Texas State Senate elections, 2026
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| 2026 Texas Senate Election |
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Elections for the Texas State Senate will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026. The primary is March 3, 2026, and the primary runoff is May 26, 2026. The filing deadline was December 8, 2025.
The Texas State Senate is one of 88 state legislative chambers with elections in 2026. There are 99 chambers throughout the country.
Party control
| As of January 2026 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Members | |
| Democratic | 11 | |
| Republican | 18 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 2 | |
| Total | 31 | |
Candidates
Note: The following list of candidates is unofficial. The filing deadline for this election has passed, and Ballotpedia is working to update this page with the official candidate list. This note will be removed once the official candidate list has been added.
Primary
Texas State Senate primary 2026 |
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| Office |  Democratic |
 Republican |
Other |
| District 1 |
Bryan Hughes (i) |
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| District 2 |
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| District 3 |
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| District 4 |
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| District 5 |
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| District 9 |
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| District 11 |
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| District 13 |
Borris Miles (i) |
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| District 18 |
Lois Kolkhorst (i) |
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| District 19 |
Roland Gutierrez (i) |
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| District 21 |
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| District 22 |
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| District 24 |
Peter P. Flores (i) |
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| District 26 |
José Menéndez (i) |
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| District 28 |
Charles Perry (i) |
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| District 31 |
Kevin Sparks (i) |
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= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate ConnectionGeneral election
Texas State Senate general election 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| District 1 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 2 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 3 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 4 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 5 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 9 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 11 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 13 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 18 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 19 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 21 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 22 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 24 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 26 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 28 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 31 | Primary results pending | ||
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Texas
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
Incumbents retiring
Five incumbents did not file for re-election in 2026.[1] The average number of retiring Texas Senate incumbents each election from 2010 to 2024 was 2.6. Those incumbents are:
Primary election competitiveness
This section contains data on state legislative primary election competitiveness in Texas. These totals include data from all regularly-scheduled House and Senate elections. For more information about Ballotpedia's competitiveness analysis of state legislative elections, please click here.
| Texas state legislative competitiveness, 2016-2026 | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Districts/ offices |
Seats | Open seats | Candidates | Possible primaries | Contested Democratic primaries | Contested Republican primaries | % of contested primaries | Incumbents in contested primaries | % of incumbents in contested primaries | ||||
| 2026 | 166 | 166 | 26 | 465 | 332 | 46 | 57 | 31.0% | 44 | 31.4% | ||||
| 2024 | 165 | 165 | 17 | 411 | 330 | 33 | 60 | 28.2% | 60 | 40.5% | ||||
| 2022 | 181 | 181 | 30 | 457 | 362 | 33 | 63 | 26.5% | 45 | 29.6% | ||||
| 2020 | 166 | 166 | 11 | 385 | 332 | 41 | 30 | 21.4% | 32 | 20.6% | ||||
| 2018 | 165 | 165 | 14 | 411 | 330 | 45 | 49 | 28.5% | 50 | 33.1% | ||||
| 2016 | 166 | 166 | 16 | 333 | 332 | 25 | 45 | 21.1% | 46 | 30.7% | ||||
Post-filing deadline analysis
The following analysis covers all state legislative districts up for election in Texas in 2026. Information below was calculated on Jan. 9, 2026, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.
Texas has 465 major party candidates running for state legislative office, the most of any election cycle since 2010. Of the 465 total candidates, 238 are Democrats, up 20% from 199 in 2024. There are 227 Republican candidates, up 7% from 212 in 2024.
Texas also has 103 contested state legislative primaries in 2026, an 11% increase from the previous cycle and the most since 2010. Forty-six of the 103 contested primaries are for Democrats. That is a 39% increase from 33 in 2024 and a record high for the party. Republicans have 57 contested primaries, down 5% from 60 in 2024.
Forty-four incumbents face primary challenges, representing 31% of all incumbents running for re-election. The average share of incumbents in contested primaries each cycle from 2010 to 2024 was 29%.
Sixteen of the 31 total Senate seats and all 150 House seats are up for election. Twenty-six seats are open, meaning no incumbents filed. This means newcomers will make up at least 14% of the legislature next year. The average number of open seats each cycle from 2010 to 2024 was 18.
Open seats
The table below shows the number and percentage of open seats in the Texas Senate from 2010 to 2026.[2] It will be updated as information becomes available following the state’s candidate filing deadline.
| Open Seats in Texas State Senate elections: 2010 - 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Seats with incumbents running for re-election |
| 2026 | 16 | 5 (31 percent) | 11 (69 percent) |
| 2024 | 15 | 1 (7 percent) | 14 (93 percent) |
| 2022 | 31 | 5 (16 percent) | 26 (84 percent) |
| 2020 | 16 | 1 (6 percent) | 15 (94 percent) |
| 2018 | 15 | 4 (27 percent) | 11 (73 percent) |
| 2016 | 16 | 3 (19 percent) | 13 (81 percent) |
| 2014 | 15 | 3 (20 percent) | 12 (80 percent) |
| 2012 | 31 | 4 (13 percent) | 27 (87 percent) |
| 2010 | 16 | 1 (6 percent) | 15 (94 percent) |
Process to become a candidate
See statutes: Title 9 of the Texas Election Code
A candidate in Texas may run with an officially recognized political party, as an independent, or as a write-in.
For major party candidates
In order to run with a major political party, a candidate must file an application with the county or state party chair and pay a filing fee. A candidate also has the option of filing a petition in lieu of the filing fee. Application and petition forms are available through local party officials or the Texas Secretary of State. The regular filing period for the primary election begins on the 30th day before the date of the regular filing deadline, which is 6 p.m. on the second Monday in December of an odd-numbered year.[3]
A chart detailing the signature and filing requirements for each particular office can be accessed here.[4]
For minor party candidates
State-qualified minor parties nominate candidates by convention. To be considered for nomination by a convention, a minor party candidate must file an application for nomination no later than 6 p.m. on the second Monday in December of an odd-numbered year, preceding the minor party’s convention. A candidate seeking nomination for a state or district office must file with the state party chair. Candidates for county or precinct offices must file applications with county party chairs. A candidate nominated via convention must either pay a filing fee (equal to the filing fee paid by major party candidates in primary elections) or submit a petition a petition in lieu of paying the filing fee.[5][6]
For independent candidates
A candidate may have his or her name placed on the general election ballot as an independent candidate if he or she is not affiliated with a political party.[7][8][9][10][11]
To run as an independent, a candidate must file a declaration of intent with the county judge (county or precinct offices) or the Texas Secretary of State (district and state offices) during the same filing period as major and minor party candidates.[8][12]
This paperwork must include signatures of voters who have not participated in the primary election or the runoff primary election of a party that has nominated, at either election, a candidate for the office the petitioning candidate seeks.[8][13]
A chart detailing the signature and filing requirements for each particular office can be accessed here.[8]
For write-in candidates
In order to become a write-in candidate in the general election, the candidate must file a declaration of candidacy with the Texas Secretary of State or the county judge, as appropriate, no later than 5 p.m. of the 78th day before general election day.[14][15]
The declaration must be accompanied by either a filing fee or a nominating petition signed by a certain number of qualified voters. A chart detailing the signature and filing requirements for each particular office can be accessed here.[14][16]
Qualifications
To be eligible to serve in the Texas State Senate, a candidate must be:[17]
- A U.S. citizen
- 26 years old before the general election
- A five-year resident of Texas before the general election
- A district resident for 1 year prior to the general election.
Salaries and per diem
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2025[18] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $7,200/year | $221/day |
When sworn in
Texas legislators assume office at the beginning of the legislative session, which starts at noon on the second Tuesday in January in the year after the election.[19][20]
Texas political history
Trifectas
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.
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 |
Presidential politics in Texas
2024
- See also: Presidential election, 2024
Presidential election in Texas, 2024
Candidate/Running mate |
% |
Popular votes |
Electoral votes |
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| ✔ |
 
| Donald Trump/J.D. Vance (R) |
56.1
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6,393,597 | 40 |
 
| Kamala D. Harris/Tim Walz (D) |
42.5
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4,835,250 | 0 | |
 
| Jill Stein/Butch Ware (G) |
0.7
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82,701 | 0 | |
 
| Chase Oliver/Mike ter Maat (L) |
0.6
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68,557 | 0 | |
 
| Peter Sonski/Lauren Onak (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
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3,780 | 0 | |
 
| Claudia De La Cruz/Karina Garcia (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
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2,374 | 0 | |
 
| Cornel West/Melina Abdullah (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
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1,858 | 0 | |
 
| Shiva Ayyadurai/Crystal Ellis (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
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433 | 0 | |
| Jessie Cuellar/Wesley Lasley (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
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98 | 0 | |
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| Cherunda Lynn Fox/Harlan McVay Jr. (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
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26 | 0 | |
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Total votes: 11,388,674 |
2020
- See also: Presidential election, 2020
Presidential election in Texas, 2020
Candidate/Running mate |
% |
Popular votes |
Electoral votes |
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| ✔ |
| Donald Trump/Mike Pence (R) |
52.1
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5,890,347 | 38 |
| Joe Biden/Kamala D. Harris (D) |
46.5
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5,259,126 | 0 | |
 
| Jo Jorgensen/Spike Cohen (L) |
1.1
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126,243 | 0 | |
 
| Howie Hawkins/Angela Nicole Walker (G) |
0.3
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33,396 | 0 | |
 
| Brian T. Carroll/Amar Patel (Unaffiliated) (Write-in) |
0.0
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2,785 | 0 | |
| President Boddie/Eric Stoneham (Unaffiliated) |
0.0
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2,012 | 0 | |
| Gloria La Riva/Leonard Peltier (Unaffiliated) (Write-in) |
0.0
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350 | 0 | |
 
| Tom Hoefling/Andy Prior (Unaffiliated) |
0.0
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337 | 0 | |
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| Todd Cella/Tim Cella (Unaffiliated) (Write-in) |
0.0
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205 | 0 | |
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| Kasey Wells/Rachel Wells (Unaffiliated) (Write-in) |
0.0
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114 | 0 | |
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| Robert Morrow/Anne Beckett (Unaffiliated) (Write-in) |
0.0
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56 | 0 | |
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| Jesse Cuellar/Jimmy Monreal (Unaffiliated) (Write-in) |
0.0
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49 | 0 | |
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| Abram Loeb/Jennifer Jairala (Unaffiliated) (Write-in) |
0.0
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36 | 0 | |
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Total votes: 11,315,056 |
2016
- See also: Presidential election, 2016
| U.S. presidential election, Texas, 2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine | 43.2% | 3,877,868 | 0 | |
| Republican |  Donald Trump/Mike Pence |
52.2% | 4,685,047 | 38 | |
| Libertarian | Gary Johnson/Bill Weld | 3.2% | 283,492 | 0 | |
| Green | Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka | 0.8% | 71,558 | 0 | |
| - | Write-in votes | 0.6% | 51,261 | 0 | |
| Total Votes | 8,969,226 | 38 | |||
| Election results via: Texas Secretary of State | |||||
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 |
Redistricting following the 2020 census
Texas renewed its state legislative district boundaries in June 2023 for use in 2024 and until the 2030 census. These districts were the same as those enacted by the state in October 2021. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed HB 1000 — establishing state House district boundaries — on June 12, 2023, and he allowed SB 375 — establishing state Senate district boundaries — to become law without his signature on June 18, 2023.[21][22]
The Texas Tribune's James Barragan wrote in January 2023 that Senate Legislative Redistricting Committee Chairwoman Joan Huffman (R) said the state was re-doing the redistricting process "to ensure that Legislature had met its constitutional requirement to apportion districts in the first regular session after the publishing of the results of the federal census, which is done every 10 years. Because of the pandemic, census numbers were not released until after the end of the last regularly scheduled legislative session on May 31, 2021. Redistricted maps were passed in a subsequent special session that year."[23] Texas had originally enacted new state legislative districts on October 25, 2021.
See also
| Texas | State Legislative Elections | News and Analysis |
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2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines a seat as open if the incumbent did not file to run for re-election or filed but withdrew and did not appear on any ballot for his or her seat. If the incumbent withdrew from or did not participate in the primary but later chose to seek re-election to his or her seat as a third party or independent candidate, the seat would not be counted as open. If the incumbent retired or ran for a different seat in the same chamber, his or her original seat would be counted as open unless another incumbent from the same chamber filed to run for that seat, in which case it would not be counted as open due to the presence of an incumbent.
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 172.023," accessed April 23, 2025
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Republican or Democratic Party Nominees," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 181.033," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ Texas Legislature, "SB 2093," accessed June 8, 2021
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 1.005(9)," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Texas Elections Division, "Independent Candidates," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 142.008," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 162.003," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 162.007," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 142.002(b)(2)," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 142.009," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Texas Secretary of State, "Procedures for Write-In Candidates in 2024," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 146.025," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Section 146.023-146.0232," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Qualifications for office," accessed December 18, 2013
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2025 Legislator Compensation," December 2, 2025
- ↑ Texas Government Code, "Title 3., Subtitle A., Sec. 301.001," accessed February 17, 2021
- ↑ Texas Constitution, "Article 3. Legislative Department, Section 4," accessed November 4, 2021
- ↑ Texas Legislature Online, "Bill: HB 1000," accessed June 21, 2023
- ↑ Texas Legislature Online, "Bill: SB 375," accessed June 21, 2023
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, "Texas Senate votes to take up redistricting again," January 11, 2023
