Fifty-eight Texas state legislative incumbents face primary challenges, representing 40% of all those running for re-election. This is the highest number and percentage of contested incumbents since 2014.
Of the 58 incumbents in contested primaries, 13 are Democrats and 45 are Republicans.
Texas has 93 contested state legislative primaries this year, a 3% decrease from 2022.
Of the 93 contested primaries, there are 33 for Democrats and 60 for Republicans. For Democrats, this is the same as in 2022. For Republicans, the number is down 5% from 63 in 2022.
Overall, 411 major party candidates — 199 Democrats and 212 Republicans — filed to run. All 150 House and 15 of 31 Senate seats are up for election.
Nineteen of those seats are open, meaning no incumbents filed. This guarantees that at least 12% of seats up for election will be represented by newcomers next year.
Texas has had a Republican trifecta since the party won control of the House in 2002. Republicans currently have an 86-64 majority in the House and a 19-11 (with one vacancy) majority in the Senate.
Texas’ state legislative primaries are scheduled for March 5, the first — along with Alabama, Arkansas, California, and North Carolina — statewide primary date of the 2024 state legislative election cycle.
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