Texas’s 12th Congressional District: 2026 House Race

Twelve U.S. House seats covering the Dallas-Fort Worth area are on the Nov. 3 midterm ballot, with early voting running Oct. 19-30. Most races feature Republican incumbents—Keith Self, Pat Fallon, Lance Gooden, Jake Ellzey, Craig Goldman, Ronny Jackson, Beth Van Duyne and Roger Williams—facing Democratic challengers, plus a Libertarian in District 26. Three open seats stand out: District 30, vacated by Jasmine Crockett after her Senate run; and Districts 32 and 33, left open by Julie Johnson and Marc Veasey, respectively, after mid-decade redistricting reshaped them from Democratic-leaning to Republican-favored territory. In District 33, Colin Allred faces Patrick David Gillespie. Results are expected after 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Tarrant County, the last large Republican-held county in Texas, has become a focal point of the 2026 midterms as both parties pour resources into the race between Democrat James Talarico and Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. Democrats narrowly won the county in 2018 and 2020 before Republicans reclaimed it in 2022 and 2024, but a January special-election upset by Democrat Taylor Rehmet reenergized the party ahead of this cycle. Demographic shifts—white residents now under 43% of the population, with Hispanic residents nearly 30%—are fueling projections that Talarico could carry the county by several points.

Tensions have escalated after the GOP-led commissioners court cut polling locations by nearly 30%, a move Democrats call voter suppression and Republicans defend as cost-saving. Ted Cruz rallied Republicans in support of County Judge Tim O'Hare, while Talarico has drawn large crowds with billionaire Mark Cuban and local endorsements crossing party lines. Paxton and allies have spent heavily on ads targeting Talarico, while Democrats emphasize economic frustration and voting-rights concerns as they push to flip a county both sides view as a bellwether for Texas.

Early voting is underway in Texas's midterms through Oct. 30, ahead of the Nov. 3 general election. Gov. Greg Abbott faces Democrat Gina Hinojosa, while in one of the most expensive nonpresidential races on record, Republican Ken Paxton battles Democrat James Talarico for U.S. Senate, with ad spending topping $442 million and Republicans outspending Democrats roughly three to one. Polls, including recent FOX News and New York Times/Siena surveys, have shown Talarico consistently ahead since September, raising the possibility Texas could elect a Democrat statewide for the first time since 1994. Trump made three campaign visits backing Paxton, who faces past fraud indictments and an impeachment acquittal. Prominent Texas attorney Thomas J. Henry, who had previously backed Paxton with a $600,000 super PAC donation, has now endorsed Talarico after meeting with him, a notable crossover in the closely watched contest.

Texas' highest criminal court has ended a nearly decade-long legal battle for Fort Worth resident Crystal Mason, leaving in place a lower court ruling that acquitted her of illegal voting and vacating her 2018 conviction. Mason had been found guilty of illegally casting a provisional ballot in the 2016 election while on supervised release for a federal tax fraud conviction. Her ballot was never counted.

Texas law bars felons from voting until they complete their full sentence, but Mason said she was never informed of that restriction. In March 2024, the Second Court of Appeals ruled that lower courts had failed to require proof she knew voting was a crime. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals agreed to review the case but on Thursday dismissed the state's petition as "improvidently granted" in a 5-4 decision, with four judges dissenting. The court did not rule on how evidence was evaluated below. Mason said she is relieved her "nightmare is over."

The Fort Worth City Council voted unanimously to approve an $11.25 million settlement with the family of Atatiana Jefferson, resolving all civil claims stemming from her 2019 killing. Jefferson, 28, was fatally shot through a window of her home by then-officer Aaron Dean while she was watching her young nephew; a neighbor had called police for a welfare check after noticing her doors open. Dean was convicted of manslaughter in 2022, the first Tarrant County officer convicted for an on-duty shooting, and was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison.

The settlement still requires probate court approval before taking effect. Under the family's agreement, Jefferson's two nephews, including one who was present during the shooting, will receive larger shares placed in trust until they turn 18, with the rest divided among other family members. Mayor Mattie Parker called the loss "profound and unimaginable," while Jefferson's sister, Ashley Carr, said the case represents a rare instance of both criminal and civil accountability for a police killing.

Texas Attorney General and GOP Senate candidate Ken Paxton outlined a "Texas first" conditional-support stance on data center development, speaking at a United States Hispanic Business Council event in Fort Worth. Paxton said he backs data centers as essential infrastructure but would require new facilities to generate their own power rather than draw from the grid, use closed-loop water recycling to avoid depleting local supplies, and exclude Chinese hardware and software over national security and AI competition concerns. He also called for siting facilities away from residential areas, citing ample open land in Texas, and voiced support for Gov. Greg Abbott's temporary moratorium while favoring eventual "reasonable restrictions."

Paxton framed data centers as a major economic opportunity, noting Texas already hosts roughly 450 facilities, second only to Virginia. His Democratic opponent, state Rep. James Talarico, has criticized rising utility bills and tax breaks for AI companies, pushing for mandated infrastructure funding, community input, and union jobs. The dueling positions reflect growing voter concern over utility rates, water use and data center siting ahead of the Senate race.
Ken Paxton backs Texas data centers with conditions on power, water and Chinese tech, contrasting with rival James Talarico's regulatory push.