2026 Primary Election: Key races in North Texas and sample ballots

DALLAS - Before you head to the polls for the Texas Primary, you can see your sample ballot to find out what you will be voting on.

Key Races in North Texas

U.S. Senate

Polls show a tight GOP U.S. Senate race | Battleground Texas

The latest poll numbers show a very close race between John Cornyn and Ken Paxton for the U.S. Senate Republican nomination. Politics reporters Steven Dial, Greg Groogan, and Rudy Koski share what they've learned.

The biggest race on the ballot is the statewide race for John Cornyn's U.S. Senate seat. Republican voters will be selecting between John Cornyn, Ken Paxton, and Wesley Hunt. Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico are the front-runners for the Democratic nomination.

U.S. House District 30

Dallas pastor Freddy Haynes launches House bid

Friendship West Baptist Church pastor Freddy Haynes held his first campaign event in Dallas on Monday in the race for the District 30 seat that Jasmine Crockett currently holds. She's running for U.S. Senate.

District 30 was held by Jasmine Crockett. The district was part of the redrawn Texas congressional maps and now covers mostly southern Dallas County and a small part of Tarrant County. Crockett is not running for reelection and is instead looking for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate.

Three candidates are vying for the Democratic nomination. Barbara Mallory Caraway is a former member of the Texas Legislature and a former Dallas City Council member. Frederick Haynes is the senior pastor at Friendship-West Baptist Church and activist who works with organizations that promote social change and education. And Rodney LaBruce is an Army veteran who says he wants to make sure every voice in the district is heard with an understanding of the issues facing the district.

Four Republicans are facing off for the party’s nomination. Sholdon Daniels is an Army veteran, attorney and small business owner. Daniels says he wants to bring real-world experience and common-sense values to the office. Gregorio Heise is a Navy veteran and a businessman whose family owns a jewelry store in Abilene. Everett Jackson is a community organizer and small business owner and Nils Walker is a native Texan who said he wants to give back to the state that’s given him so much.

U.S. House District 32

District 32 was held by Julie Johnson, but it was redrawn during the last legislative session, forcing her to run in District 33. The district went from a solid Democratic stronghold in Dallas to a Republican-leaning district that covers parts of northern Dallas County, Rockwall County, and East Texas.

The race for the Democratic nomination is between just two candidates. Dan Barrios has served as a member of the Richardson City Council since 2023 and Anthony Bridges is a combat veteran and first responder.

On the Republican side, Ryan Brinkley ran for president in 2024 and currently serves as the lead pastor at Create Church in McKinney. Paul Bondar or "Big Paul Bondar" gained attention with television commercials highlighting his size. He's a former football player and business leader. Aimee Carrasco is a Marine veteran and mental health advocate. Darrell Day is a small business owner and former Arlington City Council member. Gordon Heslop, a retired educator, calls himself a MANA candidate – Make America Normal Again.

U.S. House District 33

Race between Colin Allred, Julie Johnson for Texas' 33rd congressional district heats up

The Democratic primary race for the newly drawn 33rd congressional district pits a current member of Congress against a former member of Congress. Julie Johnson currently represents the 32nd district, a seat Colin Allred gave up when he ran for US Senate in 2024. Now both are head-to-head for the new seat. FOX 4’s Steven Dial spoke to both candidates over Zoom to get a better picture of the race.

District 33, which was also redrawn during the last legislative session, went from covering parts of both Tarrant and Dallas counties to just central Dallas County.

Julie Johnson will try to get reelected in this district. She’ll be challenged in the Democratic primary by Colin Allred, who held Johnson’s seat before challenging for Senate in 2024. They also face Zeeshan Hafeez, an attorney and technology executive, and community activist Carlos Quintanilla.

For the Republicans, conservative aerospace technical writer Patrick Gillespie is facing Monte "Doc" Mitchell, a physician and seminarian, Kurt Schwab, a combat veteran, USO director, and nonprofit leader, and John Sims, a first responder and volunteer who has also worked with several youth organizations.

U.S. House District 24

The boundaries of District 24 changed only slightly after being redrawn. It still covers mostly northern Tarrant County. Incumbent Beth Van Duyne is the only Republican candidate. Three candidates are vying for the Democratic nomination: Jon Buchwald, Kevin Burge, and TJ Ware.

U.S. House District 25

District 25 includes a portion of Tarrant County and several other counties west of the metroplex. Dione Sims, the granddaughter of Fort Worth activist Opal Lee, is running in this district against William Marks in the Democratic primary. Both will face an uphill battle in November against longtime Republican incumbent Roger Williams.

Opal Lee's granddaughter runs for Congress

The granddaughter of Fort Worth's Opal Lee, who was by her side on the journey to make Juneteenth a federal holiday, is running for Congress.

U.S. House District 3

Most of Collin County is in District 3. Republican incumbent Keith Self is running against Mark Newgent. The winner will face Democratic challenger Evan Hunt in November.

U.S. House District 4

District 4 includes a small portion of Collin County, as well as Grayson and Fannin counties. Incumbent Pat Fallon will be challenged by Don Horn on the Republican side. Jason Pearce and Andrew Rubell are running for the Democrats.

U.S. House District 5

District 5 includes parts of Kaufman County and East Texas. Incumbent Lance Gooden will face off in November with one of three Democrats: Chelsey Hockett, Forrest Lumpkin, and Ruth Torres.

State House District 98

This Tarrant County-area race has three Republican candidates and two Democratic candidates. On the Republican side, things have gotten heated between Keller Mayor Armin Mizani and Fred Tate, who has the governor's endorsement.

North Texas Sample Ballots

FILE - Photo by: Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Visit your county's election page for sample ballots and additional resources.

To double-check in your specific county, visit the Am I Registered portal on the Secretary of State’s website. It will list the locations where you can vote, as well as sample ballots.

The FOX 4 Elections page also has breakdowns of some of the hot ticket items Texans are voting on during this election.

Can I bring my sample ballot or notes?

According to the U.S. government, you can bring notes or a sample ballot with you to the polls. However, you can't use your phone in the polling location, so you need to print it out. They advise you check with your local election office before you go.

2026 Texas Election Guide

How to report voting issues

If you have problems or questions, you can call the Secretary of State’s toll-free election hotline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683) or email elections@sos.texas.gov. To file a formal complaint, download the complaint form here. It can be submitted by mail, fax, or email.