(The Center Square) – Multiple candidates are running for office in the March 5 primary election.
After the filing deadline of Dec. 11 passed, the Secretary of State published a list of candidates running for office. They include candidates running for Railroad Commissioner, the Texas Supreme Court, Texas Criminal Court of Appeals, State Board of Education, and state legislatures. All 150 seats of the Texas House are on the ballot.
Because of redistricting and Texas Senate seats have staggered terms, only 15 seats in the upper chamber are on the 2024 ballot. There are 31 state senate districts in Texas, representing a 2020 Census population of 940,178.
Several incumbent state senators are running for reelection in races in which they are expected to win. Two races have multiple candidates running in open seats. The largest number of candidates on the ballot is in north Texas in Senate District 30, where incumbent state Sen. Drew Springer announced he’s not running for reelection. In District 15, multiple candidates are running to fill the seat held for 40 years by state Sen. John Whitmire, who was just elected as Houston’s next mayor.
In District 6, which includes a central part of Houston and Harris County that leans 66% Democrat, Republican Martha Fierro is challenging incumbent Democrat Carol Alvarado.
In neighboring District 7, which includes the western part of Harris County and a small part of Montgomery County that leans 62% Republican, two Democrats are running hoping to unseat incumbent Republican Paul Bettencourt: Nasir Malik and Michelle Gwinn.
In north Texas in District 8, which leans 60% Republican, Democrat Rachel Mello is seeking to unseat incumbent Republican Angela Paxton.
In north Texas’ in District 10, which also leans 60% Republican, Democrat Andy Morris hopes to unseat Republican Phil King.
In neighboring District 12, which also leans 60% Republican, Democrat Stephanie Draper seeks to unseat Republican Tan Parker.
In District 14, which covers most of Travis County and leans 75% Democrat, incumbent Democrat Sarah Eckhardt runs unopposed.
In District 15, which includes a section of Harris County that leans over 60% Democrat, multiple Democrats are running: Michelle Bonton, Beto Cardenas, Molly Cook, Jarvis Johnson, Todd Litton, and Karthik Soora. One Republican, Joseph Trahan, a Houston businessman and founder of BIZPAC Review, is running.
In north Texas District 16, which covers part of Dallas County and leans over 60% Democrat, Democrat Victoria Neave Criado is challenging incumbent Democrat Nathan Johnson. No Republican is running.
In District 17, which includes part of Houston and Harris County and leans over 60% Republican, Democrat Kathy Cheng is hoping to unseat Republican Joan Huffman.
In District 20 in Brooks County, which has been hit hard by illegal border crossings and leans over 50% Democrat, Republican Raul Torres is challenging incumbent Democrat Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa.
In District 23 in Dallas County, which leans over 75% Democrat, incumbent Democrat Royce West is running for reelection unopposed.
In District 25, which includes several counties in the San Antonio area and leans over 60% Republican, Democrat Merrie Fox is hoping to unseat incumbent Republican Dr. Donna Campbell.
In the Rio Grande Valley in District 27, which leans over 50% Democrat, Republican Adam Hinojosa is hoping to unseat incumbent Democrat Morgan LaMantia.
In far west Texas, in District 29, which leans over 60% Democrat, incumbent Democrat César Blanco is running for reelection unopposed.
In District 30, which includes several counties bordering Oklahoma that lean over 60% Republican, seven candidates are running. They include three Democrats: Michael Braxton, Dale Frey, and Matthew McGhee; and four Republicans: Cody Clark, Carrie de Moor, Brent Hagenbuch, and Jace Yarbrough.
