Texas' 26th Congressional District election, 2026

Texas redrew its congressional district boundaries in August 2025. Voters will elect representatives under the new map in 2026. Click here to read more about mid-decade redistricting ahead of the 2026 elections.

← 2024
Texas' 26th Congressional District
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: December 8, 2025
Primary: March 3, 2026 Primary runoff: May 26, 2026 General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Texas
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican DDHQ and The Hill: Pending Inside Elections: Solid Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
See also
Texas' 26th Congressional District U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th • 12th • 13th • 14th • 15th • 16th • 17th • 18th • 19th • 20th • 21st • 22nd • 23rd • 24th • 25th • 26th • 27th • 28th • 29th • 30th • 31st • 32nd • 33rd • 34th • 35th • 36th • 37th • 38th Texas elections, 2026 U.S. Congress elections, 2026 U.S. Senate elections, 2026 U.S. House elections, 2026 Alabama U.S. House racesAlaska U.S. House raceArizona U.S. House racesArkansas U.S. House racesCalifornia U.S. House racesColorado U.S. House racesConnecticut U.S. House racesDelaware U.S. House raceFlorida U.S. House racesGeorgia U.S. House racesHawaii U.S. House racesIdaho U.S. House racesIllinois U.S. House racesIndiana U.S. House racesIowa U.S. House racesKansas U.S. House racesKentucky U.S. House racesLouisiana U.S. House racesMaine U.S. House racesMaryland U.S. House racesMassachusetts U.S. House racesMichigan U.S. House racesMinnesota U.S. House racesMississippi U.S. House racesMissouri U.S. House racesMontana U.S. House racesNebraska U.S. House racesNevada U.S. House racesNew Hampshire U.S. House racesNew Jersey U.S. House racesNew Mexico U.S. House racesNew York U.S. House racesNorth Carolina U.S. House racesNorth Dakota U.S. House raceOhio U.S. House racesOklahoma U.S. House racesOregon U.S. House racesPennsylvania U.S. House racesRhode Island U.S. House racesSouth Carolina U.S. House racesSouth Dakota U.S. House raceTennessee U.S. House racesTexas U.S. House racesUtah U.S. House racesVermont U.S. House raceVirginia U.S. House racesWashington U.S. House racesWest Virginia U.S. House racesWisconsin U.S. House racesWyoming U.S. House raceSubmit

All U.S. House districts, including the 26th Congressional District of Texas, are holding elections in 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026. The primary was March 3, 2026, and a primary runoff is May 26, 2026. The filing deadline was December 8, 2025. The outcome of this race will affect the partisan balance of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 120th Congress. All 435 U.S. House districts are up for election.

Currently, Republicans have a 218-214 majority with three vacancies in the chamber. To read more about the U.S. House elections taking place this year, click here. For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:

• Texas' 26th Congressional District election, 2026 (March 3 Democratic primary)
• Texas' 26th Congressional District election, 2026 (March 3 Republican primary)

Candidates and election results

General election

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for U.S. House Texas District 26

Incumbent Brandon Gill and Steven Shook are running in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 26 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Brandon Gill (R)
		Steven Shook (D)

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= 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.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 26

Steven Shook defeated Ernest Lineberger III in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 26 on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steven Shook	51.1	29,069
		Ernest Lineberger III	48.9	27,871

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3	Total votes: 56,940
= 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 26

Incumbent Brandon Gill defeated Robert Chick in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 26 on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brandon Gill	91.1	72,607
		Robert Chick	8.9	7,060

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Source	Total votes: 79,667
= 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

• Gavin Solomon (R)

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 26

Phil Gray is running in the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 26 on April 12, 2026.

		Candidate
		Phil Gray (L)

---

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= 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.

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Steven Shook

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "For nearly twenty years, I’ve served the people of North Texas as a healthcare provider, caring for the critically ill and injured. That experience has shaped how I view leadership — it’s about service, not self-promotion. I’ve stood with families during their hardest moments, and I’ve learned that good leadership means showing up when people need you most, not when the cameras are rolling. I’m running for Congress because North Texas deserves representation that focuses on people, not politics. My priorities are keeping rural hospitals open, lowering healthcare costs, supporting local businesses, creating good jobs, strengthening public safety through community policing, and restoring accountability and balance in Washington. This campaign is about repairing what’s broken — in healthcare, in the economy, and in our politics — so that every Texan has a fair chance to succeed."

---

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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I’m running for Congress because Washington has lost touch with the people it’s supposed to serve. I believe in restoring balance, rebuilding trust, and putting people before politics.

---

My priorities are keeping rural hospitals open, lowering healthcare costs, supporting local businesses and job growth, strengthening public safety, and protecting constitutional rights.

---

This campaign is about repairing what’s broken — in our healthcare system, in our economy, and in our democracy — so every American has a fair chance to thrive.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Texas

Election information in Texas: Nov. 3, 2026, election.

What is the voter registration deadline?

• In-person: Oct. 5, 2026
• By mail: Postmarked by Oct. 5, 2026
• Online: N/A

Is absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

No

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

• In-person: Oct. 23, 2026
• By mail: Received by Oct. 23, 2026
• Online: N/A

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

• In-person: Nov. 3, 2026
• By mail: Postmarked by Nov. 3, 2026

Is early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What are the early voting start and end dates?

Oct. 19, 2026 to Oct. 30, 2026

Are all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, is a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When are polls open on Election Day?

7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. (CT/MT)

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

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.

Expand all | Collapse all

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?

Steven Shook (D)

I’m running for Congress because Washington has lost touch with the people it’s supposed to serve. I believe in restoring balance, rebuilding trust, and putting people before politics.

My priorities are keeping rural hospitals open, lowering healthcare costs, supporting local businesses and job growth, strengthening public safety, and protecting constitutional rights.

This campaign is about repairing what’s broken — in our healthcare system, in our economy, and in our democracy — so every American has a fair chance to thrive.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Steven Shook (D)

I’m passionate about healthcare, public safety, and government accountability. As a healthcare provider for nearly twenty years, I’ve seen how access to care can determine whether a family survives a crisis. Every American deserves affordable, reliable healthcare, and we must keep rural hospitals open. I also believe in strengthening public safety through community policing and supporting local law enforcement. Finally, I’m committed to restoring accountability and balance in Washington—putting people over politics and ensuring government works for North Texans, not partisan interests.

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

Steven Shook (D)

The most important qualities in an elected official are integrity, accountability, and empathy. Public service should be about doing what’s right, not what’s popular. Leaders must listen before they speak, tell the truth even when it’s hard, and put the needs of their constituents ahead of party or personal gain. I believe in transparency, respect for the Constitution, and a commitment to facts over rhetoric. Real leadership means showing up for people — not when the cameras are on, but when they need you most.

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

Steven Shook (D)

The core responsibility of a member of Congress is to serve the people they represent — not special interests or partisan agendas. That means listening to constituents, writing and supporting legislation that improves lives, and ensuring tax dollars are used responsibly. It also means providing oversight to keep government accountable, protecting constitutional rights, and making sure federal policies reflect the real needs of our communities. Above all, an elected official must put people first and always remember who they work for.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Steven Shook (D)

I want my legacy to be one of service, integrity, and results — someone who put people above politics and helped restore trust in government. I hope to be remembered as a leader who showed up when it mattered most, listened with empathy, and worked across divides to solve real problems. If I can help make healthcare more accessible, strengthen our local economy, and rebuild faith in public service, then I’ll have done my job. My goal is simple: to leave our country, better than I found it.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Steven Shook (D)

I’d choose Obi-Wan Kenobi. He represents calm strength, wisdom, and the belief that doing what’s right often requires courage and patience. Obi-Wan leads with integrity, mentors others, and stands firm in his principles even when the odds are against him. He doesn’t seek power — he uses it responsibly, guided by duty and compassion. I admire that kind of leadership. In public service real strength comes from serving others and standing up for what’s right, even when it’s difficult.

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

Steven Shook (D)

The U.S. House of Representatives is unique because it’s the chamber closest to the people. Members serve smaller districts and shorter terms, which keeps them directly accountable to voters and responsive to local needs. The House embodies the principle of representative democracy — giving every community a voice in how our nation is governed. Its diversity of perspectives and frequent elections ensure that it reflects the changing will of the people and serves as a vital check on concentrated power in Washington.

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

Steven Shook (D)

Over the next decade, our greatest challenges will be restoring trust in government, fixing our broken healthcare system, and strengthening the middle class. Too many Americans feel left behind by rising costs, political division, and policies that put power before people. We must also address global instability, protect democracy, and invest in education, innovation, and infrastructure to keep America competitive. Meeting these challenges will require unity, accountability, and leadership focused on service — not self-interest.

Campaign finance

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
Brandon Gill	Republican Party	$2,423,548	$1,925,433	$625,938	As of February 11, 2026
Ernest Lineberger III	Democratic Party	$114,773	$110,621	$7,645	As of February 11, 2026
Steven Shook	Democratic Party	$10,740	$10,298	$466	As of February 11, 2026
Robert Chick	Republican Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Phil Gray	Libertarian Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
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." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election. *** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

General election race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

• Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
• Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
• Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.
• Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.

Race ratings: Texas' 26th Congressional District election, 2026
Race tracker	Race ratings
	3/10/2026	3/3/2026	2/24/2026	2/17/2026
The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican
Decision Desk HQ and The Hill	Pending	Pending	Pending	Pending
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Safe Republican	Safe Republican	Safe Republican	Safe Republican
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week.

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Texas in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Texas, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026
State	Office	Party	Signatures required	Filing fee	Filing deadline	Source
Texas	U.S. House	Democratic or Republican	2% of votes cast for governor in the district in the last election, or 500, whichever is less	$3,125	12/8/2025	Source
Texas	U.S. House	Unaffiliated	5% of all votes cast for governor in the district in the last election, or 500, whichever is less	N/A	12/8/2025	Source

District history

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2020.

• 2024
• 2022
• 2020

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 26

Brandon Gill (R) defeated Ernest Lineberger III (D) and Phil Gray (L) in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 26 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brandon Gill (R)	62.1	241,096
		Ernest Lineberger III (D)	35.7	138,558
		Phil Gray (L)	2.3	8,773

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 388,427
= 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

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 26

Ernest Lineberger III (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 26 on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ernest Lineberger III	100.0	18,308

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 18,308
= 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

• Kelvin Leaphart (D)

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 26

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 26 on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brandon Gill	58.4	49,876
		Scott Armey	14.5	12,400
		John Huffman	10.0	8,559
		Luisa Del Rosal	4.6	3,949
		Doug Robison	3.5	2,999
		Mark Rutledge	2.5	2,130
		Joel Krause	2.3	1,959
		Neena Biswas	1.9	1,665
		Burt Thakur	1.1	975
		Vlad De Franceschi	0.7	572
		Jason Kergosien	0.4	366

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 85,450
= 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

• Michael C. Burgess (R)
• Clint Burgess (R)
• Montgomery Markland (R)

Libertarian Party convention

Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 26

Phil Gray (L) advanced from the Libertarian Party convention for U.S. House Texas District 26 on March 23, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		Phil Gray

---

	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.

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 26

Incumbent Michael C. Burgess (R) defeated Mike Kolls (L) in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 26 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michael C. Burgess (R)	69.3	183,639
		Mike Kolls (L)	30.7	81,384

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 265,023
= 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

• William Cunningham (Independent)

Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for March 1, 2022, was canceled.

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 26

Incumbent Michael C. Burgess (R) defeated Vincent Gallo (R), Brian Brazeal (R), Isaac Smith (R), and Raven Harrison (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 26 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michael C. Burgess	66.8	42,006
		Vincent Gallo	10.2	6,437
		Brian Brazeal	9.4	5,892
		Isaac Smith	8.1	5,085
		Raven Harrison	5.5	3,427

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 62,847
= 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

• Beverly Foley (R)
• Craig Walker (R)

Libertarian Party convention

Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 26

Mike Kolls (L) advanced from the Libertarian Party convention for U.S. House Texas District 26 on March 19, 2022.

		Candidate
✔		Mike Kolls

---

	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.

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 26

Incumbent Michael C. Burgess (R) defeated Carol Iannuzzi (D) and Mark Boler (L) in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 26 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michael C. Burgess (R)	60.6	261,963
		Carol Iannuzzi (D)	37.3	161,099
		Mark Boler (L)	2.1	9,243

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 432,305
= 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

• Michael Moates (L)
• William Cunningham (Independent)
• Jay Taylor (Independent)

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 26

Carol Iannuzzi (D) defeated Mat Pruneda (D) and Neil Durrance (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 26 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Carol Iannuzzi	55.3	31,019
		Mat Pruneda	28.0	15,701
	Submit photo	Neil Durrance	16.6	9,329

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 56,049
= 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

Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 26

Incumbent Michael C. Burgess (R) defeated Jack Wyman (R), Michael Armstrong (R), and Jason Mrochek (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 26 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michael C. Burgess	73.6	51,312
		Jack Wyman	11.2	7,816
		Michael Armstrong	8.2	5,745
		Jason Mrochek	7.0	4,846

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 69,719
= 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.

Libertarian Party convention

Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 26

Mark Boler (L) advanced from the Libertarian Party convention for U.S. House Texas District 26 on March 21, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Mark Boler

---

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

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

• District map - A map of the district before and after redistricting ahead of the 2026 election.
• Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2026 U.S. House elections in the state.
• Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
• State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.

• District map
• Competitiveness
• Presidential elections
• State party control

Below is the district map used in the 2024 election next to the map in place for the 2026 election. Click on a map below to enlarge it.

2024

2026

See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2026

This section contains data on U.S. House primary election competitiveness in Texas.

Post-filing deadline analysis

The following analysis covers all U.S. House districts up for election in Texas in 2026. Information below was calculated on Dec. 8, 2025, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.

Two hundred fifty-two candidates — 98 Democrats and 154 Republicans — ran for Texas’ 38 U.S. House districts. That’s 6.6 candidates per district. There were 4.2 candidates per district in 2024, 5.8 in 2022, 6.4 in 2020, 5.9 in 2018, 3.5 in 2016, and 2.8 in 2014.

These were the first elections to take place since the Texas Legislature passed a new congressional map. The Texas House of Representatives passed it on Aug. 20, 2025, and the Texas Senate passed it on Aug. 23, 2025. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed the new congressional map into law on Aug. 29, 2025.

This was the highest total number of candidates who ran for the U.S. House since 2014.

Ten districts were open in 2026. There were three districts open in 2024, six in 2022, six in 2020, eight in 2018, two in 2016, and one in 2014. 

Reps. Morgan Luttrell (R-8th), Michael McCaul (R-10th), Jodey Arrington (R-19th), Troy Nehls (R-22nd), Marc Veasey (D-33rd), and Lloyd Doggett (D-37th) retired from public office. Reps. Jasmine Crockett (D-30th) and Wesley Hunt (R-38th) ran for the U.S. Senate. Rep. Chip Roy (R-21st) ran for attorney general of Texas.

Two incumbents — Reps. Christian Menefee (D) and Al Green (D) — ran against each other in the redrawn 18th district. Menefee was the incumbent in the 18th district, and Green was the incumbent in the 9th district.

Fifty-nine primaries — 32 Democratic and 28 Republican — were contested in 2026. In total, there were 39 contested primaries in 2024, 44 in 2022, 50 in 2020, 46 in 2018, 33 in 2016, and 19 in 2014.

Fifteen candidates ran for the open 9th district, 21st district, and 35th district, tying for the most candidates running for a district in 2026.

Nineteen incumbents — eight Democrats and 11 Republicans — faced primary challengers in 2026. There were 19 incumbents in a contested primary in 2024, 19 in 2022, 18 in 2020, 15 in 2018, 19 in 2016, and 12 in 2014.

Candidates filed to run in the Republican and Democratic primaries in all 38 districts, meaning no districts were guaranteed to either party.

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Heading into the 2026 elections, based on results from the 2024 and 2020 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district is R+11. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 11 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Texas' 26th the 110th most Republican district nationally.

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2024 presidential election was in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by The Downballot.

2024 presidential results in Texas' 26th Congressional District

Kamala Harris	Donald Trump
36.9%	60.7%

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Texas, 2024

Texas presidential election results (1900-2024)

• 16 Democratic wins
• 15 Republican wins

Year	1900	1904	1908	1912	1916	1920	1924	1928	1932	1936	1940	1944	1948	1952	1956	1960	1964	1968	1972	1976	1980	1984	1988	1992	1996	2000	2004	2008	2012	2016	2020	2024
Winning Party	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	D	D	D	R	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

See also: Party control of Texas state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Texas' congressional delegation as of February 2026.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Texas
Party	U.S. Senate	U.S. House	Total
Democratic	0	13	13
Republican	2	25	27
Independent	0	0	0
Vacancies	0	0	0
Total	2	38	40

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Texas' top four state executive offices as of October 2025.

State executive officials in Texas, October 2025

Office	Officeholder
Governor	Greg Abbott
Lieutenant Governor	Dan Patrick
Secretary of State	Jane Nelson
Attorney General	Ken Paxton

State legislature

Texas State Senate

Party		As of October 2025
	Democratic Party	11
	Republican Party	18
	Other	0
	Vacancies	2
Total		31

Texas House of Representatives

Party		As of October 2025
	Democratic Party	62
	Republican Party	88
	Other	0
	Vacancies	0
Total		150

Trifecta control

Texas Party Control: 1992-2025
Three years of Democratic trifectas  •  Twenty-three years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25
Governor	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
Senate	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
House	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

See also

Texas	2026 primaries	2026 U.S. Congress elections
Texas congressional delegation Voting in Texas Texas elections: 2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018	Democratic primary battlegrounds Republican primary battlegrounds U.S. Senate Democratic primaries U.S. Senate Republican primaries U.S. House Democratic primaries U.S. House Republican primaries	U.S. Congress elections U.S. Senate elections U.S. House elections Special elections Ballot access

External links

• Search Google News for this topic

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

Christian Menefee (D)

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 (13)

2025-2026 Elections to the United States Congress

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