Filing for Texas’ 2026 primary election is open, and candidates are announcing their bids for Tarrant County-area offices.
For Tarrant voters, March’s ballot will include the county judge race as well as two county commissioners; eight seats in the Texas House; two Texas Senate positions; the Republican and Democratic parties’ county chairs; county and district clerks; justices of the peace and various judges.
Primary elections determine Democratic and Republican nominees for voters to choose between in the general election in November. The primary election is March 3, and the deadline to register to vote is Feb. 2. Voters may check their registration status here.
The period for candidates to apply for a place on the primary ballot runs Nov. 8 to Dec. 8. Filing for the general election that includes municipal offices opens in January. Incumbent candidates won’t face challengers of the opposite party until November 2026.
Here are the candidates who have filed for office or announced a campaign so far.
Tarrant County Judge
Republican incumbent Tim O’Hare is seeking his second term in the countywide position. So far, he faces two challengers: Republican precinct chair Robert Buker and Democratic business owner Lydia Bean.
Tarrant County Commissioner, Precinct 2
Democratic incumbent Alisa Simmons said she will seek reelection after her Republican colleagues adopted a new district map intended to make her seat easier for GOP candidates to win. Former Texas House member Tony Tinderholt, a Republican, also is seeking the seat that represents the southwestern and southeastern parts of the county.
Tarrant County Commissioner, Precinct 4
Republican incumbent Manny Ramirez is seeking his second term representing the northwest part of the county. He faces three challengers, Nydia Cardenas, Perla Bojorquez and Ryan Watkins.
Tarrant County Republican Party chair
Incumbent Bo French is not seeking reelection. He announced he is campaigning to be a Texas railroad commissioner, the agency that oversees the state’s oil and gas industry. Two candidates are seeking the position of county chair: attorney Tim Davis and electrical engineer and entrepreneur Shellie Gardner.
Tarrant County Democratic Party chair
Incumbent Allison Campolo is seeking reelection after a special election named her chair earlier this year.
Criminal District Attorney
Republican incumbent Phil Sorrells is seeking reelection. He is facing one challenger: Democrat Tiffany Burks.
District Clerk
Republican incumbent Tom Wilder is seeking reelection after serving in the role for three decades. He is facing at least one challenger: Democrat Nathan Smith.
Texas House District 90
Democratic incumbent Ramon Romero Jr. is seeking reelection to the Fort Worth seat he has held since 2015.
Texas House District 91
Republican incumbent David Lowe is seeking his second term representing North Richland Hills, Watauga, Haltom City and part of north Fort Worth.
Texas House District 92
Democratic incumbent Salman Bhojani is seeking his third term representing parts of the cities of Hurst, Euless, Bedford, Grand Prairie, Arlington and Fort Worth. Republican Joseph Robinson is also running.
Texas House District 93
Republican incumbent Nate Schatzline is not seeking reelection after being appointed to President Donald Trump’s National Faith Advisory Board. Two Republicans are seeking the seat to represent parts of north Fort Worth, Saginaw and Haslet: Fort Worth City Council member Alan Blaylock and Northwest ISD trustee Steve Sprowls.
Texas House District 94
Republicans Cheryl Bean, Mike Ingraham, Jackie Schlegel and Susan Valliant, as well as Democrats Katie O’Brien Duzan and Rogelio Meixueiro are seeking the House seat that Tinderholt previously held, which represents parts of Fort Worth, Arlington, Hurst, Bedford, Pantego and Dalworthington Gardens.
Texas House District 95
Democratic incumbent Nicole Collier is seeking reelection to the seat representing part of Fort Worth, Forest Hill and Everman.
Texas House District 96
Republican incumbent David Cook is seeking election to Senate District 22 instead of reelection to the Texas House. Ellen Fleischmann is seeking the seat representing parts of Mansfield, Arlington, Kennedale and Fort Worth.
Texas House District 97
Republican incumbent John McQueeney is seeking reelection to the seat representing parts of Fort Worth, Benbrook, Crowley and White Settlement.
Texas House District 98
Republican incumbent Giovanni Capriglione is not seeking reelection after 13 years representing Keller, Grapevine, Euless and Colleyville. Republican Keller Mayor Armin Mizani is seeking the seat. Keller Mayor Armin Mizani and businessman Fred Tate, both Republicans, are seeking the seat.
Texas House District 99
Republican incumbent Charlie Geren is seeking reelection to the seat representing part of Fort Worth, Azle, Benbrook and Westworth Village.
Texas House District 101
Democratic incumbent Chris Turner is seeking reelection to the seat representing parts of Arlington and Grand Prairie.
Texas Senate District 9
Republican incumbent Kelly Hancock resigned — representing parts of Fort Worth, Haltom City, Watauga, North Richland Hills, Saginaw, Haslet, Southlake and Keller — earlier this year to serve as acting state comptroller. Two candidates, Democrat Taylor Rehmet and Republican Leigh Wambsganss, are heading to a runoff election to serve the remainder of his term, which ends in 2027. Whoever wins the runoff must immediately campaign for reelection in the general election next year.
Texas Senate District 23
Democratic incumbent Royce West is seeking reelection to the seat that primarily represents parts of Dallas County but also includes parts of Grand Prairie and Arlington.
U.S. House District 12
Republican incumbent Craig Goldman is seeking reelection to the congressional seat representing Fort Worth.
U.S. House District 24
Republican incumbent Beth Van Duyne is seeking reelection to the seat representing parts of Euless, Colleyville, Keller, Southlake, Coppell and Watauga. Democrat TJ Ware is challenging her for the seat.
U.S. House District 25
Republican incumbent Roger Williams is seeking reelection to the seat that includes a small portion of south Fort Worth and Crowley. Democrat William Marks is also running.
U.S. House District 33
Democratic incumbent Marc Veasey will seek reelection after a federal judicial panel blocked Texas’ congressional redistricting plan that drew his district out of Tarrant County. The plan was part of the state’s mid-cycle redistricting that President Donald Trump sought to increase GOP representation in Congress. Democrat Zeeshan Hafeez is also running.
Editor's note: This story was updated Nov. 19 with additional candidate filings and information.
Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org.
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