





Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Current rolePublic health professional
PartyDemocratic
GenderMale
LocationTexas
BackgroundPublic health professional
Notable personal detailsEarnest Clayton is a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House in Texas' 9th Congressional District (TX-09) in the 2026 election cycle. He has worked in public health in Houston-area communities, including work focused on health equity, and has also taught Health Science. He was born and raised in Port Arthur, Texas, and has described being the first in his family to pursue a terminal degree.
Earnest Clayton is in the news because the Republican runoff in Texas's newly redrawn 9th Congressional District has been decided, with Alex Mealer winning and becoming the GOP nominee. The district was redrawn to favor Republicans and is expected to remain a strong GOP hold in the general election. Earlier coverage noted the start of the 2026 Texas primaries and broader redistricting changes shaping the race.






Aggregation source: FiftyPlusOne
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We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.