Abbott sets May 2 special election for Texas Senate District 4

Gov. Greg Abbott issued a proclamation on Oct. 16, 2025, setting a special election for 🤠Texas Senate District 4 on May 2, 2026. The seat became vacant on Oct. 2, 2025, when Republican BCBrandon Creighton resigned from the senate in a letter to Abbott. Creighton served in the Texas Senate since 2015 representing District 4 and chaired the powerful Senate Education Committee. He resigned to become chancellor of the Texas Tech University System. Creighton became chancellor-elect immediately upon resignation and was sworn in Nov. 19, 2025.

🤠Texas Senate District 4 covers a total population of 954,803 people based on the 2020 census. The district includes all of Chambers County, most of Montgomery County, and parts of Harris, Jefferson, and Galveston counties. Montgomery County accounts for the largest portion of the district's population. The district is solidly Republican, having elected Creighton with comfortable margins in previous elections. The area includes suburban Houston communities, rural areas, and parts of the Gulf Coast region.

Candidates must file their applications with the 🤠Texas Secretary of State no later than 5:00 PM on Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2026. This gives potential candidates approximately 4.5 months from the Oct. 16 announcement to organize campaigns, raise money, and file paperwork. Early voting begins Monday, Apr. 20, 2026, running through the Friday before Election Day. The special election is held on Saturday, May 2, 2026. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, a runoff between the top two candidates would be held at a later date.

The seat remains vacant for seven months from Creighton's Oct. 2 resignation until the May 2 election. The district won't have representation in the 🤠Texas Senate during this entire period. The next regular legislative session is scheduled to begin in Jan. 2027, meaning the district will have a senator by then. However, the Texas Legislature meets in regular session only once every two years for 140 days. The 90th Texas Legislature convenes on the second Tuesday in Jan. 2027.

The timing means District 4 residents lose their voice during a critical interim period. While the Legislature won't convene in regular session until 2027, the interim between sessions involves important committee work. The Legislature could be called into special session at any time by the governor, and District 4 would lack representation. 🤠Texas Senate committees continue meeting during interim periods to study issues and make recommendations for the next session.

Montgomery County District Attorney BLBrett Ligon announced his candidacy on Oct. 16, 2025, the same day Abbott set the election date. Ligon served as Montgomery County DA for 17 years and resigned from the DA position on the same day he announced his senate campaign. He will remain in the role until Abbott appoints a successor. Ligon received immediate endorsements from Creighton, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and U.S. Rep. Morgan Luttrell. Patrick, who presides over the 🤠Texas Senate, called Ligon one of Texas' preeminent voices on criminal justice and public safety.

The governor's authority to schedule special elections for legislative vacancies gives him significant strategic power. 🤠Texas Election Code Section 203.003 requires the governor to order a special election to fill a vacancy but doesn't mandate specific timing. Abbott chose to schedule the election for May 2026, seven months after the resignation, rather than earlier dates. This timing avoids having the special election during the Mar. 2026 Republican primary season and ensures the election occurs after the legislative interim period but before the Nov. 2026 general election.

The winner of the May 2026 special election serves only until Jan. 2027, when Creighton's original term expires. This means the victor serves approximately eight months before having to run for reelection in Nov. 2026 for the next full four-year term. This creates two separate elections within seven months. The short tenure gives the winner limited time to establish constituent services, hire staff, and accomplish legislative priorities.

As of Oct. 16, 2025, two seats in the 31-member 🤠Texas Senate were vacant. Senate District 9 in Tarrant County also lacked representation after former Sen. KHKelly Hancock vacated the seat in summer 2025 to become acting state comptroller. Tarrant County voters elected new representation for District 9 on Nov. 4, 2025. The dual vacancies meant nearly 2 million Texans lacked senate representation during Oct. 2025. Having two vacant seats reduced the senate's voting membership to 29 members.