS Harry S Truman (CVN 75) (2004-2005), USS Barry (DDG-52) (2006-2010) and other duty stations. T C was deployed to the Persian Gulf in defense of our country (2004), assisted in relief efforts of Hurricane Katrina (2005), mass evacuation of US Citizens from Lebanon (2006), Black Sea showing US presence Russia-Georgia conflict (2008).

His military awards include - Navy "E" Ribbon, Navy Good Conduct Medal x2, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal x2, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon x3 TC is a father, a husband, a fighter and a Patriot who stands up for his beliefs. The beliefs of the American Dream.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• The United States of America and the American Dream
• Honor our Veterans and Texas values
• Keep the economy going

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Education - High Schools no longer prepare young adults for entering the workforce or the "real world" which they enter after graduating high school. The United States spends more per student than all but Norway yet our students perform below average in most areas. More money obviously does not solve the problem. Education reform is mandatory to stay competitive in a global market. In order for our children to have a chance at life we must put the trade schools back into high schools (for those who don't wish to go to college) and we must put the challenge classes that prepare one to enter the workforce back into high schools, i.e. accounting and payroll and other courses that may help in the job market.

Veterans - Approximately 17 veterans commit suicide per day. Military wives and husbands are worn out from their loved ones being deployed constantly. They are at their breaking point and it is destroying military families. Veterans have a history of poor treatment after giving so much for their country. The VA reform continues to be needed despite the improvements over the last few years. Our soldiers, airmen, and sailors need to come home. The military needs to be rebuilt and retooled for the next conflict. A strong military is a military that is less likely needed to be utilized than one that is weak, outdated, and overused.

Immigration - I am married to an immigrant - I understand the issues
2nd Amendment - Forever
Jobs & Economy

The Constitution

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My father Tom Manning - He is stubborn, incredibly intelligent, opinionated and he keeps to his values, he has honor, and he taught me the golden rule. The founding fathers - in the face of death if they failed, they created they most amazing country on Earth. Audie Murphy - Another true American hero who's bravery did not just end on the battlefield, at home he spoke out about PTSD bringing it to the public's attention.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Braveheart - one man can make a difference

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honor, Integrity, Courage, Commitment, keeping promises, actions speak louder than words

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Honor, Integrity, Courage, Commitment, Honesty - I am a fighter and I will fight for you until my last breath.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Representing those of his or her district to their fullest ability. Maintaining the rule of law and the Constitution of the United States of America.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The Gulf War. I was 6 years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I worked at a bait and tackle shop beginning at the age of 16. Okie Bait and Tackle. I kept the job for about 2 or 3 years.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

It is the embodiment of a representative democracy.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

No - what is beneficial is having the best person to perform for his or her bosses, the bosses are the people he or she represents.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

1. Maintaining global economic dominance

2. Countering China's strategy for Pacific military and economic dominance
3. Continuation of the war on terror
4. Getting US spending under control

5. Infrastructure - US infrastructure is fragile and not robust. Our systems are outdated and vulnerable to bad actors and natural disasters.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Armed Services, Education and Labor, Foreign Affairs, Science Space and Technology, Veteran Affairs, Budget

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

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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.

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T.C. Manning campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2026*	U.S. House Texas District 2	Candidacy Declared primary	$0	N/A**
2020	U.S. House Texas District 18	Lost primary	$44,091	$44,091
Grand total			$44,091	$44,091
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

See also

2026 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

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External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

U.S. House Texas District 2

Website

Personal

LinkedIn

Footnotes

[show]

Texas' current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

John Cornyn (R)

Ted Cruz (R)

Representatives

District 1

Nathaniel Moran (R)

District 2

Daniel Crenshaw (R)

District 3

Keith Self (R)

District 4

Pat Fallon (R)

District 5

Lance Gooden (R)

District 6

Jake Ellzey (R)

District 7

Lizzie Fletcher (D)

District 8

Morgan Luttrell (R)

District 9

Al Green (D)

District 10

Michael McCaul (R)

District 11

August Pfluger (R)

District 12

Craig Goldman (R)

District 13

Ronny Jackson (R)

District 14

Randy Weber (R)

District 15

Monica De La Cruz (R)

District 16

Veronica Escobar (D)

District 17

Pete Sessions (R)

District 18

Vacant

District 19

Jodey Arrington (R)

District 20

Joaquin Castro (D)

District 21

Chip Roy (R)

District 22

Troy Nehls (R)

District 23

Tony Gonzales (R)

District 24

Beth Van Duyne (R)

District 25

Roger Williams (R)

District 26

Brandon Gill (R)

District 27

Michael Cloud (R)

District 28

Henry Cuellar (D)

District 29

Sylvia Garcia (D)

District 30

Jasmine Crockett (D)

District 31

John Carter (R)

District 32

Julie Johnson (D)

District 33

Marc Veasey (D)

District 34

Vicente Gonzalez (D)

District 35

Greg Casar (D)

District 36

Brian Babin (R)

District 37

Lloyd Doggett (D)

District 38

Wesley Hunt (R)

Republican Party (27)

Democratic Party (12)

Vacancies (1)