All eyes are on Texas this midterm election year—so much so President Donald Trump and the GOP are hosting an unprecedented midterm year convention in Dallas this September.
From a US Senate race making national headlines, to a slew of congressional districts impacted by last year’s mid-decade redistricting, to crucial local elections impacting counties across the state, there are several key statewide and local races to know about before you head to the polls on Nov. 3.
Statewide
Democrats haven’t won a statewide election in over 30 years, but state Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin) is hoping to change that. The Democratic nominee for US Senate will face Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Nov. 3 election. Talarico continues to lead Paxton—who trailed behind incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary in March but won by a significant margin in the May runoff after an endorsement from Trump—in numerous polls.
The Texas Attorney General race is in a dead heat, according to a recent Texas Public Opinion Research poll. Nathan Johnson, a Democratic state Senator in Dallas, will face Galveston-based state Sen. Mayes Middleton, a self-described MAGA Republican.
Despite Republican incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott’s massive 100-to-1 cash advantage over his Democratic challenger, State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, a recent Fox News poll also shows the governor’s race in a near dead heat.
Learn about other statewide races, including the lieutenant governor, Texas comptroller, and agriculture commissioner, here.
Congressional Districts
Several districts in South and Central Texas, including Texas’ 15th, 28th, 34th, and 35th Congressional Districts, are considered some of the most competitive races in the state this midterm election year, and were directly targeted in Texas’ new voting maps—redrawn at President Trump’s request with the explicit goal of flipping five Democratic-held seats to Republican.
In District 15, which covers the Rio Grande Valley, Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz is seeking reelection against Democratic nominee Bobby Pulido, a beloved Tejano singer..
De La Cruz, who campaigned for Trump’s reelection in South Texas in 2024 after riding his endorsement to a historic victory in 2022, now calls the region’s shortage of construction workers—driven in part by ICE raids on job sites—”a crisis in the Valley.” Puldio opposes increased funding for ICE raids, and has stated he would not have voted to give ICE additional money for quotas and enforcement actions, criticizing them for creating fear and chaos in communities
In District 28, which represents Laredo, Democrat incumbent Henry Cuellar is seeking reelection against Republican Tano Tijerina. Cuellar, who will face a substantially tougher race after his district was redrawn, faced bribery, money-laundering, and conspiracy charges last year, but won a “full and unconditional” pardon from Trump in December. Trump said he later regretted the move after Cuellar filed for reelection as a Democrat.
The 34th District is widely considered the most competitive race this year in Texas, and could decide control of Congress. Democratic incumbent Vicente Gonzalez is seeking a sixth term.
Gonzalez previously represented Texas’ 15th Congressional District from 2017 to 2022, until a Republican-led redistricting shift forced him to move into the neighboring 34th district for the 2022 election. During the Texas GOP’s mid-decade redistricting push last year, the 34th district was also redrawn to drop parts of McAllen, which historically leans Democratic, and pick up right-leaning areas near Corpus Christi, significantly increasing Republican voter share in the district.
He’ll face Republican nominee Eric Flores, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
Texas’ 35th Congressional District, which represents parts of Austin, New Braunfels, and San Antonios was also victim to the GOP’s mid-decade redistricting plans. It was previously a Democratic stronghold, but will now see a competitive race in November after its new district boundaries contain less than 10% of its former constituency.
Johnny Garcia won the Democratic nominee for the district in a primary runoff election in May and will face Trump-endorsed Republican Carlos De La Cruz.
District 23 has also gained significant attention after Republican incumbent Tony Gonzales resigned, leaving the seat vacant. Republican Brandon Herrera is facing Democrat Katy Padilla Stout, and the DCCC added the district to its target list on August 5, despite Trump carrying the district by about 15 points in 2024.
All of these districts are aiming to reverse the GOP’s gains among Latino voters in 2024. In 2024, Trump won the White House with historic support among Hispanic voters, including in South Texas. However, an increase in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement detentions and deportations across the state at the hands of the Trump administration has caused many Hispanic voters to abandon their support for the president.
State Board of Education
Several State Board of Education seats could determine the board’s majority this midterm election.The Republican-dominated board made national headlines in June after its members voted to make Texas the first state in the nation to require that the Bible be read in public schools.
It currently holds a 10 to five majority, which means with eight seats up for grabs, Democrats need three Republican-held seats to flip in order to gain control.
Two races—District 5 and District 6—are considered toss-ups, while District 7 and 8 will likely be competitive.
In District 5, which represents Bastrop, Guadalupe, and Travis county, current Democratic representative Rebecca Mell-Metereau is not seeking reelection. Democrat Allison Bush will face Republican Mica Arellano for the seat.
In District 6, Republican Will Hickman is also not seeking reelection. Democrat Michelle Palmer will face Republican Tiffany Nelson in the Houston-area district. Democrat Tiffany Perkinz is looking unseat Republican incumbent Julie Pickren in District 7, which represents Galveston and Fort Bend.
In District 8, Republican incumbent Audrey Young is hoping to defend her seat against Democrat Dana Van de Walker.
Learn more about each seat up for grabs here.
County Judges
On a local level, the county judge race in Tarrant County could see a competitive race.
Republican incumbent Tim O’Hare, a self-described MAGA Republican, has served as Tarrant County Judge since 2023 and has developed a reputation beyond county lines for his rigid, highly controlled approach to managing public meetings that have frequently resulted in clashes with attendees and the clearing of the courtroom. He’ll face Democrat Alisa Simmons—who currently serves as county commissioner for Southeast Tarrant County and became a vocal critic of the Republican redistricting plan that redrew her own precinct to favor the GOP—during the general election on Nov. 3. That redistricting ultimately prompted Simmons to seek the countywide judge seat.
Last week, O’Hare and the Republican members of the Tarrant County Commissioners Court received backlash over a proposal to cut polling locations by 45% ahead of the midterm election, with hundreds of residents voicing their dissatisfaction of O’Hare and the current Republican majority on the court.
Additionally, after Democrat Taylor Rehmet beat Republican Leigh Wambsganns in the race for Senate District 9—a historically deep red region—in January, the county has become a purple suburban battleground.
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