Zain Shaito

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Zain Shaito

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

March 3, 2026

Education

Bachelor's

The Ohio State University, 2013

Graduate

American Military University, 2024

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army

Years of service

2016 - 2022

Personal

Birthplace

Dallas, TX

Profession

Intelligence officer

Contact

Campaign website

Personal LinkedIn

Zain Shaito (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Texas' 3rd Congressional District. He did not appear on the ballot for the Republican primary on March 3, 2026.

Shaito also ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Texas' 32nd Congressional District. He did not appear on the ballot for the Republican primary on March 3, 2026.

Shaito completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Zain Shaito served in the U.S. Army. He earned a bachelor's degree from the Ohio State University in 2013 and a master's degree in strategic policy from the American Military University in 2024. His career experience includes working as an intelligence officer.

Elections

2026

See also: Texas' 32nd Congressional District election, 2026

Texas' 32nd Congressional District election, 2026 (March 3 Republican primary)

Texas' 32nd Congressional District election, 2026 (March 3 Democratic primary)

Texas' 32nd Congressional District election, 2026 (May 26 Republican primary runoff)

General election

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for U.S. House Texas District 32

Dan Barrios, Jace Yarbrough, and Charles Harper are running in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 32 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Dan Barrios (D)
		Jace Yarbrough (R)
	Submit photo	Charles Harper (Independent)

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	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary runoff election

The Republican primary runoff election was canceled. Jace Yarbrough advanced from the Republican primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 32.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Ryan Binkley (R)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 32

Dan Barrios defeated Anthony Bridges in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 32 on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dan Barrios	60.1	26,368
		Anthony Bridges	39.9	17,526

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3	Total votes: 43,894
= 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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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 32

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 32 on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jace Yarbrough	49.0	33,821
✔		Ryan Binkley	21.7	15,007
		Paul Bondar	13.9	9,572
		Darrell Day	5.8	4,024
		James Ussery	2.8	1,957
	Submit photo	Aimee Carrasco	2.7	1,833
		Gordon Heslop	2.1	1,463
		Monty Montanez	1.3	867
		Abteen Vaziri	0.8	541

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. Source	Total votes: 69,085
= 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

• Zain Shaito (R)
• Tobey Pearson (R)
• Eric Niehaus (R)

See also: Texas' 3rd Congressional District election, 2026

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

Texas' 3rd Congressional District election, 2026 (March 3 Democratic primary)

General election

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for U.S. House Texas District 3

Incumbent Keith Self and Evan Hunt are running in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 3 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Keith Self (R)
		Evan Hunt (D)

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= 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

• Brittany Black (No Political Party)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 3

Evan Hunt advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 3 on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Evan Hunt	100.0	48,612

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. Source	Total votes: 48,612
= 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

• Jordan Wheatley (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 3

Incumbent Keith Self defeated Mark Newgent in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 3 on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Keith Self	81.0	46,331
		Mark Newgent	19.0	10,851

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Source	Total votes: 57,182
= 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

• Zain Shaito (R)

Endorsements

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Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Zain Shaito did not complete Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Zain Shaito completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Shaito's responses.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm a former Olympic Athlete, Army Veteran, two time world fencing champion and Counterintelligence spy hunter.

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?

• Secure the border and stop the funding of illegal immigrants.
• Stop the devaluation of the U.S dollar.
• Stop endless wars in the Middle East and foreign aid handouts.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Veterans Affairs. National Security. Constitutional rights.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to my parents, as they sacrificed alot in their life to ensure me and my siblings had everything we needed to succeed in our careers.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The tragedy of great power politics by John Mearsheimer.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

To always be truthful to the American people. Do not give into self interests or the interests of powerful lobbies.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am a leader. Proven achiever. I have a great sense of empathy for people around me and can relate easily to the average American.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To represent district constituents and to create policies that will empower every American citizen.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would love to leave a legacy of taking care of our service members and ensuring that when they serve they always have that sense of honor and pride to represent the Armed forces.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I won the world championships in a fencing competition in 2006.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was a moving laborer for one year, where I worked for my father's company.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Outsiders. It was my first book I ever ready so it gives me nostalgia as a kid.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Superman.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Morgan Wallen- Last Night

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I struggle with coping after losing someone that was close to me.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

Oversight of federal agencies.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

To an extent. You need to have a basic understanding of government functionalities.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Strategic challenges from China.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

I believe 4 years would be the best length for term limits.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I agree with term limits.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

I really loved Abraham Lincoln, and John F. Kennedy.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I've heard many veterans talk about their war stories and how they wish the U.S government was held more accountable on sending troops to the Iraq War.

Tell us your favorite joke.

My favorite joke is that once upon a time, Joe Biden was President of the United States.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Extremely important to always try and find compromise, but a to stand your ground on issues.

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

Ensures that tax-related measures originate from representatives who are closer to the electorate, fostering accountability.

How should the U.S. House use its investigative powers?

To keep federal agencies in check.

What committees interest you?

House Intelligence Oversight, Foreign Affairs, Arms Forces Committees.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

The government should always be held accountable for tax payer dollars.

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.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Zain Shaito campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2026*	U.S. House Texas District 3	Withdrew primary	$8,988	$8,988
2026*	U.S. House Texas District 32	Withdrew primary	$8,988	$8,988
Grand total			$17,976	$17,976
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Election Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

See also

2026 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel Union Station

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

U.S. House Texas District 32

Website

Personal

LinkedIn

Footnotes

[show]

Texas' current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

John Cornyn (R)

Ted Cruz (R)

Representatives

District 1

Nathaniel Moran (R)

District 2

Daniel Crenshaw (R)

District 3

Keith Self (R)

District 4

Pat Fallon (R)

District 5

Lance Gooden (R)

District 6

Jake Ellzey (R)

District 7

Lizzie Fletcher (D)

District 8

Morgan Luttrell (R)

District 9

Al Green (D)

District 10

Michael McCaul (R)

District 11

August Pfluger (R)

District 12

Craig Goldman (R)

District 13

Ronny Jackson (R)

District 14

Randy Weber (R)

District 15

Monica De La Cruz (R)

District 16

Veronica Escobar (D)

District 17

Pete Sessions (R)

District 18

Christian Menefee (D)

District 19

Jodey Arrington (R)

District 20

Joaquin Castro (D)

District 21

Chip Roy (R)

District 22

Troy Nehls (R)

District 23

Tony Gonzales (R)

District 24

Beth Van Duyne (R)

District 25

Roger Williams (R)

District 26

Brandon Gill (R)

District 27

Michael Cloud (R)

District 28

Henry Cuellar (D)

District 29

Sylvia Garcia (D)

District 30

Jasmine Crockett (D)

District 31

John Carter (R)

District 32

Julie Johnson (D)

District 33

Marc Veasey (D)

District 34

Vicente Gonzalez (D)

District 35

Greg Casar (D)

District 36

Brian Babin (R)

District 37

Lloyd Doggett (D)

District 38

Wesley Hunt (R)

Republican Party (27)

Democratic Party (13)