Texas' 38th Congressional District election, 2026 (March 3 Democratic primary)
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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 |
A Democratic Party primary takes place on March 3, 2026, in Texas' 38th Congressional District to determine which Democratic candidate will run in the district's general election on November 3, 2026.
| Candidate filing deadline | Primary election | General election |
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A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Texas utilizes an open primary system. State law requires voters to sign the following pledge before voting in a primary: "I am a (insert appropriate political party) and understand that I am ineligible to vote or participate in another political party's primary election or convention during this voting year."[1]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
This page focuses on Texas' 38th Congressional District Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:
- Texas' 38th Congressional District election, 2026 (March 3 Republican primary)
- Texas' 38th Congressional District election, 2026
Candidates and election results
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.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Curtis Cook II (D)
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: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "I am a veteran, an educator, and a mother. I know what it is to fight. From finding my way out of poverty, to serving in the military, to fighting to meet the basic needs of my students so they could learn and thrive. My mother instilled in me the determination, strength, and fire that drives me to serve our community. In my dozen years as an educator, pouring into the next generation, I saw firsthand the many challenges that students in Texas face. As a school counselor, I advocated for our vulnerable students; disabled, English learners, homeless, and foster youth. Rooted in my hardships as a young child and the lessons my mother taught, I was inspired to be of service to my community. Through my time in the National Guard, I was able to give back to our country while growing my personal resilience and responsibility. My time as a teacher, foster mother, and school counselor has shown where there are shortfalls in our current system, causing harm to our children and communities. Issues that a public educator cannot fix alone. I am running for US House of Representative CD 38 to protect and advocate for the children and families of Texas regardless of political or personal beliefs. I will fight for our Working and Middle class families, to put people over politics and make the American dream accessible for ALL."
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "I bring more than 20 years of experience on Capitol Hill as a volunteer lobbyist, along with 30 years as a Realtor® and brokerage owner. I haved listened to the challenges facing my clients and community and took those concerns directly to Washington, D.C., working to get legislation sponsored and co-sponsored that delivered real solutions. My advocacy has focused on consumer protection, housing affordability, affordable healthcare, veterans’ services, agriculture, and economic growth. I’ve learned that democracy isn’t a red or blue issue, it’s a purple solution. Effective government requires collaboration and a strong system of checks and balances. My background in real estate and small business ownership translates directly to public service. Negotiation, problem-solving, and understanding the financial pressures families face are skills I’ve used daily and would bring to Congress. Over the past two decades, I’ve helped champion more than 50 bills. My first experience lobbying was with the National Association of Realtors®, advocating for clients denied home loans due to medical debt. During that time, I met with then first-term Senator Barack Obama. I continue to travel to D.C. quarterly, on my own dime, advocating for my community. I volunteered with Everytown to oppose H.R. 38 and worked with the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance to secure sponsors for critical legislation. This is the work I’ve done for 20 years: listening, advocating, and delivering results."
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Texas
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 |
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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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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
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.[2]
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  |
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| 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 |
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 |
See also
- Texas' 38th Congressional District election, 2026 (March 3 Republican primary)
- Texas' 38th Congressional District election, 2026
- United States House elections in Texas, 2026 (March 3 Democratic primaries)
- United States House elections in Texas, 2026 (March 3 Republican primaries)
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2026
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2026
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2026
- U.S. House battlegrounds, 2026
External links
Footnotes
