2026 Texas elections

2026 Texas elections

←  2025 November 3, 2026 2027 →

The 2026 Texas elections are scheduled to be held on November 3, 2026. Primary elections will be held on March 3, with runoffs held on May 26 for primary candidates who did not receive a majority of the vote. Early voting in the primary runs from February 17 to February 27.

All of the states' executive offices are up for election, as well as 16 seats of the Texas Senate and all seats of the Texas House of Representatives, all 38 seats in the United States House of Representatives, and one of the state's United States Senate seats.

Federal

United States Senate

Main article: 2026 United States Senate election in Texas

Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator John Cornyn is running for re-election.

United States House of Representatives

Main article: 2026 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas

All 38 seats are up for election. Congressional districts were redrawn in 2025 by the state legislature in a move seen as beneficial for Republicans. ^[1]

Executive

Governor

Main article: 2026 Texas gubernatorial election

Incumbent Republican governor Greg Abbott is running for re-election to a fourth term. He was re-elected in 2022 with 54.76% of the vote.

Lieutenant governor

Main article: 2026 Texas lieutenant gubernatorial election

Incumbent Republican lieutenant governor Dan Patrick is running for re-election to a fourth term. He was re-elected in 2022 with 53.75% of the vote.

Attorney general

Main article: 2026 Texas Attorney General election

Incumbent Republican attorney general Ken Paxton is running for U.S. senate. He was re-elected in 2022 with 53.42% of the vote.

Declared candidates in the Republican primary include state senators Joan Huffman and Mayes Middleton, former U.S. Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy Aaron Reitz, and U.S. representative Chip Roy. ^{[2] [3]} Former mayor of Galveston Joe Jaworski and state senator Nathan Johnson are running for the Democratic nomination. ^[4]

Comptroller of Public Accounts

Main article: 2026 Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts election

Incumbent Republican comptroller Glenn Hegar was re-elected in 2022 with 56.39% of the vote. He resigned on July 1, 2025, to become chancellor of the Texas A&M University System and was succeeded by his chief clerk, former state senator Kelly Hancock, as acting Comptroller, who is running for re-election.

Hancock faces Texas Railroad Commission member Christi Craddick and former state senator Don Huffines in the Republican primary. ^[5]

Commissioner of the General Land Office

2026 Texas Land Commissioner election

←  2022 November 3, 2026 2030 →

Nominee Dawn Buckingham Party Republican Democratic

Land Commissioner before election Dawn Buckingham Republican Elected Land Commissioner TBD

Incumbent Republican Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham is running for re-election to a second four-year term. She was first elected in 2022 with 56.2% of the vote.

Republican primary

Candidates

• Dawn Buckingham, incumbent land commissioner ^[6]

Endorsements

Dawn Buckingham

Executive branch officials

• Donald Trump, president of the United States (2017–2021, 2025–present) ^[7]

Labor unions

• National Border Patrol Council ^[6]

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Benjamin Flores, Bay City councilor (previously running for governor) ^[8]
• Jose Loya, marine veteran and oil refinery union leader ^[9]

Endorsements

Jose Loya

U.S. representatives

• Ro Khanna, CA-17 (2017–present) ^[10]

Labor unions

• Texas AFL-CIO ^[11]

Commissioner of Agriculture

Main article: 2026 Texas Commissioner of Agriculture election

Incumbent Republican Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is running for re-election to a fourth four-year term. He was re-elected in 2022 with 56.4% of the vote.

Railroad Commission

2026 Texas Railroad Commissioner election

←  2020 November 3, 2026 2032 →

Nominee Jon Rosenthal Party Republican Democratic

Incumbent Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright Republican

Incumbent Republican Railroad Commission of Texas member Jim Wright is running for re-election to a second six-year term. He was first elected in 2020 with 53% of the vote.

Republican primary

Candidates

• Hawk Dunlap, oilman ^[12]
• Bo French, former chair of the Tarrant County Republican Party ^[13]
• Jim Wright, incumbent member of the Texas Railroad Commission ^[14]

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Jon Rosenthal, state representative from the 135th district (2019-present) ^[14]

Judicial

Texas Supreme Court

Main article: 2026 Texas Supreme Court election

Legislature

16 seats of the Texas Senate and all 150 seats of the Texas House of Representatives are up for election. The winners of this election will serve in the 90th Texas Legislature.

Senate

Main article: 2026 Texas Senate election

All 16 odd-numbered seats of the Texas Senate are up for election to four-year terms. Prior to the election, Republicans held a majority of 20 seats against the Democrats' 11 seats.

Texas Senate

Party		Leader	Before	After	Change
	Republican	Charles Perry	20
	Democratic	Carol Alvarado	11
Total			31

House of Representatives

Main article: 2026 Texas House of Representatives election

All 150 seats of the Texas House of Representatives are up for election to two-year terms. Prior to the election, Republicans held a majority of 88 seats against the Democrats' 62 seats.

Texas House of Representatives

Party		Leader	Before	After	Change
	Republican	Dustin Burrows	88
	Democratic	Gene Wu	62
Total			150

Board of Education

Main article: 2026 Texas State Board of Education election

References

1. Saenz, Arlette (August 29, 2025). "Texas Gov. Abbott signs new Republican-friendly US House map | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
2. Goldenstein, Taylor (June 12, 2025). "Aaron Reitz, a former Trump DOJ official and Paxton aide, joins the race for Texas AG". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved June 12, 2025.
3. Manchester, Julia (August 21, 2025). "Chip Roy launches Texas attorney general bid". The Hill . Retrieved August 21, 2025.
4. Klibanoff, Eleanor (July 17, 2025). "Democrat Joe Jaworski to run for Texas attorney general again". The Texas Tribune . Retrieved July 17, 2025.
5. Scherer, Jasper (March 7, 2025). "Christi Craddick, Don Huffines announce bids for Texas comptroller after Hegar tapped for A&M chancellor". The Texas Tribune . Retrieved June 24, 2025.
6. Sanchez, Sandra (September 20, 2025). "Border Patrol union endorses Texas Land Commissioner who offered land for border wall". KEYE-TV . Retrieved October 1, 2025.
7. Yu, Issac (February 27, 2026). "Trump endorses against Abbott's picks for Texas Ag Commissioner and Comptroller ahead of GOP primary". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved February 28, 2025.
8. Van Hal, Kavan (October 17, 2025). "Flores exits governor race, launches bid for Texas Land Commissioner". Bay City Tribune . Retrieved October 21, 2025. Flores also announced his endorsement of State Representative Gina Hinojosa for governor.
9. Reyes, Victoria (November 19, 2025). "Veteran, refinery worker, and union leader launches campaign for Texas Land Commisioner". MyHighPlains.com . Retrieved January 27, 2026.
10. "Texas land commissioner primary: Who is running and what you need to know". Texas Tribune . February 2, 2026. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
11. "Texas AFL-CIO COPE Announces 2026 Primary Election Endorsements". Texas AFL-CIO . January 25, 2026. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
12. Taft, Molly (December 8, 2025). "The Well Watchers". Mother Jones . Retrieved December 8, 2025.
13. Serrano, Alejandro (November 12, 2025). "Tarrant County GOP Chair Bo French announces run for Texas Railroad Commission". Texas Tribune . Retrieved December 8, 2025.
14. Serrano, Alejandro (September 29, 2025). "Democratic Rep. Jon Rosenthal will run for Texas Railroad Commission". The Texas Tribune . Retrieved October 1, 2025.