| State: | Texas |
| District Number: | 26 |
| Image Name: | Texas US Congressional District 26 (since 2021).tif |
| Image Width: | 400 |
| Image Caption: | Texas' 26th congressional district - since January 3, 2023. |
| Representative: | Michael C. Burgess |
| Party: | Republican |
| Residence: | Pilot Point |
| Distribution Ref: | [1] |
| Percent Urban: | 93.4 |
| Percent Rural: | 6.6 |
| Population: | 854,717[2] |
| Population Year: | 2023 |
| Median Income: | $114,063[3] |
| Percent White: | 56.6 |
| Percent Black: | 8.9 |
| Percent Asian: | 9.8 |
| Percent More Than One Race: | 4.6 |
| Percent Hispanic: | 19.2 |
| Percent Other Race: | 0.9 |
| Cpvi: | R+13[4] |
Texas' 26th congressional district of the United States House of Representatives includes rural Cooke County to the north and some of Wise County to the West and includes parts of Denton County, including Flower Mound, Lewisville and parts of Corinth, Carrollton, Little Elm and The Colony.[5] The current Representative is Michael C. Burgess. The district is best known as the seat of former House Majority Leader Dick Armey.
The district was created as a result of the redistricting cycle after the 1980 census, due to the population growth in Texas and Denton County, specifically in its southern sector. Since its creation, the district has been based in Denton County, one of Texas' fastest-growing counties.
Democrat Tom Vandergriff was the first person to represent the district, winning in 1982. Vandergriff narrowly lost to Republican Dick Armey in 1984, and the seat has continuously been held by Republicans ever since. Indeed, since Vandergriff's defeat in 1984, no Democrat has crossed the 40 percent mark. As Denton County has become overwhelmingly Republican in recent years (all but one county officeholder is Republican, as are all members of the Texas Legislature representing the county), the 26th district is considered a "safe seat" for the GOP.
Since the 2010 redistricting, the 26th district has included most of Denton County (except the southeast portion) and a portion of north central Tarrant County.
However, the district has been trending Democratic in recent years. Donald Trump carried it by 14 points in 2020, while Mitt Romney had carried it by 37 in 2012.
After the 2020 census, rapid growth resulted in significant changes in the composition of the district. For the first time since the district's creation, the City of Denton, the county seat of Denton County, will not be a part of the district. It was instead shifted to the Panhandle-based 13th district. The 26th also lost its small share of Frisco. To make up for the loss of population, portions of Wise County and all of Cooke County will become part of the district. Lewisville will become the largest city in the district.
Denton had become increasingly friendly to Democrats in recent years, and voting trends suggested that under the previous map, the 26th could have potentially become competitive. The redrawn 26th, on the other hand, is considered slightly more Republican than its predecessor.[6]
| Year | Office | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | President | Bush 71 – 27% | |
| 2004 | President | Bush 65 – 35% | |
| 2008 | President | McCain 58 – 41% | |
| 2012 | President | Romney 68 – 31% | |
| 2016 | President | Trump 60 – 34% | |
| 2020 | President | Trump 56 – 42% |
| Representative | Party | Years | Cong ress | Electoral history | width=350 | District location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District established January 3, 1983 | |||||||
| nowrap align=left | Tom Vandergriff | Democratic | January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1985 | Elected in 1982. Lost re-election. | 1983–1985 | ||
Dick Armey | Republican | January 3, 1985 – January 3, 2003 | Elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Re-elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Retired. | 1985–1993 | |||
| 1993–1997 Parts of Collin, Dallas, Denton, and Tarrant | |||||||
| 1997–2003 Parts of Collin, Dallas, Denton, and Tarrant | |||||||
Michael C. Burgess | Republican | January 3, 2003 – present | Elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. Retiring at end of term. | 2003–2005 Denton; parts of Collin and Tarrant | |||
| 2005–2013 Parts of Cooke, Denton, and Tarrant | |||||||
| 2013–2023 Parts of Denton and Tarrant[7] | |||||||
| 2023–present Cooke; parts of Denton, Tarrant, and Wise[8] | |||||||
| align=left | Brandon Gill (elect) | Republican | January 3, 2025 | Elected in 2024. | |||