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Texas' 8th Congressional District election, 2026 (March 3 Republican primary)

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Texas' 8th 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.
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' 8th Congressional District
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Texas elections, 2026
U.S. Congress elections, 2026
U.S. Senate elections, 2026
U.S. House elections, 2026

A Republican Party primary takes place on March 3, 2026, in Texas' 8th Congressional District to determine which Republican candidate will run in the district's general election on November 3, 2026.

Candidate filing deadline Primary election General election
December 8, 2025
March 3, 2026
November 3, 2026



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' 8th Congressional District Republican primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Democratic primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

  • Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
  • Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 8

Jay Fondren, Brett Jensen, Jessica Steinmann, Nick Tran, and Deddrick Wilmer are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 8 on March 3, 2026.

Candidate
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Jay Fondren
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Brett Jensen
Image of Jessica Steinmann
Jessica Steinmann
Image of Nick Tran
Nick Tran
Image of Deddrick Wilmer
Deddrick Wilmer

There are no incumbents in this race.

Candidate Connection = 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

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.

Jessica Steinmann

Image of Jessica Steinmann

WebsiteFacebookTwitter

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography:  Steinmann received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a J.D. from Baylor University. At the time of the election, she worked as the general counsel for the America First Policy Institute. She served as Director of the Office of Victims of Crime in the U.S. Department of Justice from 2020 to 2021. She previously worked for the office of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, the Texas House of Representatives, and the Harris County Republican Party.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Steinmann highlighted her legal experience as qualifying her for the office, saying she “led the charge in conservative fights.” She said, “From the courtroom to the Department of Justice, I have spent my life defending what makes this country great.”

Steinmann said she would focus on family-related policies and would “defend parental rights, protect children from radical agendas, and keep Texas a stronghold for faith, freedom, and traditional values.” She highlighted her work combating human trafficking and requiring transgender athletes to participate in sports based on their sex.

Steinmann said she would focus on election security. She highlighted her experience in election legislation and said she “helped draft Texas’s landmark election integrity law, which drew national attention” and “led lawsuits across the nation to protect election integrity.”

Steinmann said her appointment to the Department of Justice by President Trump highlighted her support of his agenda. She said, “I have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with President Trump and the America First movement to secure our borders, defend our Constitution, and put American workers and families first.”

Show sources

Sources: Jessica Steinmann 2026 campaign website, "Home," accessed November 2, 2025; Jessica Steinmann 2026 campaign website, "Jessica Hart Steinmann Announces Run for Congress," September 12, 2025; LinkedIn, "Jessica Hart Steinmann," accessed November 2, 2025; 

Nick Tran

Image of Nick Tran

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography:  Tran received a bachelor’s degree from Trident University International and a continuing education certification from Harvard Business School’s Program for Leadership Development. He previously served in the U.S. Army. At the time of the election, he was a small business owner. He previously worked in the oil and gas industries.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

On the economy, Tran said he would “roll back burdensome federal regulations” on small businesses and “combat inflation through legislation that slashes wasteful federal spending.” He also said he would support lowering taxes.

On public safety, Tran said he would enhance border security, increase funding for law enforcement, and support the second amendment. He said he would “create a safer America where sovereignty is upheld, our way of life is defended, Second Amendment rights are protected, and borders and infrastructure are fortified.” 

Tran said he would promote oil and gas production, and he highlighted his experience in the energy industry. He said that “[a] strong oil and gas sector powers our economy and maintains supply chains” and that “restrictive policies drive up costs for groceries and businesses.”

Tran highlighted his military service and said he would support veterans’ issues. He said he would “create a system that honors our veterans, empowers them to succeed, and ensures that no one who served this great nation is left behind” by addressing PTSD and improving the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Show sources

Sources: Nick Tran 2026 campaign website, "Political Priorities," accessed November 2, 2025; LinkedIn, "Nick Tran," accessed November 2, 2025; Nick Tran 2026 campaign website, "About Me," accessed November 2, 2025

Voting information

See also: Voting in Texas

Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.

Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Jay Fondren Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Brett Jensen Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Jessica Steinmann Republican Party $627,225 $9,473 $617,752 As of September 30, 2025
Nick Tran Republican Party $118,063 $106,101 $11,962 As of September 30, 2025
Deddrick Wilmer Republican Party $46,032 $26,396 $19,636 As of September 30, 2025

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.

District analysis

This section will contain facts and figures related to this district's elections when those are available.

Ballot access

This section will contain information on ballot access related to this state's elections when it is available.

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Texas Constitution and Statutes, "Tex. Election Code Ann. § 172.086," accessed September 16, 2025


Texas' current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
John Cornyn (R)
Ted Cruz (R)
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
Al Green (D)
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 18
Vacant
District 19
District 20
District 21
Chip Roy (R)
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
District 26
District 27
District 28
District 29
District 30
District 31
District 32
District 33
District 34
District 35
District 36
District 37
District 38
Republican Party (27)
Democratic Party (12)
Vacancies (1)


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