Texas' 38th Congressional District election, 2026 (May 26 Republican primary runoff)

	← 2024
Texas' 38th Congressional District
	Democratic primary; Republican primary; Republican primary runoff; 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' 38th 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

Texas 2026 elections

U.S. Senate • U.S. House • Governor • Lt. Gov • Attorney General • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Special state legislative • Supreme court • Appellate courts • School boards • Municipal • All local elections by county • How to run for office

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.

Jon Bonck (R) and Shelly deZevallos (R) are running in the Republican primary runoff for Texas' 38th Congressional District on May 26, 2026. Bonck and deZevallos were the top two finishers in the March 3 primary with 47.7% and 18.6% of the vote, respectively. They advanced to a runoff because neither received more than 50% of the vote.

Incumbent Wesley Hunt (R) ran for U.S. Senate rather than seeking re-election, leaving the seat open.

Bonck is a manager at a mortgage brokerage firm. President Donald Trump (R) endorsed Bonck on February 16, 2026.^[1] 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] In a statement following the primary, Bonck said, "[O]ur campaign has the momentum, the grassroots energy, and the broad support needed to win. We are proud to finish in first place, and we are just getting started."^[3]

DeZevallos is the president of the West Houston Airport. 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."^[4] In a statement after the primary, deZevallos said, "I was born here, raised my family here, and have devoted 20+ years at the grassroots level to advancing our Republican agenda, protecting America First values, and making Harris County a safer place for our families."^[3]

As of March 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.

Shelly deZevallos (R) completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. To read those survey responses, click here.

This is one of 56 open races for the U.S. House of Representatives this year in which an incumbent is not running for re-election. Across the country, 21 Democrats and 35 Republicans are not running for re-election. In 2024, 45 incumbents — 24 Democrats and 21 Republicans — did not seek re-election.

This page focuses on Texas' 38th Congressional District Republican primary runoff. For more in-depth information on the district's Democratic primary, Republican primary, and the general election, see the following pages:

Candidates and election results

Republican primary runoff election

Republican primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 38

Jon Bonck and Shelly deZevallos are running in the Republican primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 38 on May 26, 2026.

		Candidate
		Jon Bonck
		Shelly deZevallos

	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.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Texas

Election information in Texas: May 26, 2026, election.

What is the voter registration deadline?

In-person: April 27, 2026
By mail: Postmarked by April 27, 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: May 15, 2026
By mail: Received by May 15, 2026
Online: N/A

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

In-person: May 26, 2026
By mail: Postmarked by May 26, 2026

Is early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What are the early voting start and end dates?

May 18, 2026 to May 22, 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)

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.

Jon Bonck

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.

Key Messages

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

Bonck described himself as a "Christian conservative, husband, and father committed to faith, family, and securing a future worth fighting for." Bonck said he was running "because public service isn’t about spotlight — it’s about stewardship."

Bonck said his experience as a mortgage lender "has shown him firsthand how outdated policies and red tape can frustrate families and delay their path to stability and wealth-building through homeownership." Bonck said he would "eliminate red tape to help Americans thrive and achieve the American dream."

Bonck said he was "stepping up to restore conservative values in Washington," saying he supported building a wall on the border with Mexico, prohibiting abortion, and opposing restrictions on firearms.

Show sources

Sources: Jon Bonck campaign website, "Home page," accessed October 24, 2025; Jon Bonck campaign website, "Home page," accessed October 24, 2025; LinkedIn, "Jonathan Bonck," accessed October 24, 2025

Shelly deZevallos

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."

Key Messages

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

I am running for Congress to put America First and defend the conservative values that make our country strong. I will uphold the Constitution, protect individual freedoms, and stand against the radical Left’s agenda that weakens our nation. Texans deserve a Representative who will fight for faith, family, freedom, and a government that serves the people — not Washington elites or special interests.

I will fight to unleash our economy by cutting taxes, reducing burdensome regulations, and empowering small businesses and job creators. As a business leader, I understand how government overreach stifles growth and raises costs for families. In Congress, I will support policies that promote innovation, strengthen our workforce, and keep Texas a national leader in economic opportunity.

Securing our border and keeping our communities safe is non-negotiable. I will work with President Trump to enforce our immigration laws, secure our border, and stop cartel activity. I will strongly support law enforcement and ensure they have the resources needed to protect Texans. Public safety starts with the rule of law.

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?

Shelly deZevallos (R)

I am running for Congress to put America First and defend the conservative values that make our country strong. I will uphold the Constitution, protect individual freedoms, and stand against the radical Left’s agenda that weakens our nation. Texans deserve a Representative who will fight for faith, family, freedom, and a government that serves the people — not Washington elites or special interests.

I will fight to unleash our economy by cutting taxes, reducing burdensome regulations, and empowering small businesses and job creators. As a business leader, I understand how government overreach stifles growth and raises costs for families. In Congress, I will support policies that promote innovation, strengthen our workforce, and keep Texas a national leader in economic opportunity.

Securing our border and keeping our communities safe is non-negotiable. I will work with President Trump to enforce our immigration laws, secure our border, and stop cartel activity. I will strongly support law enforcement and ensure they have the resources needed to protect Texans. Public safety starts with the rule of law.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Shelly deZevallos (R)

I am passionate about border security, public safety, economic freedom, education choice, and energy independence. I believe parents, not bureaucrats, should control their children’s education, and hardworking Americans should not be burdened by high taxes and inflation. I am committed to policies that strengthen families, protect jobs, and keep America secure and prosperous.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Shelly deZevallos (R)

Congressman Sam Graves MO-06

Congressman Troy Nehls TX-22 Congressman Randy Weber TX-14 Congressman Jake Ellzey TX-06 Houston Region Business Coalition Texas Conservative Review Conservative Republicans of Texas GOPAC Winning for Women VIEWPAC “C” Club Over 35 precinct chairs

Local, state, elected officials, and business leaders across the city and state

Campaign ads

This section includes a selection of up to three campaign advertisements per candidate released in this race, as well as links to candidates' YouTube, Vimeo, and/or Facebook video pages. If you are aware of other links that should be included, please email us.

Jon Bonck

"Trump" – Bonck campaign ad, released February 18, 2026

"Values" – Bonck campaign ad, released February 10, 2026

"Fighter" – Bonck campaign ad, released January 13, 2026

View more ads here:

YouTube

Shelly deZevallos

"Crime" – deZevallos campaign ad, released February 10, 2026

"Shelly deZevallos - Trump Conservative" – deZevallos campaign ad, released January 22, 2026

View more ads here:

YouTube

Endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

Click the links below to see official endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites for any candidates that make that information available. If you are aware of a website that should be included, please email us.

Republican primary endorsements
Endorser	Jon Bonck	Larry Rubin
Government officials
President Donald Trump (R) ^source	✔
Newspapers and editorials
Houston Chronicle Editorial Board ^source		✔
Organizations
Texas Right to Life ^source	✔
Young Conservatives of Texas ^source	✔

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

We provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from RealClearPolitics, when available. We will regularly check for polling aggregation for this race and add polls here once available. To notify us of polls available for this race, please email us.

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.^[5]
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.^[6]^[7]^[8]

Race ratings: Texas' 38th Congressional District election, 2026
Race tracker	Race ratings
	3/17/2026	3/10/2026	3/3/2026	2/24/2026
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.

Campaign finance

Candidate spending

Name

Party

Receipts*

Disbursements**

Cash on hand

Date

Jon Bonck

Republican Party

$1,075,937

$679,301

$396,636

As of February 11, 2026

Shelly deZevallos

Republican Party

$765,099

$421,911

$343,188

As of February 11, 2026

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.

Satellite spending

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.^[9]^[10]^[11]

If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.

By candidate	By election
Jon Bonck Shelly deZevallos	OpenSecrets Federal Election Commission

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+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.^[12]

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' 38th Congressional District
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 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

District election history

2024

Texas' 38th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 Democratic primary)

Texas' 38th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 38

Incumbent Wesley Hunt defeated Melissa McDonough and Avery Ayers 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

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	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 election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 38

Melissa McDonough defeated Gion Thomas 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

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

Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 38

Incumbent Wesley Hunt advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 38 on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Wesley Hunt	100.0	62,340

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	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 convention

Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 38

Chad Abbey advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 38 on March 16, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		Chad Abbey (L)

	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.