2026 Texas General Election Races

Greg Abbott faces Democrat Gina Hinojosa on November 3, a race Cook Political Report rates Solid Republican. Abbott won the March primary with 81.8% over a crowded field; Hinojosa took the Democratic nomination with 58.5%.

Ken Paxton faces James Talarico on November 3, a race Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball both rate Lean Republican. Paxton took the nomination by defeating four-term incumbent John Cornyn 64-36 in the May 26 runoff; Talarico won the Democratic primary outright with 52.5% over Crockett.

Open seat (Paxton left to run for Senate). Republican state senator Mayes Middleton won the May 26 runoff 55.2% over Chip Roy; Democratic state senator Nathan Johnson won his runoff 60.5% over Joe Jaworski. No major handicapper rates the race; the rating reflects Texas's structural lean for an open down-ballot statewide office.

Patrick cruised to the Republican nomination with 84.8%. Vikki Goodwin won the Democratic runoff over Marcos Velez 67.8% to 32.2% and faces Patrick on Nov 3.

Redistricting forced two Democratic incumbents into one seat. Christian Menefee defeated longtime representative Al Green in the May 26 Democratic runoff and faces Republican Ronald Whitfield in November. Safe Democratic in the general.

Newly redrawn Dallas-area district. Colin Allred defeated Rep. Julie Johnson 53.9% to 46.1% in the May 26 Democratic runoff after the redistricting pushed Johnson out of TX-32. Patrick Gillespie won the Republican runoff to face Allred, who is heavily favored in this safe-Democratic Dallas seat.

Don Huffines enters November as the appointed incumbent: after acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock stepped down on July 31, Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Huffines, already the GOP nominee, to the office effective August 1, 2026. The seat opened when Glenn Hegar left to become Chancellor of The Texas A&M University System. Huffines won the Republican primary with 57.4%; Sarah Eckhardt won the Democratic primary with 64.1%. No major handicapper rates the race; the rating reflects Texas's structural lean (no Democrat has won Comptroller since 1994).

Nate Sheets upset three-term incumbent Sid Miller, winning the Republican primary with 52.7%. Democrat Clayton Tucker ran unopposed.

Bo French won the May 26 Republican runoff over incumbent James Wright after a tight five-way primary. Jon Rosenthal, a Houston state representative, ran unopposed for Democrats. No major handicapper rates the race; the rating reflects Texas's structural lean (the office has been Republican since 1994).

Buckingham ran unopposed in the GOP primary. Benjamin Flores won the Democratic nomination with 55.6% over Jose Loya.

Biggest upset of primary night, Toth ousted Crenshaw, the only Texas GOP incumbent without a Trump endorsement. Cruz-backed Toth won by 15 points. Safe Republican in the general.

Gonzales withdrew March 5 after an ethics scandal. Brandon Herrera, who led the primary 43.3% to 41.7%, is the automatic Republican nominee. Trump endorsed Herrera March 11. Cook and Sabato moved the race from Safe to Likely Republican after the withdrawal.

Democratic incumbent Henry Cuellar defends a district that leans Republican under the 2025 map, yet Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball both rate it Lean Democratic after Trump's December 2025 pardon ended the federal bribery case against him. His challenger is Tano Tijerina, a Democrat-turned-Republican Webb County judge who won the GOP primary decisively.

The only Texas seat Cook Political Report rates a Tossup, a rating Sabato's Crystal Ball shares. Democratic incumbent Vicente Gonzalez faces Army veteran Eric Flores, who won the Republican primary outright with 56.6% over former Rep. Mayra Flores (23.7%). Gonzalez won his own primary with 62.7%.

Open seat in the Houston area. The 2025 redistricting redrew TX-9 from a safely Democratic seat into a Republican one. Alex Mealer, a Trump-endorsed former Harris County judge candidate, won the May 26 Republican runoff over state representative Briscoe Cain; Democrat Leticia Gutierrez won her primary outright.

I-35 corridor district connecting San Antonio and Austin, redrawn Republican-leaning in the 2025 redistricting (Trump +10 in 2024). Carlos De La Cruz, brother of TX-15 incumbent Monica De La Cruz, won the Republican runoff over John Lujan. Bexar County deputy sheriff Johnny Garcia won the Democratic runoff over Maureen Galindo.

Solidly Democratic Austin seat (D+26). Representative Greg Casar, who moved from the redrawn TX-35 to keep a safe Austin district, is the Democratic nominee and heavy favorite. Lauren Peña won the May 26 Republican runoff over Ge'Nell Gary to challenge him.

Republican incumbent Monica De La Cruz defends a Rio Grande Valley seat she first flipped in 2022. Her 2026 challenger is Bobby Pulido, a Latin Grammy-winning Tejano singer from Edinburg who won the Democratic primary with 67%. The 2025 redistricting made the seat more Republican-leaning (Trump +18 in 2024), but Pulido's name recognition and regional fame keep Democrats competitive.

Blacklock ran unopposed in the GOP primary. Maggie Ellis won the Democratic nomination with 74.3% over Cory Carlyle. Abbott elevated Blacklock, elected to Place 2 in 2018, to Chief Justice in January 2025 after Nathan Hecht retired; November is his first election as Chief.

Sullivan was unopposed in the Republican primary. Chari Kelly is the Democratic nominee. Unexpired term: Abbott appointed Sullivan in January 2025 to the seat Blacklock vacated when he was elevated to Chief Justice, so this is Sullivan's first election to the court. Republicans have held every Texas Supreme Court seat since 1999.

Hawkins ran unopposed in the GOP primary. Kristen Hawkins (no relation) won the Democratic nomination with 75.6% over Gordon Goodman. Abbott appointed Kyle Hawkins to the court in October 2025, filling the seat Jeff Boyd vacated, so this is his first election to it.

Busby was unopposed in the GOP primary. Gisela Triana is the Democratic nominee.

Open seat, Richardson did not seek re-election. Alison Fox (31.3%) and Thomas Smith (30.7%) advanced from a tight first-round primary to the May 26 Republican runoff, which Smith won. Okey Anyiam ran unopposed for Democrats.

Yeary was unopposed in the GOP primary. Audra Riley is the Democratic nominee. Republicans have held every seat on the Court of Criminal Appeals since 1998.

Open seat, Newell did not seek re-election. John Messinger won the Republican primary decisively with 68.8% over Jennifer Balido. Holly Taylor ran unopposed for Democrats.