Filing Deadline Closes with a Slew of Contested Races for March 5 Primaries
Austin Texas – The deadline for filing to run in the March 5 Primaries closed on December 11, 2023, Texas sees a multitude of contested races across the State. The political arena is set for an exciting primary season with both familiar faces and new challengers vying for a place on the ballot.
A remarkable surge in political engagement has led to an extraordinary level of competition, with numerous districts witnessing a multitude of candidates vying for their party’s nomination. This historic phenomenon signals a vibrant and dynamic political landscape in the Lone Star State, reflecting a diverse range of voices and perspectives eager to contribute to the state’s legislative decisions. The sheer volume of contested primaries underscores the intensity of the political climate, showcasing a heightened interest and involvement from both seasoned politicians and newcomers alike. As voters prepare to head to the polls, the significance of this historic moment is sure to shape the future trajectory of Texas politics.
In the lead-up to the Texas elections, some key districts are becoming focal points of political tension, with incumbents encountering robust challenges from determined opponents.
District 21: Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan Faces Strong Opposition
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan finds himself in the eye of the political storm as he contends with challengers David Covey and Alicia Davis in District 21. Phelan’s reputation has taken a hit, particularly following his failed attempt to impeach Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Censured by multiple Republican parties across the state, including Travis, Smith, Tarrant, Harris, Orange, Ellis, Dallas, and Montgomery counties, Phelan’s leadership is under intense scrutiny.
Republican Party of Texas (RPT) Chairman Matt Rinaldi expressed his discontent, stating, “This Speaker has done more political damage to his own supporters than any in recent history. He’s making it clear that he doesn’t intend to change a thing unless he’s removed.” With mounting opposition, Phelan’s political future hangs in the balance.
House District 80: Eight Challengers Vie for Nomination
House District 80 is witnessing a crowded field with no less than eight contenders vying for the nomination, five from the Democratic side and three from the Republican camp. The Democratic candidates include Cecilia Castellano, Rosie Cuellar, Teresa Johnson Hernandez, Carlos Lopez, and Graciela Villarreal. On the Republican front, contenders are Don McLaughlin, Clint Powell, and JR Ramirez.
Currently held by Democrat Tracy King, this South Texas district encompasses Uvalde, Pearsall, and extends south to Laredo. The diverse pool of candidates indicates a fervent desire for change and new representation.
District 68: Republican Incumbent David Spiller Faces Dual Challenge
In District 68, Republican incumbent David Spiller is navigating a challenging path as he contends for the Republican nomination against Kerri Kingsbery, while also facing an unlikely Democratic challenger, Stacey Swann. Kingsbery, endorsed by Ken Paxton, stands out as a formidable contender with a potential to unseat Spiller.
Kingsbery’s advocacy for prioritizing Republican legislative goals has garnered support from the conservative base. The race in District 68 underscores the broader theme of a changing political landscape, with candidates seeking to align with the priorities of their constituents.
These pivotal contests are part of a larger landscape of challenges across various districts. For a comprehensive view of all districts and candidates under challenge, refer to the detailed table available below. As the election season unfolds, these districts will be closely watched, offering voters the opportunity to choose representatives who resonate with their values and expectations for effective leadership. The outcome in these key races, along with others in the state, may well shape the future direction of Texas politics.
| District | Democrat | Republican |
| District 1 | . | Gary VanDeaver (i) |
| . | . | Dale Huls |
| . | . | Chris Spencer |
| District 2 | Kristen Washington | Jill Dutton |
| . | . | Brent Money |
| District 4 | Alex Bar-Sela | Keith Bell (i) |
| . | . | Joshua Feuerstein |
| . | . | Cole Hefner (i) |
| . | . | Dewey Collier |
| . | . | Jeff Fletcher |
| District 7 | Marlena Cooper | Jay Dean (i) |
| . | . | Joe Mcdaniel |
| . | . | Bonnie Walters |
| District 8 | Carolyn Salter | Cody Harris (i) |
| . | . | Jaye Curtis |
| District 11 | . | Travis Clardy (i) |
| . | . | Joanne Shofner |
| District 12 | Dee Howard Mullins | John Slocum |
| . | . | Trey Wharton |
| District 14 | Fred Medina | Rick Davis |
| . | . | Paul Dyson |
| District 15 | . | Steve Toth (i) |
| . | . | Skeeter Hubert |
| District 17 | Desiree Venable | Stan Gerdes (i) |
| . | . | Tom Glass |
| District 18 | . | Ernest Bailes (i) |
| . | . | Janis Holt |
| . | . | Stephen Missick |
| District 19 | Dwain Handley | Ellen Troxclair (i) |
| . | Zach Vance | Kyle Biedermann |
| District 20 | Stephen Wyman | Terry Wilson (i) |
| . | . | Elva Janine Chapa |
| District 21 | . | Dade Phelan (i) |
| . | . | David Covey |
| . | . | Alicia Davis |
| District 22 | Christian Manuel (i) | . |
| . | Luther Wayne Martin III | . |
| . | Al Price Jr. | . |
| District 23 | Keith Henry | Terri Leo-Wilson (i) |
| . | Dev Merugumala | . |
| District 24 | . | Greg Bonnen (i) |
| . | . | Larissa Ramirez |
| District 26 | Daniel Lee | Jacey Jetton (i) |
| . | . | Jessica Huang |
| . | . | Matt Morgan |
| District 28 | Marty Rocha | Gary Gates (i) |
| . | . | Dan Mathews |
| District 29 | Adrienne Bell | Jeffrey Barry |
| . | . | Alex Kamkar |
| . | . | Edgar Pacheco Jr. |
| . | . | Trent Perez |
| District 30 | Stephanie Bassham | Bret Baldwin |
| . | . | Jeff Bauknight |
| . | . | Vanessa Hicks-Callaway |
| . | . | A.J. Louderback |
| District 33 | . | Justin Holland (i) |
| . | . | Dennis London |
| . | . | Katrina Pierson |
| District 34 | Roland Barrera | . |
| . | Solomon Ortiz | . |
| District 37 | Ruben Cortez Jr. | Janie Lopez (i) |
| . | Alex Dominguez | . |
| . | Jonathan Gracia | . |
| . | Carol Lynn Sanchez | . |
| District 39 | Armando Martinez (i) | Robert Cantu |
| . | . | Jimmie Garcia |
| District 44 | Eric Norman | John Kuempel (i) |
| . | . | David Freimarck |
| . | . | Greg Switzer |
| District 45 | Erin Zwiener (i) | Tennyson Moreno |
| . | Chevo Pastrano | . |
| District 52 | Jennie Birkholz | Caroline Harris (i) |
| . | Angel Carroll | . |
| District 53 | Joe P. Herrera | Hatch Smith |
| . | . | Wes Virdell |
| District 55 | Jennifer Lee | Hugh Shine (i) |
| . | . | Davis Ford |
| . | . | Hillary Hickland |
| District 56 | Erin Shank | Pat Curry |
| . | . | Devvie Duke |
| District 58 | . | DeWayne Burns (i) |
| . | . | Helen Kerwin |
| District 60 | . | Glenn Rogers (i) |
| . | . | Mike Olcott |
| District 61 | Tony Adams | Frederick Frazier (i) |
| . | . | Chuck Branch |
| . | . | Keresa Richardson |
| District 63 | Michelle Beckley | Ben Bumgarner (i) |
| . | H. Denise Wooten | Carlos Andino Jr. |
| . | . | Vincent Gallo |
| District 64 | Angela Brewer | Lynn Stucky (i) |
| . | . | Elaine Hays |
| . | . | Andy Hopper |
| District 65 | Detrick Deburr | Kronda Thimesch (i) |
| . | . | Mitch Little |
| District 66 | . | Matt Shaheen (i) |
| . | . | Wayne Richard |
| District 67 | Jefferson Nunn | Jeff Leach (i) |
| . | . | Daren Meis |
| District 68 | Stacey Swann | David Spiller (i) |
| . | . | Kerri Kingsbery |
| District 70 | Mihaela Plesa (i) | Joe Collins |
| . | . | Steven Kinard |
| District 71 | Linda Goolsbee | Stan Lambert (i) |
| . | . | Charles Byrn |
| . | . | Liz Case |
| District 72 | . | Drew Darby (i) |
| . | . | Stormy Bradley |
| District 74 | Eddie Morales Jr. (i) | Robert Garza |
| . | . | John Mcleon |
| District 76 | Suleman Lalani (i) | Dayo David |
| . | . | Summara Kanwal |
| . | . | Lea Simmons |
| District 77 | Alexsandra Annello | . |
| . | Norma Chavez | . |
| . | Vincent Perez | . |
| . | Homer Reza | . |
| District 80 | Cecilia Castellano | Don McLaughlin |
| . | Rosie Cuellar | Clint Powell |
| . | Teresa Johnson Hernandez | JR Ramirez |
| . | Carlos Lopez | . |
| . | Graciela Villarreal | . |
| District 83 | . | Dustin Burrows (i) |
| . | . | Wade Cowan |
| District 85 | . | Stan Kitzman (i) |
| . | . | Tim Greeson |
| District 86 | . | John Smithee (i) |
| . | . | Jamie Haynes |
| District 87 | Timothy Gassaway | Richard Beyea |
| . | . | Cindi Bulla |
| . | . | Caroline Fairly |
| . | . | Jesse Quackenbush |
| District 88 | . | Ken King (i) |
| . | . | Karen Post |
| District 89 | . | Candy Noble (i) |
| . | . | Abraham George |
| District 91 | . | Stephanie Klick (i) |
| . | . | David Lowe |
| District 97 | Diane Symons | Cheryl Bean |
| . | Carlos Walker | John McQueeney |
| . | . | Leslie Robnett |
| District 99 | Mimi Coffey | Charlie Geren (i) |
| . | . | Jack Reynolds |
| District 100 | Venton Jones (i) | . |
| . | Barbara Mallory Caraway | . |
| . | Sandra Crenshaw | . |
| . | Justice McFarlane | . |
| District 107 | Linda Garcia | . |
| . | Christine Roman | . |
| District 108 | Elizabeth Ginsberg | Morgan Meyer (i) |
| . | Yasmin Simon | Barry Wernick |
| District 109 | Aicha Davis | . |
| . | Victoria Walton | . |
| District 112 | Averie Bishop | Angie Chen Button (i) |
| . | . | Chad Carnahan |
| District 115 | Scarlett Cornwallis | John Jun |
| . | Cassandra Garcia Hernandez | . |
| . | Kate Rumsey | . |
| District 118 | Kristian Carranza | John Lujan (i) |
| . | Carlos Quezada | . |
| District 119 | Elizabeth Campos (i) | Brandon Grable |
| . | Charles Fuentes | . |
| District 121 | Shekhar Sinha | Steve Allison (i) |
| . | Laurel Jordan Swift | Michael Champion |
| . | . | Marc LaHood |
| District 128 | Charles Crews | Briscoe Cain (i) |
| . | . | Bianca Gracia |
| District 130 | Henry Arturo | Tom Oliverson (i) |
| . | Brett Robinson | . |
| District 131 | Alma Allen (i) | . |
| . | James Guillory | . |
| . | Erik Wilson | . |
| District 133 | . | Mano Deayala (i) |
| . | . | John Perez |
| District 138 | Stephanie Morales | Lacey Hull (i) |
| . | . | Jared Woodfill |
| District 139 | Rosalind Caesar | . |
| . | Jerry Ford Sr. | . |
| . | Mo Jenkins | . |
| . | Angeanette Thibodeaux | . |
| . | Charlene Ward Johnson | . |
| District 142 | Harold Dutton Jr. (i) | . |
| . | Joyce Chatman | . |
| . | Clint Horn | . |
| . | Danyahel Norris | . |
| District 146 | Shawn Thierry (i) | Lance York |
| . | Lauren Ashley Simmons | . |
| . | Ashton Woods | . |
| District 149 | Hubert Vo (i) | Lily Truong |
| . | David Romero | . |