Texas Candidate Filing Window Opens Saturday, Busy 2026 Political Year Ahead

Saturday is the first day Texas candidates may file for political offices on the March 3, 2026, primary ballot. It's also the first day independent candidates may file a declaration of intent to run for offices. It's the official kickoff of what is shaping up to be a busy 2026 political year. The filing deadline for both types of candidates is Monday, Dec. 8.

The big question that looms is whether an El Paso federal court will uphold the redrawn Texas congressional map passed in a recent special session of the Texas Legislature. If the court is unable to reach a decision by the Dec. 8 filing deadline it could delay the March primary election, at a minimum, for federal candidates but likely for other races to prevent counties from incurring the expense of conducting separate elections. Federal candidates must know in which district they will run to file for those seats before Dec. 8.

Broadcasters may recall that the 2012 primary election was delayed two months because of a similar scenario, but it involved also involved statehouse district maps in addition to the congressional map.

If the court does not uphold the congressional map, the case would move the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. The more conservative appeals court would likely undo the lower court's ruling.

What Offices Are Up for Election?

The most watched statewide political contest will be the U.S. Senate seat held by longtime incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-San Antonio. Cornyn was first elected to the post in 2002. He is seeking re-election but faces a three-way fight in the GOP primary election with announced candidates Attorney General Ken Paxton, R-McKinney, and TX 38 U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Houston.

The Democratic primary for the seat is equally busy with former TX 32 U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, and HD 50 St. Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, already announcing runs. TX 30 U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, is researching a run for the job as her home was redrawn out of her current congressional district in the recently revamped Texas congressional map.

Other statewide offices are also up for election including those of governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller, land commissioner, agriculture commissioner, a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission, as well as seven seats on the State Board of Education.

All 38 U.S. House seats representing Texas are up for election. Sixteen seats are up for election in the Texas Senate, and all 150 seats are up for election in the Texas House.

Four seats on the Texas Supreme Court and three seats on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals are also up for election.

District components of the Texas legal system are up for election depending on location such as Court of Appeals judges, district judges, district attorneys, and district clerks.

At the county level, county judges are up for election as are county commissioners in precincts 2 and 4, county clerks, and county treasurers. Depending on the county, certain constables, justices of the peace and county court at law judges may be up for election.

TAB Political Broadcasting Help Available

TAB's Guide to Political Broadcasting and TAB political forms, both prepared by our FCC counsel Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman are available in the TAB Members only portion of www.tab.org. TAB also has its 2026 political dates/offices up for election document available there as well. All three are gathered in the TAB Political Advertising Toolkit in the Legal Guides section of the Members only portion of the TAB website.

We encourage members stations to "save the date" of Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2 pm CST, for our 2026 FCC Political Broadcast Rules webinar featuring Scott Flick of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman. Registration details will be released in December. Like political candidates, TAB is waiting to see if the Jan. 14 date holds based on what the federal court in El Paso does.

If the election is delayed, the webinar date would be pushed back. Once the TAB webinar does take place, a recording of it will be added to the TAB Political Advertising Toolkit.

Questions? Contact TAB's Michael Schneider or call (512) 322-9944.