Fort Bend County’s 2026 ballot is set for an exciting primary — here are the races to watch

As we prepare to enter into 2026, Fort Bend County voters will be gearing up for one of the most exciting county elections in recent years, as the March 3, 2026 primary election is just around the corner — with crowded fields for county judge, county clerk, district clerk, county treasurer, two county commissioner races, and multiple judicial seats. Candidate filing for the Democratic and Republican primaries ran from November 8th to December 8th, and the primary winners will face off against each other in the November 3, 2026 general election.   

The marquee Fort Bend County race: Fort Bend County Judge 

The county judge contest is the marquee matchup, with a large slate of candidates having filed for both parties, including incumbent KP George, who switched from the Democratic ticket to the Republican ticket this year and has officially filed to run in the Republican primary. 

The race has drawn regional and statewide attention, and the contest has become a flashpoint for debates over growth, trust in county government, and day-to-day affordability.   

Filed candidates listed on the Texas Secretary of State website include: 

Democrats: J. Christian Becerra, Rachelle Carter, Cynthia Lenton-Gary, Dexter L. McCoy, and Eddie Sajjad   

Republicans:  KP George (incumbent), Daryl Aaron, Kenneth Omoruyi, Melissa M. Wilson, and Daniel Wong 

The marquee statewide race: U.S. Senate 

Incumbent U.S. Senator John Cornyn is being challenged in the Republican primary by U.S. Congressman Wesley Hunt and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. In the Democratic primary, U.S. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett jumped in the race against Texas Representative James Talarico, which has made the race even more energized.  

This U.S. Senate race has already garnered national attention and is sure to trickle down to the Fort Bend County level and bring primary voters out, on both sides, in a major way.  

Filed candidates listed on the Texas Secretary of State website include: 

Democrats: U.S. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, Texas Representative James Talarico, Ahmed R. Hassan, Emily Morgul, Michael Swanson, and Paula Williams 

Republicans: U.S. Senator John Cornyn (incumbent), U.S. Congressman Wesley Hunt, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, John Adefope, Andrew Alvarez, Anna Bender, Virgil Bierschwale, Sara Canady, Alexander Duncan, Matthew Elliott Kelley, and Gulrez Khan. 

Voters will also be choosing candidates for the person they plan to entrust with being the chief steward and primary custodian of handling the county’s money: Fort Bend County Treasurer 

In the County Treasurer race, incumbent Republican Bill Rickert did not draw a primary opponent, while Democrats have a five-candidate primary field, which includes: Former Missouri City Councilmember Jeffrey L. Boney, Sara Khan, Eric B. Lister, Rahim Rupani, and Pedro Valencia.   

Voters will also choose candidates for two different and service-oriented offices that both significantly impact all residents at the county level: Fort Bend County Clerk and Fort Bend District Clerk 

County Clerk (filed candidates listed on the Texas Secretary of State website): 

Democrats: Shah Haleem, Maria T. Jackson, Sonya Jones, and Montreal L. Peterson 

Republicans: J.J. Clemence and Tamara McFarlane 

District Clerk (filed candidates listed on the Texas Secretary of State website): 

Democrats: Beverley McGrew-Walker (incumbent), Iris R. Lewis, and Muzaffar Vohra   

Republicans: Audrey Lee and John Minchew 

Voters in two different precincts will choose who they believe has the best focus on budgets, infrastructure priorities, and managing the growth of Fort Bend County and their respective precincts: Fort Bend Precinct 2 and Precinct 4 Commissioners  

County Commissioner Precinct 2 (filed candidates listed on the Texas Secretary of State website): 

Democrats: Grady Prestage (incumbent) and Larry Blackmon   

Republican: Antonio Aranda 

County Commissioner Precinct 4 (filed candidates listed on the Texas Secretary of State website): 

Democrats: April L. Jones, Brittanye Lashay Morris, Haroon Mughal, Robert Nnake, Nicole Roberts, Nabil Shike, and Maggie Salomon   

Republicans: Abolaji Ayobami, Ramesh Kumar Cherivirala, Ken Mathews, and Adam Schoof 

Voters will elect the candidate they believe will place prosecution priorities and public safety front and center heading into 2026 and beyond: Fort Bend District Attorney 

Fort Bend District Attorney Brian Middleton has launched a bid for another term, while Republican prosecutor and municipal court judge Shawn McDonald has entered the race, aiming to unseat him. Neither candidate drew an opponent and will square off against each other in November 2026. 

Beyond these contested races, Fort Bend’s official elections list shows a deep bench of judicial offices on the 2026 ballot — including multiple County Courts at Law, several District Judge seats, and several Justice of the Peace positions.   

With that many candidates in several of the races in both the Democratic and Republican primaries, some of them are sure to get pushed into a runoff if nobody clears a majority. 

Key dates Fort Bend voters should circle include: 

• Primary Election Day: Tuesday, March 3, 2026   

• Early voting (in person): February 17–27, 2026   

• Voter registration deadline: February 2, 2026   

• Potential primary runoff date: May 26, 2026 (if required)   

• General Election Day: November 3, 2026