Texas' 38th Congressional District election, 2026
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← 2024
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| Texas' 38th Congressional District |
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| 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. |
| Race ratings |
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 |
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 |
All U.S. House districts, including the 38th Congressional District of Texas, are holding elections in 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026. The primary is March 3, 2026, and a primary runoff is May 26, 2026. The filing deadline was December 8, 2025. Ballotpedia identified the March 3 Republican primary as a battleground primary. For more on the Republican primary, click here.
For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:
- Texas' 38th Congressional District election, 2026 (March 3 Democratic primary)
- Texas' 38th Congressional District election, 2026 (March 3 Republican primary)
Candidates and election results
General election
The primary will occur on March 3, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.
General election for U.S. House Texas District 38
William Taggart is running in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 38 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | 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. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 38
Theresa Courts, Marvalette Hunter, and Melissa McDonough are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 38 on March 3, 2026.
| ||||
| = 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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Curtis Cook II (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 38
The following candidates are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 38 on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Avery Ayers | |
 | Jon Bonck | |
 | Craig Goralski | |
 | Barrett McNabb | |
 | Carmen Montiel | |
 | Michael Pratt | |
 | Larry Rubin | |
 | Jennifer Sundt | |
 | Jeff Yuna | |
 | 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. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Damien Mockus (R)
- Wesley Hunt (R)
Green convention
Green convention for U.S. House Texas District 38
Alex McMenemy is running in the Green convention for U.S. House Texas District 38 on April 11, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Alex McMenemy (G) | |
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
March 3 Republican primary
Ballotpedia identified the March 3 Republican primary as a battleground primary. For more on the Republican primary, click here. For more on the Democratic primary, click here.
Jon Bonck (R), Barrett McNabb (R), Michael Pratt (R), Shelly deZevallos (R), and six other candidates are running in the Republican primary for Texas' 38th Congressional District on March 3, 2026. The filing deadline was December 8, 2025. As of February 2026, Bonck, McNabb, Pratt, and deZevallos led in fundraising and local media attention.[1]
Incumbent Wesley Hunt (R) is running for U.S. Senate rather than seeking re-election, leaving the seat open. Hunt won re-election in 2024 63%–37%.
Bonck is a manager at a mortgage brokerage firm. Bonck describes 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."[2] Bonck's campaign website says 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."[2]
McNabb is a 16-year veteran of the U.S. Army and the founder of a healthcare management group. McNabb says he is "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."[3] McNabb says he will "always put Texas first, streamline politics, and enact swift action on conservative policies."[4]
Pratt is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps who has worked as an executive at Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, and Amazon. Pratt is a trustee of the Tomball ISD Board of Trustees. Pratt says he supports "America First policies that secure our borders, protect families, restore military strength, and defend our children from harmful ideologies."[5] Pratt said his "identity is rooted in service, sacrifice, and duty, both in the military and in public office."[6]
DeZevallos is the president of the West Houston Airport. DeZevallos' campaign website describes her as "a business leader, pilot, and lifelong Houstonian who has dedicated her life to service, innovation, and advancing our shared America First values."[7] DeZevallos says she is running "because President Trump needs trusted conservative leaders in Congress who will end Democrat obstruction and keep the results coming for the American people."[8]
Also running in the primary are Avery Ayers (R), Craig Goralski (R), Carmen Montiel (R), Larry Rubin (R), Jennifer Sundt (R), and Jeff Yuna (R).
As of February 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.[9]
If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, then the top two finishers will advance to a runoff on May 26, 2026.
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.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "I’m a conservative who believes in the strength of America’s founding principles—faith, family, hard work, and personal responsibility. I was raised right here in Northwest Houston, attending Post Elementary, Dean Middle School, and Jersey Village High School. This district shaped me, and now I’m stepping forward to fight for it. I proudly served seven years in the United States Air Force, both stateside and overseas. Service taught me discipline, accountability, and what it means to put something greater than yourself first. Those lessons have stayed with me my entire life. I’ve faced challenges, including mistakes earlier in life. I don’t hide from that. I owned it, rebuilt, and turned my life into something that inspires others to rise after a fall. That experience gives me a level of grit most politicians don’t have—you can’t teach resilience; you earn it. Through years of hard work, I completed my Associate Degree in Paralegal Technology, a Bachelor’s in Business Administration, and a Master of Business Administration. I didn’t stop there—I trained in artificial intelligence and became a Certified AI Consultant, because the world is moving fast and leaders must know how to prepare their communities for the next era of opportunity. Professionally, I’ve spent years as a paralegal and the early stage of AI consultant, helping families, veterans, small businesses, and young adults navigate complex challenges. I’m here to serve with integrity, strength, and a steady hand"
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Biography: Bonck obtained a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Louisiana State University. He worked for four years in quality control positions in the chemical industry before entering a management position in 2015. As of the 2026 primary, Bonck had worked as a manager at a mortgage group for more than six years.
Show sources
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "I am a Christian, a husband, and a father who believes faith, family, and service are the foundation of a strong nation. My life has been guided by responsibility to God, commitment to my family, and service to something greater than myself. I am a retired United States Army officer who served as an Infantry Paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division, leading soldiers in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. I also served overseas in South Korea, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and throughout North Africa, gaining firsthand experience confronting global threats, hostile ideologies, and the consequences of weak leadership. Those experiences strengthened my belief in American strength, moral clarity, and defending freedom at home and abroad. After military service, I became a successful small business owner and entrepreneur. I founded and served as the lead executive of Consolidated Wellness Management Group, headquartered in Houston. From 2017 to 2022, CWMG supported 128 medical clinics across Texas and California, generating more than 78 million dollars in combined annual sales. I built the company from the ground up, created jobs, met payroll, and navigated the real-world impact of government policy. I am 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."
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "Candidate for U.S. Congress (Texas Congressional District 38) - Husband, Father, United States Marine Corps Veteran, President of Tomball ISD School Board."
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "I am Jeff Yuna, a proud 6th generation Texan running for office to serve the people of Texas. I am a conservative committed to securing our borders, protecting our freedoms, reducing government overreach, and putting Texas families first."
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "I am a proven leader, business owner, aviation expert, and America First conservative running to represent Texas’s 38th Congressional District. Born and raised in Houston with deep Texas roots, I’ve built my life on the timeless values of faith, family, and hard work. Helping operate the family business, I learned the importance of service, responsibility, and community early on. As President of West Houston Airport — one of the nation’s busiest general aviation hubs — I’ve created jobs, supported local businesses, and navigated complex federal regulations to improve economic opportunity in our region. With my 5,000+ hours of logged pilot experience, I have advised leaders on aviation safety and policy and served on federal and state aviation advisory committees. I’m also a devout Christian, a proud wife and mother of twin daughters, and I understand firsthand the importance of protecting the freedoms that allow families to thrive — from secure borders and strong communities to low taxes and energy independence. I will bring real-world business experience and a results-driven leadership approach to Washington because Texans deserve a Representative who will stand with President Trump to cut red tape, defend our values, and deliver for our district."
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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.
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Texas
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.
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William Taggart (Independent)
Healthcare – Americans spend more on healthcare and get worse outcomes than other first world countries. US health insurance companies have 20% overhead when Medicare and foreign health systems are less than 5%. Private Equity is buying up providers, reducing the number of hospitals and clinics in regions limiting competition. While the US drug market is the Wild Wild West for pharmaceuticals to charge as much as they want.
We need to establish Health Savings Accounts that leverage Medicare negotiated rates with pharmacies, doctors, and hospitals. A public option to provide simple low-cost insurance to people and provide competition to private insurance.
Energy – US oil fields are beginning to plateau in their production. At the same time, natural gas power plants are in construction while we ship more US natural gas overseas from LNG export terminals. Data centers are being built at a rapid pace, demanding more electricity. We are creating an energy crisis due to bad policy. Republicans block wind farms and solar, while Democrats give away tax credits when we have massive national debt.
William Taggart (Independent)
Campaign finance
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theresa Courts | Democratic Party | $3,605 | $3,354 | $154 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Marvalette Hunter | Democratic Party | $100,947 | $52,956 | $47,991 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Melissa McDonough | Democratic Party | $36,364 | $24,859 | $34,205 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Avery Ayers | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $210 | As of October 31, 2025 |
| Jon Bonck | Republican Party | $1,039,146 | $192,931 | $846,215 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Craig Goralski | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Barrett McNabb | Republican Party | $300,492 | $264,500 | $35,992 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Carmen Montiel | Republican Party | $75,437 | $75,357 | $523 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Michael Pratt | Republican Party | $334,457 | $19,347 | $315,109 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Larry Rubin | Republican Party | $156,096 | $29,801 | $126,295 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Jennifer Sundt | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Jeff Yuna | Republican Party | $75,923 | $21,497 | $55,426 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Shelly deZevallos | Republican Party | $666,506 | $87,826 | $578,680 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Alex McMenemy | Green Party | $3,732 | $3,732 | $0 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| William Taggart | Independent | $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." |
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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.[10]
- 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.[11][12][13]
| Race ratings: Texas' 38th Congressional District election, 2026 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| 2/10/2026 | 2/3/2026 | 1/27/2026 | 1/20/2026 | ||||||
| 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.
General election
General election for U.S. House Texas District 38
Incumbent Wesley Hunt (R) defeated Melissa McDonough (D) and Avery Ayers (Independent) in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 38 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Wesley Hunt (R) | 62.7 | 215,030 |
 | Melissa McDonough (D) | 37.2 | 127,640 | |
| | Avery Ayers (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 94 | |
| Total votes: 342,764 | |||
| = 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
- Chad Abbey (L)
Democratic primary
Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 38
Melissa McDonough (D) defeated Gion Thomas (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 38 on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Melissa McDonough | 82.5 | 18,486 |
 | Gion Thomas | 17.5 | 3,910 | |
| Total votes: 22,396 | |||
| = 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
- Cameron Campbell (D)
Republican primary
Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 38
Incumbent Wesley Hunt (R) advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 38 on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Wesley Hunt | 100.0 | 62,340 |
| Total votes: 62,340 | |||
| = 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 38
Chad Abbey (L) advanced from the Libertarian Party convention for U.S. House Texas District 38 on March 16, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Chad Abbey |
| ||||
| = 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 38
Wesley Hunt (R) defeated Duncan Klussmann (D) and Joel Dejean (Independent) in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 38 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Wesley Hunt (R) | 63.0 | 163,597 |
 | Duncan Klussmann (D) | 35.5 | 92,302 | |
 | Joel Dejean (Independent) | 1.5 | 3,970 | |
| Total votes: 259,869 | |||
| = 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
- Scott Cubbler (Independent)
Democratic primary runoff
Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 38
Duncan Klussmann (D) defeated Diana Martinez Alexander (D) in the Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 38 on May 24, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Duncan Klussmann | 61.1 | 6,449 |
 | Diana Martinez Alexander | 38.9 | 4,111 | |
| Total votes: 10,560 | |||
| = 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 38
Diana Martinez Alexander (D) and Duncan Klussmann (D) advanced to a runoff. They defeated Centrell Reed (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 38 on March 1, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Diana Martinez Alexander | 44.6 | 9,861 |
| ✔ | | Duncan Klussmann | 39.3 | 8,698 |
 | Centrell Reed | 16.1 | 3,550 | |
| Total votes: 22,109 | |||
| = 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 38
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 38 on March 1, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Wesley Hunt | 55.3 | 35,291 |
 | Mark Ramsey | 30.3 | 19,352 | |
 | David Hogan | 4.9 | 3,125 | |
 | Roland Lopez | 3.2 | 2,048 | |
 | Brett Guillory | 2.2 | 1,416 | |
 | Jerry Ford Sr. | 1.6 | 997 | |
 | Richard Welch | 1.0 | 633 | |
| Alex Cross | 0.7 | 460 | ||
 | Damien Mockus | 0.4 | 249 | |
 | Philip Covarrubias | 0.4 | 228 | |
| Total votes: 63,799 | |||
| = 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.
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
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
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+10. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 10 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Texas' 38th the 128th most Republican district nationally.[14]
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.
Kamala Harris  | Donald Trump  |
|---|---|
| 37.5% | 60.5% |
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 October 2025.
| Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Texas | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
| Democratic | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| Republican | 2 | 25 | 27 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vacancies | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 2 | 38 | 40 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in Texas' top four state executive offices as of 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
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Houston Public Media, "U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt enters GOP Senate primary against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, Texas AG Ken Paxton," October 6, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Jon Bonck campaign website, "Home page," 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.
- ↑ Shelly deZevallos campaign website, "About," accessed October 24, 2025
- ↑ Shelly deZevallos campaign website, "Issues," accessed October 24, 2025
- ↑ Inside Elections, "A Detailed Analysis of Texas’ New Congressional Map," August 27, 2025
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025
