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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 is 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
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
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. | ||||
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 38
Curtis Cook II, 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. | ||||
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 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 | |
 | Damien Mockus | |
 | Carmen Montiel | |
 | Michael Pratt | |
 | 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
- Wesley Hunt (R)
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), Shelly deZevallos (R), and two other candidates are running in the Republican primary for Texas' 38th Congressional District on March 3, 2026. The filing deadline is December 8, 2025. As of October 2025, Bonck, McNabb, 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's campaign website says he is "not a career politician—he’s a battle-tested leader, a successful businessman, and a servant of the people. He’s running for Congress to advocate for families, Veterans, small businesses, and all Texans who feel overlooked by Washington."[3] McNabb says he will "always put Texas first, streamline politics, and enact swift action on conservative policies."[4]
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."[5] 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."[6]
Also running in the primary are Jeff Yuna (R) and Damien Mockus (R).
As of October 2025, 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.[7]
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
Political Office: None
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
Political Office: None
Biography: McNabb obtained a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Sam Houston State University. He served 16 years in the U.S. Army, deploying to South Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Morocco. After retiring from the Army, McNabb became a franchisee of The Joint Chiropractic and later founded Consolidated Wellness Management Group, Inc.
Show sources
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "Small Business Owner"
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Biography: DeZevallos obtained a bachelor's degree in political science and Chinese from the University of Texas at Austin, a master's degree in business administration from Texas A&M University, and a doctorate in education from Oklahoma State University. As of the 2026 election, deZevallos was the president of the West Houston Airport.
Show sources
Sources: Shelly deZevalos campaign website, "Home page," accessed October 24, 2025; Shelly deZevallos campaign website, "Issues," accessed October 24, 2025; Shelly deZevallos campaign website, "About," accessed October 24, 2025; Shelly deZevalos campaign website, "About," accessed October 24, 2025; LinkedIn, "Shelly Lesikar deZevallos," accessed October 24, 2025
See more
Candidate profiles
There are currently no candidate profiles created for this race. Candidate profiles will appear here as they are created. Encourage the candidates in this race to complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey so that their profile will appear here.
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Texas
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
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. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
No candidate in this race has completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia is seeking 100 percent participation so voters can learn more about all the candidates on their ballots.
Campaign finance
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curtis Cook II | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | As of October 1, 2025 |
| Theresa Courts | Democratic Party | $370 | $106 | $264 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Marvalette Hunter | Democratic Party | $73,174 | $18,530 | $54,644 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Melissa McDonough | Democratic Party | $19,966 | $10,111 | $32,555 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Avery Ayers | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Jon Bonck | Republican Party | $492,041 | $111,162 | $380,879 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Craig Goralski | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Barrett McNabb | Republican Party | $228,122 | $120,475 | $107,647 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Damien Mockus | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Carmen Montiel | Republican Party | $5,206 | $3,135 | $2,514 | As of June 30, 2025 |
| Michael Pratt | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Jeff Yuna | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Shelly deZevallos | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| 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.[8]
- 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.[9][10][11]
| Race ratings: Texas' 38th Congressional District election, 2026 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| 12/2/2025 | 11/25/2025 | 11/18/2025 | 11/11/2025 | ||||||
| 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 | 2/13/2026 | Source |
District history
The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2020.
2024
2022
Heading into the 2022 elections, based on results from the 2020 and 2016 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+12. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 12 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Texas' 38th the 119th most Republican district nationally.[12]
2020
District analysis
This section will contain facts and figures related to this district's elections when those are available.
See also
| Texas | 2026 primaries | 2026 U.S. Congress elections |
|---|---|---|
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Voting in Texas Texas elections: 2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 |
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. Senate elections U.S. House elections Special elections Ballot access |
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
- ↑ Barrett McNabb campaign website, "About," accessed October 24, 2025
- ↑ Barrett McNabb campaign website, "Home page," accessed October 24, 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, "The 2022 Cook Partisan Voting Index (Cook PVI℠)," accessed February 6, 2023
