Toplines & Key Facts: 

Progress Texas Endorses for the March Primaries

Important Dates to know:

Early Voting: Tuesday, Feb. 17 - Fri., Feb. 27

Last Day to Apply for Ballot by Mail: Friday, Feb. 20

Election Day: Tuesday, March 3

Not every organization offers endorsements during election season, but at Progress Texas when our board of directors identifies exemplary credentials and capability among candidates who share our bold progressive values, we do offer endorsements and the first round of those has arrived.

This year in particular there are lots and lots of truly impressive folks putting themselves out there to run for office, among them Democratic competitors to our endorsees. Running for office in Texas takes a lot of guts, and a lot of determination and a lot of time, and a lot of miles, and a lot of money—so thank you to trailblazers leading the way.

Endorsed Candidate for Governor

Austin State Representative, civil rights attorney, and former Austin ISD School Board President, Gina Hinojosa gets our endorsement in her run for governor. She’s pushing hard as she always has for public education, affordability, reining in rampant corruption at the highest levels of our state government, championing civil rights and more.

Endorsed Candidate for Texas Comptroller:

Current Austin State Senator and former Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt is endorsed in her run for Texas Comptroller, emphasizing effective fiscal management and her extensive public service experience and environmental preservation efforts.

Endorsed Candidates for Congress:

Congressional District 9
Retired NASA astronaut and Air Force Colonel Terry Virts is running in the 9th Congressional District, racially redrawn across the Southern Houston metro for Republican comfort. Colonel Virts’s priorities include immigration reform, economic affordability, and restoring transparency in American democracy and among his potential Republican opponents is the insufferable State Rep. Briscoe Cain (aka Crisco Brain).

Congressional District 15
Tejano music standout Bobby Pulido, running in Texas' 15th Congressional District against incumbent Republican Monica De La Cruz prioritizes healthcare accessibility, labor shortages, and middle-class family support for his native South Texas.

Congressional District 24

Marine Corps combat veteran and intelligence specialist Kevin Burge, running in Texas' 24th Congressional District taking on MAGA Republican incumbent Republican Beth Van Duyne, has been focusing his campaign on affordable housing, healthcare reform, and civil liberties. Much of his district covers the same area as Senate District 9, where Democrat Taylor Rehmet won with a 30+ swing from R to D. 

Endorsed Candidate for Tarrant County Judge:

Current Tarrant County Commissioner and former Arlington NAACP President Alisa Simmons is endorsed by Progress Texas in her run for Tarrant County Judge, a position held by her longtime MAGA nemesis Republican Tim O’Hare who has become the face of the egregious right wing overreach that has produced what appears to be a massive blue shift across the Fort Worth area. 

What’s Next

• Share our voter navigation resource GoVoteTexas.org with friends for a handy guide to voting in this election—now available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese Mandarin, and Hindi!
• Are you a 2026 candidate running on our shared bold progressive values? Apply to be recognized as a Progress Texas Institute “Certified Progressive.”