Jessica Karlsruher (R), Scott MacLeod (R), and six other candidates are running in the Republican primary for Texas’ 10th Congressional District on March 3, 2026. The filing deadline is December 8, 2025. As of October 2025, Karlsruher and MacLeod led in local media attention.

Incumbent Michael McCaul (R), first elected in 2004, is not running for re-election, saying he was “looking now for a new challenge.” As of October 2025, McCaul had not endorsed any of the candidates.

Karlsruher describes herself as “a 5th-generation Texan and a life-long conservative.” Karlsruher is a former chief executive officer of the Texas Real Estate Advocacy & Defense Coalition, where she says she “fought tirelessly to defend landowners, protect Texas ranchers and farmers, strengthen rural communities, preserve our natural resources, and stand up for the state’s vital oil and gas industry.” Karlsruher says she is running “because I want my kids—and every Texas family—to grow up in a country that’s strong, free, and full of opportunity.”

MacLeod is a retired U.S. Army colonel. MacLeod describes himself as “a decorated veteran, strong conservative, and proven leader who has spent more than three decades defending America from foreign threats and fighting for Texas.” MacLeod says he is running because “I want to give back what was freely given to me. I was blessed with an amazing career and professional education that I believe is relevant to the challenges faced by our country. I feel a duty to serve and want to work hard for the people of Texas and our Nation.”

Also running in the primary are Robert Brown (R), Chris Gober (R), Christopher Hurt (R), Joshua Ross Lovell (R), Carl Segan (R), and Phil Suarez (R).

As of October 2025, The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales, and Larry J. Sabato’s Crystal Ball each rated the general election Solid/Safe Republican. In the 2024 election, McCaul defeated Theresa Boisseau (D) 64%–34%. An Inside Elections analysis of the August 2025 redistricting in Texas’ effect on the 10th district calculated that President Donald Trump (R) won the 2024 presidential election in the new 2026 district lines by 23 percentage points, down from the 25 percentage points under the district’s 2024 lines.

Christopher Hurt (R) and Phil Suarez (R) completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. To read those survey responses, click here.