Texas House District 8 2026

Compare candidates running in this Texas federal race. Review their positions, voting records, campaign promises, and donor information.

Jeff Chavez

Party: Democrat

Cody Harris

Party: Republican

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Texas House District 8

Election: Nov 3, 2026Updated: Apr 10, 2026
📊Polling
No public polling data is available for this state legislative race.

District 8 is a heavily Republican district in East Texas. Republicans have controlled this seat consistently; Harris won with 78.2% of the vote in 2018. A Democratic pickup would be highly unlikely but would signal major Democratic gains statewide.

Jeff ChavezD
Cody HarrisR

Summary

Jeff Chavez is a Democrat running for the Texas House of Representatives District 8. He earned a high school diploma from Palestine High School and a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2013. Chavez has worked as an East Texas news reporter and as a public school teacher for three years. He comes from a military family—his father is a Vietnam Veteran and USAF Captain, and his grandfather was a WWII Merchant Marine. Chavez completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025 and won the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026.

Cody Harris, born in Tyler, Texas, earned a bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University in 2006. He has worked as a ranch broker and operates Liberty Land & Ranch. Harris has been a member of the Texas House of Representatives since 2019, representing District 8. He currently serves as Chair of the Local & Consent Calendars Committee and sits on the House Agriculture & Livestock Committee, Public Education Committee, House Administration Committee, and the Select Committee on Educational Opportunity & Enrichment. Harris has served on multiple committees focused on natural resources and water issues. He and his wife Taylor have three sons and one daughter, with one child being adopted.

View Jeff Chavez's Full Profile →View Cody Harris's Full Profile →

Campaign Promises

Education
  • Reverse school voucher programs
Environment
  • Protect East Texas water from commercial extraction
Justice
  • Fight for economic and social equality
Healthcare
  • Expand Medicaid and rural broadband
Environment
  • Protect East Texas groundwater and water resources
Education
  • Strengthen public schools
  • Support school vouchers
Economy
  • Lower property taxes

Key Issue Positions

School Vouchers/Education Funding
Strongly opposed to Education Savings Accounts (school vouchers)
Chavez worked as a public school teacher for three years and witnessed firsthand what he calls the 'voucher scam.' He argues that school vouchers divert vital funding from public schools, creating a two-tiered system that leaves behind students in traditional public schools. He wants to reverse the voucher program entirely and increase funding for public education.
Water Rights and Groundwater Protection
Oppose permits for commercial groundwater extraction
Chavez opposes the 40+ permit applications for high-capacity wells that would extract 15 billion gallons of water annually from the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer. His plan is to stop the drains by fighting permits, listening to local experts, and working on a plan with landowners, farmers, and water scientists.
Groundwater Protection
Strongly opposed to high-capacity well permits that would extract groundwater from the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer
Harris has become the leading voice in East Texas against billionaire Kyle Bass's plan to pump 15 billion gallons of water annually from the region's aquifer. He has filed multiple bills to restrict such permits and has attended meetings of the Neches and Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation District to oppose the permits. Harris chairs the Texas House Natural Resources Committee and has proposed reforming the state's century-old 'rule of capture' law that allows landowners to pump unlimited groundwater.
School Choice/Vouchers
Shifted from opposing school vouchers to supporting Education Savings Accounts (ESAs)
Harris originally voted against school vouchers but changed his position after hearing testimony from a parent whose child was trapped in a failing public school. He now supports ESAs that would give families 85% of the per-student funding public schools receive for private school tuition. He hosted a town hall in February 2025 to explain his new position.

Top Donors

No donor data available.

Texas Association of REALTORS PAC (TREPAC)
$140,000+Industry PAC
TREPAC's largest donation to any candidate in a recent cycle. Harris is a realtor himself, operating Liberty Land & Ranch.

Contradictions

No contradictions documented.

Claim: Harris has consistently been opposed to school vouchers
Contradiction: Harris shifted his position to support Education Savings Accounts (school vouchers) in 2025, stating he was moved by testimony from a parent whose child was trapped in a failing public school.

What Opponents Say

No opponent claims documented.

Daniel Hunt (Republican Primary opponent)

Hunt challenged Harris on water conservation and well policy during the Republican primary

Both candidates sparred over groundwater protection, with Hunt also advocating for reform to protect East Texas water resources. Hunt is a criminal defense attorney and former Henderson County GOP chair.

Endorsements

No endorsements listed.

No endorsements listed.