Tyler Smith

Tyler Smith is a nonprofit leader and community organizer from Harris County running to flip a seat in the Texas House in November. In his work with the nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety, Tyler proved himself as a consensus builder by gaining bipartisan support to protect children from gun violence. If Tyler wins his race, he would be the first Gen Z man and youngest serving member in the Texas House, and he’ll be a committed champion for working families across the state.

Tyler represents a new generation of state legislative candidates stepping up to push back against extremism and build Democratic power in the Texas House. With the support of the DLCC’s Target Races program, he’s ready to bring Democratic representation to District 138 for the first time in over a decade.

Over the past decade, Democrats have been steadily building power in the Texas House, where Republicans have held a majority since 2002, and this year, Texas is home to some of our best opportunities to pick up seats and gain ground in a state’s legislature. 

In 2025, state Democrats in Texas used their minority power to take a stand against a blatant GOP mid-decade redistricting power-grab attempt by leaving the state and denying quorum. Every seat flipped blue strengthens Democrats’ ability to resist extreme legislation in Texas and push for policies to enact positive change. 

The DLCC has supported Democrats in Texas cycle over cycle, featuring 37 Texas candidates in our DLCC Target Races program since 2020. Early in 2026, Taylor Rehmet, a DLCC Target Race candidate for Texas Senate, achieved the first major flip of the year when he claimed victory in a district that voted overwhelmingly for Trump in the 2024 election.

This year, all 150 seats in the Texas House are on the ballot, and Democratic candidates have filed to run in every district, giving us a historic opportunity to build power in the chamber. Democrats would need to pick up 14 seats to take an outright majority, but every inch of ground gained puts us closer than ever to turning the tide in the Texas Legislature.