The Ballot Brief
2026 U.S. House

Texas's 17th Congressional District — 2026 Candidates

U.S. House · TX-17
Primary: Tuesday, March 3, 2026 General: Tuesday, November 3, 2026

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2026 candidates we're tracking in TX-17

Casey Shepard

Democratic

Top priorities

  • Confronting chaos and defending freedoms
  • Stopping the march toward authoritarianism
  • Cutting through Washington's red tape and delivering results for Texans

Per the campaign site.

About Casey Shepard

Shepard is a civil rights advocate running for Congress to represent Central Texas, per the campaign site. The campaign site says Shepard's work has focused on advocating for people without resources to have their concerns heard, per the campaign site.

Pete Sessions

Pete Sessions

RepublicanIncumbent

Top priorities

  • Strengthening the local economy
  • Supporting education and schools
  • Addressing community concerns

Per the campaign site.

About Pete Sessions

Pete Sessions is the sitting U.S. Representative for this district, per the House Clerk's current member roster. First elected to Congress in 1996, he chaired the Rules committee from 2013 to 2019 and returned in the Waco based 17th district in 2020, per his official House biography and congressional records. He chairs an Oversight subcommittee and serves on Financial Services.

About this race

Texas's 17th Congressional District elects one member of the U.S. House of Representatives to a two-year term. Every House seat in the country is on the ballot in 2026. The Texas primary is Tuesday, March 3, 2026 (runoff Tuesday, May 26, 2026 if needed), and the general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

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