Walker County has twenty-seven Congressional candidates

The people running for Congress in Walker County this year could form three baseball teams. There are twenty-seven candidates total – none of whom have even been so much as county commissioner.

It is the result of a perfect storm. Mid-decade redistricting split Walker County into two new, reconfigured Congressional districts in which both incumbents decided to step down. This set off free-for-alls in the Democratic and Republican primaries in both districts.

Most of these primaries have at least five candidates, and early voting is just five weeks away. With hundreds of thousands of voters in each district, Congressional races are hard enough without having to get out your message in a crowded field in a matter of weeks.

Redistricting has made the situation worse. In the quest for partisan advantage, the Texas Legislature has made Congressional districts spindlier, winding and weaving every which way. The southeastern section of Walker County is in the 8th district, which curls around to the west of Houston. The rest of the county is in the 10th district, which stretches from west of Austin all the way over to Livingston.

This has consequences. For candidates, it reduces the value of local reputation – no one in Austin or College Station will know that you have served well in office in Livingston – and makes it harder to travel the district and meet voters in person.

It also raises the importance of money and connections. According to the Federal Election Commission, one candidate has raised over half a million dollars; many others are broke. Similarly, no favorite has ever held elective office, but all are well-connected in one fashion or another.

You do not need The Huntsvillan to tell you how to vote. No, you need The Huntsvillan to link to each candidate's web site so you can visit it and decide for yourself. Two minutes there tells you a lot – the candidate's background, what they care about, whether they are ready for prime time.

These links are provided (when available) in the previews of each primary below. In order to avoid "horse-race" coverage, front-runners or establishment-preferred candidates are not identified as such.

The grudge match: District 8 Democrats

With just two candidates, this is the only primary of the bunch that is sure not to go to a runoff. Former realtor Laura Jones, who previously ran in this district in 2020, 2022, and 2024, has a primary challenger gunning for her this year: Keith Coleman from Tomball. This race could get spicy!

The business of America is business: District 8 Republicans

This six-candidate race is dominated by business types working in finance or oil and gas, some well-connected, some less so. A few have compelling personal histories. The difference in these folks' backgrounds is larger than the difference in their beliefs.

The ideological rainbow: District 10 Democrats

The five people in this primary are mostly from Central Texas, and run the gamut from quite progressive to fairly conservative. This primary probably has more ideological variation than any other.

The street brawl: District 10 Republicans

With fourteen candidates, this race is wide-open. With one exception – Huntsvillan Ben Bius – every candidate is from the western part of the district, mostly Austin and College Station. There are some real ones and some more polished types. A mere 10%-15% of the vote may be enough to make the runoff, which will generate interesting campaign dynamics.

Early voting begins Tuesday, Feb. 17, with election day on Tuesday, Mar. 3. Runoffs, which are likely in the last three contests, would be held May 26.

The Huntsvillan reached out to the presidents of the Walker County Democrats and the Walker County Republican Women inquiring about upcoming candidate forums or debates, but received no response from either as of press time.