State Rep. Briscoe Cain and former Harris County judge candidate Alex Mealer are the frontrunners for a newly drawn Republican-leaning congressional seat in east Harris County that contains some of Texas’ biggest economic engines.
Cain, who has represented part of the area in the Texas House for nearly a decade, and Mealer, the GOP nominee against Democratic County Judge Lina Hidalgo in 2022, are among a field of nine Republicans running for the 9th Congressional District. The seat, currently occupied by U.S. Rep. Al Green, is one of five Democratic districts reconfigured by Republicans in the state Legislature with the goal of flipping them in November. Much of the new 9th District covers entirely foreign territory, prompting Green to run instead in the neighboring 18th District.
GOP operatives expect a close race between Cain and Mealer, who have consolidated much of the fundraising and endorsements among the crowded field. While Cain has solidified support among local Republican figures and has run and won in communities like La Porte and his hometown of Deer Park since 2016, Mealer has outraised him and earned support from conservative groups in Washington.
