Former oil executive Alex Mealer beat Texas state Rep. Briscoe Cain to claim the Republican primary for the state’s 9th Congressional District on May 26. Mealer will face the Democratic challenger for the seat in November’s general election.
The Republican nominee is favored to win the seat, due to the district’s significant GOP leanings, following the Texas Legislature’s mid-decade redraw of its congressional districts. Mealer outraised Cain substantially during the primary phase. According to pre-primary Federal Election Commission data, Mealer raised roughly $1.8 million in campaign resources. Cain’s committee brought in about $600,000. According to a February 2026 Hobby School of Public Affairs poll, Mealer led Cain by around 8 percent going into the election....