Certain House races in 2026 are seeing larger-than-normal fields, with the number of candidates in primary and special elections climbing into the double digits.
The races, from Georgia to Arizona to New York, are drawing massive candidate interest after incumbents in those congressional districts left for a variety of reasons.
This year’s election cycle is important because it will determine whether Republicans maintain control of the House for another two years. The House GOP’s majority is already razor-thin as a result of retirements and deaths.
As the next election cycle heats up, here are some of the most crowded congressional races in 2026.
Georgia’s 14th Congressional District
Leading this year’s House races with the most candidates is the special election for the Georgia congressional district once held by former Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
The vacant seat left after her early resignation has attracted 22 candidates, an unusually high number for a House special election. Seventeen Republicans, three Democrats, one libertarian, and one independent all filed to run for Greene’s seat by the qualification deadline this month.
Among the most notable candidates on the Republican side are Georgia state Sen. Colton Moore and Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney Clayton Fuller. Moore is known for his strong conservative activism and his public support of President Donald Trump. Fuller benefits from having already run for the 2020 GOP primary in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, which Greene won.
In the less crowded Democratic field, Shawn Harris is arguably the most prominent contender. He ran against Greene in the 2024 general election and won nearly 36% of the vote, roughly 29 points less than the Republican incumbent.
The victor will likely be a Republican, considering the district is one of the most right-leaning in the state.
The special election date is marked for March 10. All 22 candidates will run on one ballot. If none win over 50% of the vote, the two frontrunners will compete in a runoff election on April 7.
Greene said she will not endorse any candidate to take her place “out of respect to my district.”
After the special election, the seat will be up for grabs again in the 2026 general election. Whoever wins the special election will serve the remainder of Greene’s term.
Texas’s 21st Congressional District
Among Texas‘s most high-profile congressional races this year is the congressional district represented by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), who’s vying for the state attorney general post instead of seeking reelection.
The primary field consists of 15 candidates: 12 Republicans and three Democrats. Additionally, one independent is running separately from the primary process, bringing the total number of candidates overall to 16.
Mark Teixeira and Trey Trainor are both leading with significant media attention in the GOP primary. Teixeira is a former MLB star entering politics, and Trainor has extensive political experience as a former member and chairman of the Federal Election Commission.
Other notable names include Daniel Betts, 2024 GOP nominee for Travis County district attorney, and Kyle Sinclair, former vice chairman of the Bexar County Republican Party.
Of the three Democrats in the race, Kristin Hook is the most recognizable, having been the Democratic nominee for Texas’s 21st Congressional District in 2024. She lost to Roy by 26 points.
Meanwhile, former Corpus Christi Mayor Dan McQueen is running as an independent in the general election. McQueen’s name may not be as recognizable as the others, but he is remembered for his shock resignation after serving only 37 days in office between December 2016 and January 2017.
The primary election is set for March 3, followed by a runoff election on May 26 if necessary.
Roy is leaving his seat open for the first time since 2018, when he was first elected to the House. The congressman wants to succeed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who’s campaigning for the Senate.
New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District
New Jersey has a closely watched special election this spring after former Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) departed from the House ahead of her inauguration as governor.
Fourteen candidates entered the race to replace Sherrill, all but one of whom are Democrats.
The top Democratic contenders include former Rep. Tom Malinowski, Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill, and New Jersey Lt. Gov. and Secretary of State Tahesha Way. The Democratic primary is scheduled for Feb. 5.
The sole Republican, Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway, will then face the Democratic primary winner in the special election on April 16.
New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District heavily leans blue, so it’s unlikely for Hathaway to win the election against the strongest of the 13 Democratic candidates. Sherrill won her home district by about 15 points in 2024.
Sherrill was inaugurated as governor on Jan. 20.
Arizona’s 1st Congressional District
While it may fall under the radar, the open seat held by Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ) has attracted a large number of candidates.
At least 13 major party candidates are running in the Republican and Democratic primaries so far, but some reports estimate roughly two dozen people have expressed interest in the seat.
Arizona Republican Party Chairwoman Gina Swoboda and former Arizona Cardinals kicker Jay Feely are leading the Republican field after they were both recently endorsed by Trump.
Former Arizona state Rep. Amish Shah and former news anchor Marlene Galan-Woods are the top two Democratic contenders following their 2024 campaigns in the same district. Galan-Woods lost the primary to Shah, who then went on to challenge Schweikert. Shah ultimately lost to the Republican incumbent, but the margin was a tight four points, demonstrating his sway in the highly competitive purple district.
The primary election is scheduled for Aug. 4, followed by the general election in November. The candidate filing period has a 30-day window, running from March 7 to April 6. Until then, the total number of candidates will be in flux.
Schweikert is running for Arizona governor this year in a GOP primary field that includes Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and former Arizona Board of Regents member Karrin Taylor Robson. Schweikert has served eight consecutive terms in the House across three different districts, the latest being Arizona’s 1st Congressional District.
New York’s 12th Congressional District
The House seat currently held by Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) is shaping up to be one of the more dynamic congressional races in 2026.
At least a dozen candidates from both parties are seeking to replace Nadler, and more could enter the open race by the April 2 filing deadline.
Among the top Democratic contenders are Kennedy family scion Jack Schlossberg and frequent Trump critic George Conway. At age 32, Schlossberg represents a change of pace from the Democratic Party’s old guard, represented by Nadler, 78, through his outreach to a younger demographic. A 62-year-old former conservative lawyer, Conway is pitching himself as a staunch Trump opponent who can bring his vast legal experience to the House.
The four Republican challengers are less notable, as most are political newcomers, except for former White House correspondent and conservative activist Lucian Wintrich.
The district is a safe Democratic district in the heart of Manhattan, so the Republican bids are long shots compared to those of the better-known Democrats.
The primary election date for both parties is June 23, followed by the general election on Nov. 3.
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The race for New York‘s 12th Congressional District has seen the field thin out in recent weeks with drop-outs from gun violence prevention advocate Cameron Kasky and New York City Councilman Erik Bottcher. Kasky ended his campaign this month to focus more on West Bank activism, and Bottcher did the same last month to run instead for a New York state Senate seat.
Nadler announced his retirement last fall. By the time he leaves office, he will have served 34 years in the House.
