Early voting in the 2026 Texas Republican primary began this morning, and voters across the Lone Star State can walk into their polling place and cast a ballot for a candidate who has made a public, unequivocal commitment to Texas First — not Washington First.
The Texas First Pledge, hosted at taketexasback.com, asks candidates to commit to prioritizing Texas interests over the directives of the federal government and the political establishment in Washington, D.C. It is not a poll. It is not a survey. It is a signed public declaration. And as of today, more than 80 candidates who signed that pledge appear on the 2026 Republican primary ballot — running for everything from Governor to Precinct Chair.
The Texian Partisan has compiled a complete list of every Texas First Pledge signer confirmed on the March 3 ballot, organized by race. Whether you are voting in the statewide races or in a county commissioner contest, there is a good chance a Texas First candidate is on your ballot. Use this guide. Share it. Print it if you have to.
Early voting runs through February 27. Election Day is March 3. The window is open. Texas First starts now.
Statewide Races
Six Texas First Pledge signers are competing in statewide Republican primary races — the highest-profile contests on the ballot. Three of those races include sitting officeholders or well-known political figures, and all are contested.
Governor
The Governor’s race is the marquee contest of the 2026 cycle, featuring an 11-candidate Republican primary with incumbent Greg Abbott at the top. Two Texas First Pledge signers have entered the race to challenge him.
- Evelyn Brooks — Challenger, 11-way GOP primary vs. Abbott and others
- Pete Chambers — Challenger, 11-way GOP primary vs. Abbott and others
Lieutenant Governor
- Timothy Mabry — Challenger, 4-way GOP primary vs. incumbent Dan Patrick, Hopkins, and Wueschner
Comptroller of Public Accounts
Don Huffines, who mounted a primary challenge against Greg Abbott in 2022, is back on the ballot — this time running for Comptroller in a 4-way primary field.
- Don Huffines — Challenger, 4-way GOP primary vs. Hancock, Berlanga, and Craddick
Commissioner of Agriculture
Incumbent Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller signed the Texas First Pledge and is seeking re-election.
- Sid Miller — Incumbent, 2-way GOP primary vs. Nate Sheets
Railroad Commissioner
- James Matlock — Challenger, 5-way GOP primary vs. Wright, Culbert, Dunlap, and French
U.S. Congressional Races
Four Texas First Pledge signers are competing for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, challenging incumbents in three of the four districts. These races represent the movement’s most direct attempt to change the composition of Texas’s congressional delegation.
- Steve Toth — CD-2 — Challenger vs. incumbent Dan Crenshaw, 4-way primary; formerly State Rep HD-15
- Weston Martinez — CD-21 — Challenger in 12-way primary for Chip Roy’s open seat
- Quico Canseco — CD-23 — Challenger vs. incumbent Tony Gonzales; former U.S. Rep (2011–2013)
- Chris Hatley — CD-27 — Challenger vs. incumbent Michael Cloud; retired U.S. Army Lt. Colonel, West Point graduate, lifetime TNM member
Note: Both Quico Canseco and Chris Hatley have committed to the Texas First Pledge but their names have not yet appeared in the public database at taketexasback.com. Their commitment has been independently confirmed.
Texas State Senate
Two Texas First Pledge signers are running for the Texas State Senate, each taking on a formidable opponent in a contested race.
- Rhonda Ward — SD-3 — Challenger vs. incumbent Trent Ashby, 2-way primary
- Julie Dahlberg — SD-21 — Unopposed in GOP primary; faces Democratic incumbent Judith Zaffirini in November
Texas State House of Representatives
The State House is where the Texas First movement has its largest footprint on the 2026 ballot. Twenty-two pledge signers are running for seats in the Texas House — including ten incumbent state representatives seeking re-election, and twelve challengers taking on sitting members or running in contested primaries.
Several of these races feature Texas First challengers taking on Republican incumbents who have resisted the movement’s priorities, including contested primaries in HD-5, HD-7, HD-8, HD-16, HD-17, HD-67, HD-89, and HD-138.
- Brent Money — HD-2 — Incumbent, unopposed in GOP primary
- Dewey Collier — HD-5 — Challenger vs. incumbent Cole Hefner
- Melissa Beckett — HD-7 — Challenger vs. incumbent Jay Dean
- Daniel Hunt — HD-8 — Challenger vs. incumbent Cody Harris
- Paulette Carson — HD-9 — 3-way primary vs. Sjoberg and Thigpen
- Jon Bouche — HD-16 — Challenger vs. incumbent Will Metcalf
- Tom Glass — HD-17 — Challenger vs. incumbent Stan Gerdes
- Janis Holt — HD-18 — Incumbent, unopposed in GOP primary
- A.J. Louderback — HD-30 — Incumbent, unopposed in GOP primary
- Wesley Virdell — HD-53 — Incumbent, unopposed in GOP primary
- Keresa Richardson — HD-61 — Incumbent, primary vs. Frederick Frazier
- Shelley Luther — HD-62 — Incumbent, unopposed in GOP primary
- Andy Hopper — HD-64 — Incumbent, primary vs. Lisa McEntire
- Mitch Little — HD-65 — Incumbent, unopposed in GOP primary
- Matt Thorsen — HD-67 — Challenger vs. incumbent Jeff Leach
- Lea Simmons — HD-76 — 3-way primary vs. Amuta and Howell
- Jeffrey Forrester — HD-89 — 3-way primary vs. incumbent Candy Noble and Freddie America
- David Lowe — HD-91 — Incumbent, primary vs. Kyle Morris
- Timothy McDonough — HD-114 — Unopposed in GOP primary; faces Dem incumbent John Bryant in November
- Ben Mostyn — HD-117 — Unopposed in GOP primary; faces Dem incumbent Philip Cortez in November
- Polly Looper — HD-126 — 3-way primary vs. Kelly Peterson and Stan Stanart
- Josh Flynn — HD-138 — 3-way primary vs. incumbent Lacey Hull and Natalie Blasingame
State Board of Education
Three Texas First Pledge signers are running for the State Board of Education. Notably, two of them — Rachel Hogue and Kason Huddleston — are both pledge signers running against each other in SBOE District 9.
- Julie Pickren — SBOE-7 — Incumbent, unopposed in GOP primary
- Rachel Hogue — SBOE-9 — Challenger, 3-way primary vs. Huddleston and Yearout
- Kason Huddleston — SBOE-9 — Challenger, 3-way primary vs. Hogue and Yearout
County-Level Races
Texas First Pledge signers are competing across a range of county-level offices, from County Commissioner to Justice of the Peace.
County Judge
- Kayne Parrish — Comal County
County Commissioner
- Cody Berry — Angelina County, Pct 1 (Special) — Challenger vs. incumbent Tim Sprinkle
- Tim Sprinkle — Angelina County, Pct 1 (Special) — Incumbent vs. Cody Berry
- Scott Hommel — Lamar County, Pct 4 — Challenger, 4-way primary
- Shannon Birkelbach — Waller County, Pct 2 — Confirmed on ballot
County Clerk
- Tamara McFarlane — Fort Bend County — Challenger, 2-way primary vs. J.J. Clemence
District Clerk
- Rebecca Eubank — McLennan County — Challenger, 2-way primary vs. Connley Litton
Justice of the Peace
- Barbara Harrell — Comal County, Pct 3 — Challenger, 5-way primary
- Naomi Narvaiz — Comal County, Pct 3 — Challenger, 5-way primary
- Daniel Caldwell — Denton County, Pct 3 — Challenger vs. incumbent James Kerbow
- Martin Padeti — Denton County, Pct 2 — Challenger, 3-way primary
- Christopher Gregory — Tarrant County, Pct 4 — Incumbent, running for re-election
- Clay Rankin — Hunt County, Pct 4 — Incumbent, running for re-election
Republican Party County Chair
County Chair positions are elected on the Republican primary ballot. The following Texas First Pledge signers are confirmed as running for County Chair in 2026.
- Allen West — Dallas County — Incumbent
- Kyle Biedermann — Gillespie County — Candidate; former State Rep HD-73/HD-19
- Brian Fitzgerald — Nacogdoches County — Challenger vs. incumbent Nicole Tarpley
- Eric Riddle — Ochiltree County — Candidate, filed November 2025
- Michael McCracken — Angelina County — Incumbent
- Tonya Sue Logsdon — Somervell County — Incumbent
- Gwen Withrow — Montgomery County — Incumbent
- Robert Poynter — Tyler County — Incumbent, confirmed per TX GOP directory; also serves as Mayor of Chester
Republican Party Precinct Chair
Precinct Chair is the most grassroots level of the Republican Party structure — and it is elected on the primary ballot. Texas First Pledge signers are running for Precinct Chair in at least a dozen counties across the state. These races may be small in scope, but they determine who controls the party apparatus at the ground level, who becomes a delegate to the state convention, and who sits in the room when the party makes its most important decisions.
- Barbara Palmer — Collin County (Pct 228) — Confirmed on ballot
- Eric Spaude — Smith County (Pct 224) — Confirmed on ballot, vs. Sharon Emmert
- Chris Powell — Harris County — Filed January 2026
- Mack Dunkin — Angelina County — Incumbent
- MaryJane McKee — Angelina County — Incumbent
- Mike Jackson — Angelina County — Incumbent
- Roger Scogin — Angelina County — Incumbent
- Allen Hamilton — Bexar County — Incumbent
- Rian Hanes — Bexar County — Incumbent
- Mike Greenhaw — Cherokee County — Incumbent
- Mike Smith — Cherokee County — Incumbent
- Frank DeSimone — Collin County — Incumbent
- Kenneth Kasper — Comal County — Incumbent
- Angela Heiter — Dallas County — Incumbent
- Haley Kyles — Dallas County — Incumbent
- Mike Montes — Denton County — Incumbent
- Joy Roberts — Grayson County — Incumbent
- Forrest Davis III — Johnson County — Incumbent
- Donna McClure — Live Oak County — Incumbent
- Manuel G Chapa Jr — Nueces County — Incumbent
- Timothy Morrison — Orange County — Incumbent
- Charles Turner — Smith County — Incumbent
- Lee Jacobsen — Taylor County — Incumbent
- Mitch Kovalcik — Walker County — Incumbent
- Ron Smith — Walker County — Incumbent
- Tammy Blackwell — Walker County — Incumbent
- Buddy Wetuski — Williamson County — Incumbent
Head-to-Head: Texas First vs. Texas First
In three races, two Texas First Pledge signers are running against each other. These are not ideological showdowns — both candidates in each matchup have committed to the same Texas First principles. Voters in these districts face a choice between two allies, not two adversaries. The movement wins either way.
SBOE District 9: Rachel Hogue vs. Kason Huddleston (plus Stephen Yearout)
Angelina County Commissioner Pct 1 (Special): Cody Berry vs. Tim Sprinkle
Comal County JP Pct 3: Barbara Harrell vs. Naomi Narvaiz (plus three additional candidates)
The Bigger Picture
The numbers tell a story worth understanding. Of the 221 total signers in the Texas First Pledge database as of today, approximately 83 confirmed candidates appear on the March 3 primary ballot. Another 24 pledge signers — including State Chair Abraham George and multiple SREC members — will have their positions decided at the RPT State Convention in Houston in June.
That means the Texas First movement is not just contesting one race or one level of government. It is contesting every rung of the ladder simultaneously: the Governor’s mansion, the congressional delegation, the state legislature, the State Board of Education, county offices, and the party infrastructure itself.
This is what an organized political movement looks like. Not a moment. A strategy.
The candidates on this list signed a pledge. They put their name on it publicly. They said Texas First. Now it is up to Texas voters to hold them to it — starting today.
Early voting runs February 17–27. Election Day is March 3, 2026.
To verify the pledge and find your polling location, visit taketexasback.com and votetexas.gov.
This report was compiled by the Texian Partisan using the Texas First Pledge candidate database at taketexasback.com (221 total pledge signers), cross-referenced against the Texas GOP official filing list, Ballotpedia, and Texas Secretary of State data. Some candidates have signed the pledge but are not yet listed in the public database; those cases are noted individually above.
