Illustration by Jordan Johnson
With the Nov. 4 constitutional amendment election complete, Tarrant County voters will now look toward several pivotal races in 2026. Every level of government is setting the stage for potential changes from Arlington to Washington, D.C.
The next and final race of 2025 for some Tarrant County voters will be a runoff election for Texas Senate District 9 on Dec. 13.
Afterward, the next big election — the primaries — will take place March 3, 2026, ahead of the midterms. Primary elections determine which candidates will represent each party come November’s general election.
The last day to register to vote in the primary is Feb. 2, 2026. Residents can check their voter registration status on the Texas Secretary of State website. To register, people must fill out a voter application form and deliver it by hand or mail to the Tarrant County Elections Office.
On May 2, 2026, Arlington will hold its general election to appoint various city council officials and the mayor. Six months later, on Nov. 3, 2026, the general midterm election will appoint the Texas governor, a Texas U.S. senator and various Texas U.S. House seats alongside Texas state House seats and Senate seats.
The Shorthorn compiled a list of prominent upcoming races and candidates for Tarrant County residents to watch for as politicians begin campaigning and filing for elections. Here is what to know.
Tarrant County Commissioners Court
The commissioners court acts as the county’s general governing body and is responsible for actions like setting the tax rate and adopting the county budget, managing all county facilities, hiring county officials, setting voting precincts and determining county polling sites.
The four commissioners, led by the county judge, each represent a precinct. Earlier this year, the commissioners court pushed through a county redistricting that shifted precincts to favor a Republican majority in this upcoming election, notably impacting Arlington voters.
The county judge and seats for Precincts 2 and 4 will be up for election in 2026.
Republican incumbent Judge Tim O’Hare is seeking a second term. His current opponents are Republican precinct chair Robert Buker and Democratic business owner Lydia Bean.
Alisa Simmons is seeking reelection in Precinct 2, which represents most of Arlington. Her opponent is currently Texas Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington, who announced his candidacy less than an hour after commissioners approved the redistricting.
Republican incumbent Manny Ramirez is running for a second Precinct 4 term. He is currently challenged by Nydia Cardenas, Perla Bojorquez and Ryan Watkins.
Arlington City Council
The city council generally functions similarly to the commissioners court. The council approves the city’s budget and tax rates, oversees community facilities and initiatives and manages funding for city infrastructure.
The mayor and the following council seats will be up for election in 2026:
• District 3, held by Nikkie Hunter
• District 4, held by Andrew Piel
• District 5, held by Rebecca Boxall
• District 8, held by Barbara Odom-Wesley
Major Jim Ross recently announced his reelection campaign, seeking a third and final term. First elected in 2021, Ross is a lawyer, a business owner and a former U.S. Marine and Arlington police officer.
Ross is currently the sole public mayoral candidate. Filings for the city election will open Jan. 14, 2026.
Texas House and Senate
The Texas House of Representatives is made up of 150 districts representatives. The House works in conjunction with 31 state senators, who come from separate districts, in order to create and pass bills during legislative sessions.
Both chambers meet alongside the governor and various state officials in regular session for about five months every other year. Critical decisions, like Texas’ congressional map redistricting in August, which boosted GOP representation, have to pass through both chambers and the governor.
All 150 House seats, 11 being from Tarrant County, and 16 state Senate seats, including two from the county, will be up for election in 2026. Voters can visit the capitol.Texas.gov website to find what state and U.S. districts they reside in, and learn about their current representatives and who will run next year.
Texas governor
The governor is Texas’ chief executive and is elected every four years with no term limits. The governor makes policy recommendations that both legislative chambers sponsor and turn into bills. Incumbents are also responsible for appointing various state officials, signing or vetoing legislative bills, convening special sessions and making recommendations to the state budget.
Gov. Greg Abbott is seeking reelection for a fourth term, which would make him the longest-serving governor in state history.
Currently, Abbott is set to face two opponents in the Republican primary in March 2026: Pete Chambers, a Texas Army National Guard veteran and founder of a Christian service organization, and Ronnie Tullos, a small business owner who has worked in construction and as a police officer.
The Democrats’ primary candidates include Texas Rep. Gina Hinojosa, a five-term Austin lawmaker; Andrew White, a Houston businessman and the son of former Gov. Mark White; Bobby Cole, a rancher and retired firefighter; and former U.S. Rep. Chris Bell, a journalist and lawyer.
U.S. House and Senate
The U.S. House and Senate function similarly to the state level, but on a year-round basis. Both chambers work in conjunction with the president and federal executives to pass U.S. legislation. The House consists of 435 seats, 38 from Texas. There are 100 U.S. Senators, two from each state.
All 38 House seats, five being from Tarrant County, and Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn’s seat are up for election in 2026.
Cornyn will be seeking a fifth term and faces multiple challengers for next year’s Republican primary, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep Wesley Hunt, a Houston congressman.
The Democratic primary candidates include Texas Rep. James Talrico, an Austin lawmaker, and Colin Allred, a former U.S. representative from Dallas.
@Pmalkomes