Voters in Texas House District 88 are preparing to choose between longtime incumbent Ken King and Republican challenger John Browning in what has become a closely watched and increasingly combative 2026 Republican primary.
Both candidates are centering their campaigns on rural priorities while working to frame themselves as the stronger conservative choice. At the same time, each has sought to portray the other as insufficiently aligned with core Republican values.
King has represented the district since his election in 2012 and has built a legislative resume that includes serving as chairman of the House State Affairs Committee and as a member of the Committee on House Administration during the 89th Legislative Session. He was also appointed to lead the Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding, formed in response to the destructive July 4 flooding in Central Texas.
Many of the policy issues highlighted in both campaigns reflect broader debates that have shaped recent Texas legislative sessions. These include last year’s state crackdown on chemical abortion pills and legislation addressing the separation of publicly funded intimate spaces by biological sex.
During his tenure as chairman of the House State Affairs Committee, King oversaw hearings on several of these priorities associated with Gov. Greg Abbott. While these proposals advanced through committee stages, King also faced criticism from some conservative activists who argued that certain measures were delayed or did not advance to a full House vote. Neither the so-called “bathroom bill” nor legislation addressing abortion pills ultimately passed through his committee during the regular session.
Browning has drawn support from a number of conservative advocacy organizations, including Texas Right to Life, Texans for Strong Borders, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, Protecting Texas Children, Texas Gun Rights, and True Texas Project.
King, meanwhile, has received endorsements from prominent Republican leaders, including former President Donald Trump and Abbott. Trump endorsed Texas House Republicans who supported education savings account legislation in April 2025, a group that included King.
On the campaign trail, Browning has emphasized four main priorities: protecting schools, cutting government waste, defending faith and freedom, and advocating for rural communities. As an independent oil and gas producer, Browning says he will “protect our schools from indoctrination, bring honesty to budgeting and taxation, and make sure government serves people, not the other way around.”
The race has also drawn attention from fellow lawmakers. State Reps. Wes Virdell and Tony Tinderholt appeared in ads opposing King’s reelection, pointing to his leadership role on the State Affairs Committee. Tinderholt is leaving the legislature to run for a Tarrant County commissioner position.
In response, King’s campaign released ads criticizing both lawmakers, calling Tinderholt a “liar” and referring to Virdell as the “Austin politician who killed our wildfire protection bill.” That claim relates to a package of disaster reforms proposed after the 2024 Smokehouse Creek Fire, which burned more than one million acres in the Texas Panhandle.
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows recently appeared alongside King at a press conference, where he commended the incumbent’s leadership during recent wildfires and their aftermath.
House District 88 covers a large portion of West Texas and includes parts of Lubbock, along with several rural counties such as Briscoe, Castro, Childress, Wheeler, Cochran, Collingsworth, Donley, Swisher, and Hansford. The district is considered strongly Republican.
Campaign finance filings show King raised $852,652 and spent $1,031,534 between January 23 and February 21. Browning reported raising $687,688 through his PAC, John Browning for Texas, spending $717,086 and holding $40,682 in cash on hand during the same reporting period.
On the Democratic side, Heather Wallace is running unopposed in her party’s primary.
