Building the Ballot: Who’s filing to run for office in Texas in 2020?

Texas has been trending Democratic for years, and it’s because of the work of organizers, advocates, and community leaders who have been fighting for progress. 

Because of them, 2020 is a possible tipping point. We have the opportunity to turn Texas blue, but it won’t happen without even more work from even more progressives. Candidate filing has opened for the 2020 primary ballot and runs through Dec. 9, 2019. If you are interested in running for office, check out this resource from the Texas Democratic Party.

Here’s a look at the Democrats and progressives vying to represent Texans on the 2020 ballot in districts we’re watching, who have officially filed. 

(Last updated 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 11) 
 

U.S. Senate

Incumbent: Sen. John Cornyn (R) since 2002.

 

Chris Bell filed on Nov. 25. 

 

 

Michael Cooper filed on Dec. 5.

 

 

Amanda Edwards filed on Dec. 7.

 

 

Jack Daniel Foster Jr. filed on Nov. 20.

 

 

MJ Hegar filed on Dec. 9.

 

 

Sema Hernandez filed on Dec. 3. 

 

 

Adrian Ocegueda filed on Dec. 4. 

 

 

Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez filed on Dec. 4.

 

 

Royce West filed.  

 

Annie "Mama" Garcia filed on Dec. 6.
Victor Hugo Harris filed on Dec. 4.
D.R. Hunter filed on Dec. 8.

U.S. Congress

District 7 (Houston) - Targeted by Republicans

 

Lizzie Pannill Fletcher (incumbent since 2019) filed on Nov. 25.

 

District 10 (Austin) - Flippable District
Incumbent: Michael T. McCaul (R) since 2005.

 

Dr. Pritesh Gandhi filed on Dec. 8.

 

 

Shannon Hutcheson filed on Nov. 25.

 

 

Mike Siegel filed on Nov. 17. 
 

 

District 21 (Austin) - Flippable District
Incumbent: Chip Roy (R) since 2019.

 

Wendy Davis filed on Dec. 4.

 

 

Jennie Lou Leeder filed on Dec. 9.

 

District 22 (Sugar Land) - Flippable District 
Open seat vacated by Pete Olson (R).

 

Sri Preston Kulkarni filed on Dec. 6.

 

 

Nyanza Davis Moore filed on Dec. 7. 

 

 

Derrick A. Reed filed on Dec. 6. 

 

Chris Fernandez filed on Dec. 9.
Carmine Petricco III filed on Dec. 9.

District 23 (Helotes) - Flippable District
Open seat vacated by Will Hurd (R).

 

Rosalinda "Rosey" Ramos Abuabara filed on Dec. 2. 

 

 

Jaime Escuder filed on Nov. 25.

 

 

Gina Ortiz Jones filed on Nov. 29. 

 

 

Efrain V. Valdez filed on Nov. 15.

 

Ricardo Madrid filed on Nov. 22. 
 

District 24 (Coppell) - Flippable District
Open seat vacated by Kenny Marchant (R).

 

Dr. John Biggan filed on Dec. 8.

 

 

Richard Fleming filed on Dec. 5.

 

 

Crystal Fletcher filed on Dec. 6. 

 

 

Jan McDowell filed on Dec. 6.

 

 

Kim Olson filed on Dec. 2.

 

 

Candace Valenzuela filed on Nov. 19.

 

 

Sam Vega filed on Dec. 8. 

 

District 25 (Austin) - Flippable District
Incumbent: Roger Williams (R) since 2013.

 

Julie Oliver filed on Dec. 8. 

 

 

Heidi Sloan filed on Nov. 20. 

 

District 28 (Laredo) - Interesting Race 

 

Jessica Cisneros filed on Dec. 9.

 

 

Henry Cuellar (incumbent since 2005) filed on Nov. 22.

 

District 31 (Round Rock) - Flippable District 
Incumbent: John Carter (R) since 2003.

 

Eric Hanke filed on Dec. 8.

 

 

Donna Imam filed on Nov. 18.

 

 

Dan Janjigian filed on Dec. 9.

 

 

Dr. Christine Eady Mann filed on Nov. 15. 

 

 

Tammy Young filed on Dec. 5.

 

Michael Edward Grimes filed on Dec. 9.
 

District 32 (Dallas) - Targeted by Republicans

 

Colin Allred (incumbent since 2019) filed.
 

 

Texas Railroad Commissioner

Incumbent: Ryan Sitton (R) since 2014.

 

Roberto Alonzo filed on Dec. 6. 

 

 

Chrysta Castañeda filed on Nov. 10.

 

 

Kelly Stone filed on Dec. 9.

 

Mark Watson filed on Dec. 7.
 

Texas Senate

District 19 (Pleasanton) - Flippable District
Incumbent: Pete Flores (R) since 2018.

 

Roland Gutierrez filed on Nov. 29. 

 

 

Freddy Ramirez filed on Dec. 7.

 

 

Xochil Peña Rodriguez filed on Nov. 20.

 

Belinda Shvetz filed on Dec. 3. 

District 27 (Brownsville) - Interesting Race

 

Sara Stapleton Barrera filed on Dec. 8.

 

 

Ruben Cortez filed on Nov. 15.

 

 

Eddie Lucio Jr. (incumbent since 1991) filed on Nov. 12.

 

Texas House

District 26 (Sugar Land) - Flippable District
Open seat vacated by Rick Miller (R).

 

Lawrence Allen Jr. filed on Nov. 21. 

 

 

L. "Sarah" DeMerchant filed on Nov. 21. 

 

 

Dr. Suleman Lalani filed on Nov. 27. 

 

 

Rish Oberoi filed on Nov. 21.

 

District 28 (Richmond) - Flippable District
Open seat

 

Dr. Elizabeth “Eliz” Markowitz filed on Nov. 21. 

 

District 32 (Corpus Christi) - Flippable District 
Incumbent: Todd Hunter (R) since 2009.

 

Eric Holguin filed on Dec. 4. 

 

District 45 (Driftwood) - Targeted by Republicans

Erin Zwiener (incumbent since 2019) filed.

 

Liliana Posada filed on Dec. 9.


District 47 (Austin) - Targeted by Republicans

 

Vikki Goodwin (incumbent since 2019) filed on Nov. 12. 

 

District 52 (Round Rock) - Targeted by Republicans

 

James Talarico (incumbent since 2019) filed on Dec. 3. 

 

District 54 (Killeen) - Flippable District 
Incumbent: Brad Buckley (R) since 2019.

Likeithia "Keke" Williams filed on Dec. 2. 
 

District 64 (Denton) - Flippable District 
Incumbent: Lynn Stucky (R) since 2017.

 

Angela Brewer filed on Nov. 14. 

 

District 65 (Carrollton) - Targeted by Republicans

 

Michelle Beckley (incumbent since 2019) filed on Nov. 14. 

 

 

Paige Dixon filed on Nov. 12. 

 

District 66 (Plano) - Flippable District 
Incumbent: Matt Shaheen (R) since 2015.

 

Sharon Hirsch filed on Nov. 23. 

 

 

Aimee Garza Lopez filed on Dec. 3. 

 

District 67 (Plano) - Flippable District
Incumbent: Jeff Leach (R) since 2013.

 

Tom Adair filed on Nov. 10. 

 

 

Rocio Gosewehr Hernandez filed on Nov. 10. 

 

 

Anthony Lo filed on Nov. 19.

Jenna Royal filed on Nov. 12. 

 

 

Lorenzo Sanchez filed on Dec. 9.

 

District 92 (Bedford) - Flippable District
Open seat vacated by Jonathan Stickland (R).

 

Steven Riddell filed on Nov. 16.

 

 

Jeff Whitfield filed on Dec. 4.

 

District 93 (Fort Worth) - Flippable District
Incumbent: Matt Krause (R) since 2013.

 

Lydia Bean filed on Nov. 9.

 

District 94 (Arlington) - Flippable District
Incumbent: Tony Tinderholt (R) since 2015.

 

Alisa Simmons filed on Nov. 9.

 

District 96 (Arlington) - Flippable District 
Open seat vacated by Bill Zedler (R).

 

Joe Drago filed on Nov. 9.

 

District 97 (Fort Worth) - Flippable District
Incumbent: Craig Goldman (R) since 2013.

 

Elizabeth Beck filed on Nov. 11.

 

Dan Willis filed on Dec. 9.

District 102 (Richardson) - Targeted by Republicans 

 

Ana-Maria Ramos (incumbent since 2019) filed on Dec. 6.

 

District 105 (Irving) - Targeted by Republicans

 

Terry Meza (incumbent since 2019) filed on Dec. 6.

 

District 108 (Dallas) - Flippable District 
Incumbent: Morgan Meyer (R) since 2015.

 

Joanna Cattanach filed on Nov. 21.

 

 

Tom Ervin filed on Dec. 6. 

 

 

Shawn D. Terry filed on Nov. 27.

 

District 112 (Richardson) - Flippable District 
Incumbent: Angie Chen Button (R) since 2009.

 

Brandy Chambers filed on Nov. 14. 

 

District 113 (Garland) - Targeted by Republicans 

 

Rhetta Andrews Bowers (incumbent since 2019) filed on Nov. 27.

 

District 114 (Dallas) - Targeted by Republicans

 

John Turner (incumbent since 2019) filed on Nov. 27.

 

District 115 (Carrollton) - Targeted by Republicans

 

Julie Johnson (incumbent since 2019) filed on Nov. 14.

 

District 121 (San Antonio) - Flippable District
Incumbent: Steve Allison (R) since 2019.

 

Becca DeFelice filed on Dec. 2. 

 

 

Celina Montoya filed on Dec. 9.

 

Jack Guerra filed on Nov. 26. 

District 126 (Spring) - Flippable District
Incumbent: Sam Harless (R) since 2019.

 

Dr. Undrai Fizer filed on Dec. 4.

 

 

Natali Hurtado filed on Nov. 10.

 

District 128 (Deer Park) - Flippable District
Incumbent: Briscoe Cain (R) since 2017.

 

Josh Markle filed on Nov. 9.

 

Mary E. Williams filed on Dec. 4.
 

District 132 (Katy) - Targeted by Republicans

 

Gina Calanni (incumbent since 2019) filed on Nov. 10.  

 

District 134 (West University Place) - Flippable District
Incumbent: Sarah Davis (R) since 2011.

 

Lanny Bose filed on Nov. 12. 

 

 

Ann Johnson filed on Nov. 9. 

 

 

Ruby Powers filed on Dec. 7.

 

District 135 (Houston) - Targeted by Republicans 

 

Jon E. Rosenthal (incumbent since 2019) filed on Nov. 20. 

 

District 136 (Austin) - Targeted by Republicans

 

John Bucy (incumbent since 2019) filed on Nov. 9.

 

District 138 (Houston) - Flippable District
Open seat vacated by Dwayne Bohac (R) 

 

Akilah Bacy filed on Nov. 9.

 

 

Jenifer Rene Pool filed on Dec. 7.

 

 

Josh Wallenstein filed on Nov. 14. 

 

This list does not include endorsements on behalf of Progress Texas. All Democratic candidates in races we’re watching that have officially filed are listed.

For more information on our plan for flipping Texas in 2020, view our Special Report and sign up for updates.