Texas’ Republican-dominated state legislature is in the national spotlight this election cycle, and several local races will again be the focus of big spending from groups trying to shape it.
During the last biennial legislative session Texas lawmakers oversaw the creation of a school voucher program the state had long resisted, reshaping the education landscape for the roughly 5.5 million children served by Texas public schools.
Lawmakers also green-lit President Donald Trump’s plan to redraw the state’s congressional maps outside of the Census cycle, something that could help Republicans retain control of a U.S. House that’s been friendly to the White House’s agenda since Trump returned to office.
“Texas matters,” said Republican strategist Craig Murphy. “Take redistricting, for instance, you can see how important it was, having control the state House, when someone wanted to create better districts for one party.”
Against that backdrop, national resources are already coming into Texas’ state legislative races for 2026. The Democratic Legislative campaign committee has added Texas to its target list for a $50 million budget across several states this election cycle.
Yet the opportunities for Democrats to take more control at the legislature in 2026 are extremely limited — though Bexar County has some of the most competitive seats on that map.
Seats up for grabs
Every seat in the 150-member Texas House, where Republicans currently hold an 88-62 majority, is up for reelection in 2026.
Texas House District 118 on San Antonio’s South Side is one of the state’s only true swing districts, held by state Rep. John Lujan (R-San Antonio), who is running for Congress instead of reelection this year, and certain to be one of the most hard-fought races.
Meanwhile Texas House District 121 on the North Side, represented by state Rep. Marc LaHood, is a much tougher race for Democrats, but one they must continue to target if they’re going to pick up ground.
Before the November election, both parties still have to choose their candidates for these races in the March 3 primary.
This year three longtime Democratic Texas House members, state Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins (D-San Antonio), Philip Cortez (D-San Antonio) and Liz Campos (D-San Antonio), all drew primary challengers who argue that their party should be doing more to fight back against a Republican-led body that keeps marginalizing them from the legislative process.
At the same time two Republicans, state Reps. Mark Dorazio (R-San Antonio) and LaHood, who come from the party’s conservative wing, face GOP primary challengers who want their party to return to its more business-centric roots.
One Democrat, state Rep. Ray Lopez (D-San Antonio), is retiring this year from a safely blue Westside district, where a crowded field of candidates is now vying to replace him.
Filing for the primaries closed on Dec. 8, and these are the candidates that Republicans and Democrats will be choosing from on their respective primary ballots.
The general election in November could also include independent candidates, who must collect signatures to get their names on the ballot, and third-party candidates, who are chosen through a different nominating process.
Candidates are listed in the order they will appear on the March primary ballot.
House District 116
Longtime incumbent state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer (D-San Antonio) is seeking a fifth consecutive term and does not face a primary challenger this year. Martinez Fischer was once the leader of House Democrats’ strategy, but lost that role last session.
He drew one Republican opponent, Rhett Rosenquest Smith, who works in security.
Democrats running for Texas House District 116
Republicans running for Texas House District 116
House District 117
State Rep. Philip Cortez (D-San Antonio) drew a primary challenger this year, attorney Robert Mihara, after he was one of the only Democrats who didn’t leave the state in an effort to break quorum and deny Republicans the votes they needed to approve new GOP-friendly congressional maps.
Republicans have one candidate, Ben Mostyn, who ran for the seat in 2024.
Democrats running for Texas House District 117
Republicans running for Texas House District 117
House District 118
This Southside seat is considered the single most competitive Texas House district. Incumbent Republican John Lujan (R-San Antonio) flipped it for his party, but is running for Congress instead of reelection.
His 2024 Democratic opponent, Kristian Carranza, is running again in 2026. Republicans are choosing from a handful of candidates running to replace Lujan.
Democrats running for Texas House District 118
Republicans running for Texas House District 118
House District 119
Incumbent Democratic state Rep. Liz Campos (D-San Antonio), a former legislative staffer, is running for a fourth term. She faces a Democratic primary challenge from attorney Ryan Ayala, a political newcomer.
The winner will face Republican Melva Rivera Perez, a retired operational planner, in November. Perez is the only Republican running this year.
Democrats running for Texas House District 119
Republicans running for Texas House District 119
House District 120
State Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins (D-San Antonio) is seeking a sixth term in her East Side district. She drew two Democratic primary challengers this year, Democratic activist Bentley Paiz and special education teacher Jordan Brown.
The winner of the Democratic primary will be unopposed in November — no Republicans filed to run.
Democrats running for Texas House District 120
Republicans running for Texas House District 120
None
House District 121
Republican state Rep. Marc LaHood (R-San Antonio) faces a well-funded GOP primary opponent, David McArthur.
The winner will face Democrat Zack Dunn, a prosecutor in the Bexar County DA’s office, in the general election.
An independent candidate, Jonathan LaFevers, is also collecting signatures to appear on the November ballot.
Republicans running for Texas House District 121
Democrats running for Texas House District 121
House District 122
Republican state Rep. Mark Dorazio (R-San Antonio), a leader in the party’s conservative wing, won the seat in 2022. This year he faces a GOP primary challenge from security company owner Willie Ng, who served on the board of the Texas chamber of commerce.
The winner of the March primary will face Democrat Shelly Nickels, a hospital medical director and political newcomer.
Republicans running for Texas House District 122
Democrats running for Texas House District 122
House District 123
Democratic state Rep. Diego Bernal (D-San Antonio) an attorney and former San Antonio City Council member, won the seat in a 2015 special election.
Bernal is once again running unopposed in both the Democratic primary and general election in 2026.
Democrats running for Texas House District 123
Republicans running for Texas House District 123
None
House District 124
Democratic state Rep. Josey Garcia (D-San Antonio), a U.S. Air Force veteran, is seeking a third term in her Southwest side district and did not draw a primary challenger.
She faces a rematch in November with Republican Sylvia Soto, a teacher who ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2024.
Democrats running for Texas House District 124
Republicans running for Texas House District 124
House District 125
Longtime Democratic state Rep. Ray Lopez (D-San Antonio) is retiring this year, creating an opening in his reliably blue Westside seat. The Democratic primary includes a former constable, former Republican, SAISD union leader and Lopez’s chief of staff.
Two Republicans, Ricardo Martinez and Charles “Chuck” Mercer, are vying for their party’s nomination.
Democrats running for Texas House District 125
Republicans running for Texas House District 125
Texas Senate races
Republicans have an even bigger advantage in the Texas Senate, where they control 20 out of 31 seats. Roughly half of the members are up for reelection at a time, serving staggered four-year terms.
This year three out of four Bexar County state Senate seats are up for reelection, but only two are contested, while state Sen. José Menéndez (D-San Antonio) did not draw a primary or general election opponent.
Senate District 19
State Sen. Roland Gutierrez (D-San Antonio), who was first elected in 2020 and ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2024, is unopposed in the Democratic primary.
He’ll face the winner of a three-way Republican primary in November.
Democrats running for Texas Senate District 19
Republicans running for Texas Senate District 19
Senate District 21
Democrat Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo) is one of the longest-serving members of the Texas Senate, first elected in 1986.
She faces a Democratic primary challenger this year and drew one Republican opponent, Julie Dahlberg.
