Melissa
McDonough
Democrat Melissa McDonough, realtor and businesswoman, is the 2026 Democratic nominee for Texas U.S. House District 38.
- sources
- 7
- positions
- 12
- endorsements
- 16
Background
Melissa McDonough is a Democrat running for U.S. House in Texas's 38th Congressional District in the November 2026 general election, having won the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026. 11
Her campaign describes her as a realtor and businesswoman with nearly 30 years of experience as a REALTOR and 20 years as a real-estate brokerage owner and manager. She has also worked in small-business consulting and volunteer lobbying, including lobbying Congress and the Texas state legislature, and served as a keynote speaker at the National Association of REALTORS annual conference. 20
McDonough has lived in Harris County, in the Tomball area, for approximately three decades. Her civic background includes service on the Tomball ISD School Bond Committee, as a PTO president, band-booster president, and as Houston Chapter president of the Women's Council of Realtors in 2003. No prior elected legislative office is identified in the available sources. 20
She is not the incumbent; her campaign describes the 2026 race as an effort to flip the district. 211
At a glance
- Party
- Democratic
- Running for
- U.S. House · District 38, Texas
- Election
- Nov 3, 2026
- Current office
- Realtor and real-estate brokerage owner
- Website
- melissaforcongress.com(opens in a new tab)
Where they stand
Each position links to the page it was drawn from. Quotes are verbatim.
Timeline
- Oct 8newsMcDonough certified as Democratic nominee in TX-38 general election
Election.org and ChamberLight list McDonough as certified for the November 3 general election in Texas' 38th Congressional District, running against Republican Jon Bonck and Green Party candidate Alex McMenemy in an open-seat race.
2026 Texas District 38 U.S. House Election: Polls, Candidates, Money & Dates | Election.org · Oct 5, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 27newsMcDonough states she would vote YES on War Powers Resolution regarding Iran
In an emailed statement, McDonough said she would support a War Powers Resolution directing U.S. forces' removal from hostilities against Iran, arguing Congress holds constitutional authority over war and that diplomacy should be prioritized.
Iran War · Sep 17, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Jun 30filingMcDonough Q2 fundraising: $66,928.90 raised, $43,939.42 cash on hand
Federal filing data through June 30 shows McDonough raised $66,928.90, spent $45,689.27, and held $43,939.42 cash on hand. Opponent Jon Bonck reported approximately $1.64 million raised and $89,133 cash on hand for the same period.
2026 Texas District 38 U.S. House Election: Polls, Candidates, Money & Dates | Election.org · Oct 5, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
Endorsements
- Griffin Housing Alliance organizationListed by the campaign. No date provided. melissaforcongress.com
- UAW Region 2B unionListed in iVoterGuide profile. No date provided. ivoterguide.com
- Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO unionListed in iVoterGuide profile; not listed under this name on the campaign page. No date provided. ivoterguide.com
- Texas AFL-CIO Committee on Public Education (COPE) unionListed by the campaign as 'Texas AFL-CIO COPE'. iVoterGuide separately lists Texas AFL-CIO and Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO. No date provided. melissaforcongress.com
- Gun Sense Voter / Everytown for Gun Safety organizationListed by the campaign as 'Gun Sense Voter'; iVoterGuide uses the name Everytown for Gun Safety. No date provided. melissaforcongress.com
- Secular Houston organizationListed by the campaign. No date provided. melissaforcongress.com
- Progressive Voters Network organizationListed by the campaign. No date provided. melissaforcongress.com
- Houston Black American Democrats (HBAD) organizationListed by the campaign. No date provided. melissaforcongress.com
- Run Sister Run PAC organizationListed by the campaign; iVoterGuide abbreviates as Run Sister Run (RSR). No date provided. melissaforcongress.com
- Texas Stonewall Democrats organizationListed by the campaign. No date provided. melissaforcongress.com
- Harris County Tejano Democrats organizationListed by the campaign. No date provided. melissaforcongress.com
- Asian American Democratic Club organizationListed by the campaign. No date provided. melissaforcongress.com
- National Women's Political Caucus (NWPC) organizationListed in iVoterGuide profile and on NWPC's past-endorsements page for Texas's 38th District. No date provided. nwpc.org
- Mothers for Democracy PAC organizationListed in iVoterGuide profile. No date provided. ivoterguide.com
- Houston Chronicle Editorial Board newspaperListed by McDonough's campaign as an endorsement; the Chronicle's 2026 voter guide identifies McDonough as a candidate and links to the editorial-board endorsement. Date not established in sources reviewed. houstonchronicle.com
- Texas Coalition of Black Democrats: Harris County organizationShown by iVoterGuide as 'reported by candidate.' No date provided. ivoterguide.com
Campaign finance
Totals filed with the Federal Election Commission for the 2026 election cycle.
- Raised
- $67K
- Spent
- $46K
- Cash on hand
- $44K
As of Jun 30, 2026. Filings are periodic, so recent money may not be included yet. ↳ FEC record H4TX38011(opens in a new tab)
Sources 7
- [1] Melissa McDonough - Candidate Profile - iVoterGuide(opens in a new tab) Oct 9, 2026
- [2] 2026 Texas District 38 U.S. House Election: Polls, Candidates, Money & Dates | Election.org(opens in a new tab) Oct 5, 2026
- [3] Texas Voter Guide 2026: Races, candidates for Nov. 3 election(opens in a new tab) Oct 5, 2026
- [4] Iran War(opens in a new tab) Sep 17, 2026
- [5] Melissa McDonough(opens in a new tab) Jul 30, 2026
- [6] Past Endorsements(opens in a new tab) Feb 23, 2026
- [7] Platform - Melissa For Congress(opens in a new tab) Nov 3, 2025