Texas · U.S. House · District 6 · November 3, 2026

What it would take for Danny Minton.

Ellzey starts 22.8 points ahead on our starting line from recent official results. Campaign work can move about 5,405 net votes toward Minton, a 2.4-point gain. Winning outright would take a 20.3-point national wave on top of that. Here is the plan that makes Minton the one standing if one comes.

50,211
net votes between Minton and a win
37
days to election day. Early voting opens October 19.
22.8 pts
Ellzey lead, our starting line from recent results
In short

A long shot on the math: it takes a 20.3-point national wave.

Odds today<1%
Odds with the plan<1%
Net votes to find50,211
WherePrecinct 1054 (Ellis County), Precinct 43 (Johnson County), Precinct 4621 (Dallas County)
Underdog UpdateSeptember 26, 2026. Underdog plan published. Starting line: Ellzey +22.8. Danny Minton needs 50,199 net votes. Odds under 1% today, under 1% with the plan.
The number

110,355 votes.

That is half of the 220,709 ballots we expect in this race, plus one. Where Minton stands today, and what is missing:

82,676 Danny Minton baseline
132,887 Jake Ellzey baseline

Starting line: a weighted blend of the official 2022 and 2024 results in this district (President, U.S. Senate, Railroad Commissioner, Governor, Attorney General). No 2026 polls have been published. 2026 turnout modeled on 2022, the last midterm.

The odds

<1% today. A wave changes that.

We ran this race 20,000 times with realistic error on every assumption. Drag the slider to see the odds move as the campaign captures more of what history says is available.

Minton wins in
<1%
of 20,000 simulated elections
With no plan
<1%
tieMinton loses by 84,618loses by 4,143
How much of what history allows the campaign achieves100%
The plan on this page sits at 100%. Median outcome at this setting: Minton short by 44,804.

Each simulation draws the starting line with an error of 7 points of margin (no 2026 polls, so the starting line comes from history and carries more error) and lets the plan over- or under-deliver by 30 percent. Seeded and reproducible; the method and data are at the bottom of the page.

Three moves

The gap closes three ways.

Change minds. Bring out voters who skip midterms. Win back the third-party vote. Every pool below is counted from official precinct returns and published polls.

Persuade
3,473
net votes in the plan, from a pool of 3,473

Who. 3,473 voters who split their ticket in recent elections and lean Ellzey today.

How. Live conversations on the call list that matters: voters who crossed party lines, plus the undecided. Minton needs to win 50 percent of the ones now leaning Ellzey.

Mobilize
1,191
net votes in the plan, from a pool of 14,591

Who. At least 14,591 people who voted in 2024 but not in 2022, in precincts where Minton's side wins at least 55 percent.

How. Voter ID calls to people who voted in 2024 and skipped 2022, then a ballot chase until each one has voted.

Consolidate
741
net votes in the plan, from a pool of 2,118

Who. Voters who went third party in recent races, in the precincts that lean Minton's way.

How. A direct appeal to voters who went third party last time. They have already shown they will leave the two-party default.

Together: 5,405 net votes against a gap of 50,211. Still 44,806 short. The rest needs a national shift of about 20.3 points that no campaign controls.

Where it is won

12 precincts carry 23% of it.

Ranked by the net votes each one gives the plan. The darker the county, the more of the upset lives there.

Anderson CountyAndrews CountyAngelina CountyAransas CountyArcher CountyArmstrong CountyAtascosa CountyAustin CountyBailey CountyBandera CountyBastrop CountyBaylor CountyBee CountyBell CountyBexar CountyBlanco CountyBorden CountyBosque CountyBowie CountyBrazoria CountyBrazos CountyBrewster CountyBriscoe CountyBrooks CountyBrown CountyBurleson CountyBurnet CountyCaldwell CountyCalhoun CountyCallahan CountyCameron CountyCamp CountyCarson CountyCass CountyCastro CountyChambers CountyCherokee CountyChildress CountyClay CountyCochran CountyCoke CountyColeman CountyCollin CountyCollingsworth CountyColorado CountyComal CountyComanche CountyConcho CountyCooke CountyCoryell CountyCottle CountyCrane CountyCrockett CountyCrosby CountyCulberson CountyDallam CountyDallas County: 1,458 net votes in the planDawson CountyDeWitt CountyDeaf Smith CountyDelta CountyDenton CountyDickens CountyDimmit CountyDonley CountyDuval CountyEastland CountyEctor CountyEdwards CountyEl Paso CountyEllis County: 1,466 net votes in the planErath CountyFalls CountyFannin CountyFayette CountyFisher CountyFloyd CountyFoard CountyFort Bend CountyFranklin CountyFreestone CountyFrio CountyGaines CountyGalveston CountyGarza CountyGillespie CountyGlasscock CountyGoliad CountyGonzales CountyGray CountyGrayson CountyGregg CountyGrimes CountyGuadalupe CountyHale CountyHall CountyHamilton CountyHansford CountyHardeman CountyHardin CountyHarris CountyHarrison CountyHartley CountyHaskell CountyHays CountyHemphill CountyHenderson CountyHidalgo CountyHill CountyHockley CountyHood CountyHopkins CountyHouston CountyHoward CountyHudspeth CountyHunt CountyHutchinson CountyIrion CountyJack CountyJackson CountyJasper CountyJeff Davis CountyJefferson CountyJim Hogg CountyJim Wells CountyJohnson County: 634 net votes in the planJones CountyKarnes CountyKaufman CountyKendall CountyKenedy CountyKent CountyKerr CountyKimble CountyKing CountyKinney CountyKleberg CountyKnox CountyLa Salle CountyLamar CountyLamb CountyLampasas CountyLavaca CountyLee CountyLeon CountyLiberty CountyLimestone CountyLipscomb CountyLive Oak CountyLlano CountyLoving CountyLubbock CountyLynn CountyMadison CountyMarion CountyMartin CountyMason CountyMatagorda CountyMaverick CountyMcCulloch CountyMcLennan CountyMcMullen CountyMedina CountyMenard CountyMidland CountyMilam CountyMills CountyMitchell CountyMontague CountyMontgomery CountyMoore CountyMorris CountyMotley CountyNacogdoches CountyNavarro County: 270 net votes in the planNewton CountyNolan CountyNueces CountyOchiltree CountyOldham CountyOrange CountyPalo Pinto CountyPanola CountyParker CountyParmer CountyPecos CountyPolk CountyPotter CountyPresidio CountyRains CountyRandall CountyReagan CountyReal CountyRed River CountyReeves CountyRefugio CountyRoberts CountyRobertson CountyRockwall CountyRunnels CountyRusk CountySabine CountySan Augustine CountySan Jacinto CountySan Patricio CountySan Saba CountySchleicher CountyScurry CountyShackelford CountyShelby CountySherman CountySmith CountySomervell CountyStarr CountyStephens CountySterling CountyStonewall CountySutton CountySwisher CountyTarrant County: 1,577 net votes in the planTaylor CountyTerrell CountyTerry CountyThrockmorton CountyTitus CountyTom Green CountyTravis CountyTrinity CountyTyler CountyUpshur CountyUpton CountyUvalde CountyVal Verde CountyVan Zandt CountyVictoria CountyWalker CountyWaller CountyWard CountyWashington CountyWebb CountyWharton CountyWheeler CountyWichita CountyWilbarger CountyWillacy CountyWilliamson CountyWilson CountyWinkler CountyWise CountyWood CountyYoakum CountyYoung CountyZapata CountyZavala CountyDallasEllisJohnsonNavarroTarrant
Fewer net votesMore net votes for the upset
  1. 01
    Precinct 1054 (Ellis County)mobilize
    Starting line Minton +46. 2.8% split their ticket. About 1,097 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
    +199
  2. 02
    Precinct 43 (Johnson County)mobilize
    Starting line Minton +19. 2.3% split their ticket. About 2,382 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
    +175
  3. 03
    Precinct 4621 (Dallas County)persuade
    Starting line Minton +35. 9.9% split their ticket. About 690 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
    +152
  4. 04
    Precinct 4608 (Dallas County)mobilize
    Starting line Minton +26. 6.0% split their ticket. About 686 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
    +108
  5. 05
    Precinct 4632 (Dallas County)mobilize
    Starting line Minton +27. 7.7% split their ticket. About 617 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
    +87
  6. 06
    Precinct 4627 (Dallas County)mobilize
    Starting line Minton +18. 2.5% split their ticket. About 917 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
    +85
  7. 07
    Precinct 1001 (Ellis County)mobilize
    Starting line Minton +30. 1.2% split their ticket. About 713 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
    +79
  8. 08
    Precinct 1052 (Ellis County)mobilize
    Starting line Minton +24. 2.5% split their ticket. About 707 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
    +78
  9. 09
    Precinct 1050 (Ellis County)mobilize
    Starting line Minton +22. 2.1% split their ticket. About 699 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
    +76
  10. 10
    Precinct 4628 (Dallas County)mobilize
    Starting line Minton +40. 6.9% split their ticket. About 363 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
    +70
  11. 11
    Precinct 4640 (Dallas County)mobilize
    Starting line Minton +30. 4.1% split their ticket. About 456 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
    +70
  12. 12
    Precinct 4648 (Dallas County)mobilize
    Starting line Minton +38. 5.3% split their ticket. About 351 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
    +69
What the numbers say that the polls do not

The hidden path.

Precinct 1054 (Ellis County) carries the most.

Precinct 1054 (Ellis County) gives this plan more net votes than any other precinct: 199. It sits at Minton +46 on our starting line, and 2.8 percent of its voters split their ticket in recent elections.

Precinct 43 (Johnson County) is a turnout race.

Minton's side leads Precinct 43 (Johnson County) by about 19 points on our starting line, and it cast about 2,382 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (an estimate). Roughly that many of its 2024 voters sat out the last midterm; bringing enough of them back nets 144 votes there.

Precinct 4621 (Dallas County) splits its ticket the most.

Of the precincts in this plan, Precinct 4621 (Dallas County) has the highest share of ticket splitters: 9.9 percent. That is where a persuasion call is most likely to reach someone open to crossing over.

Spend it where it counts.

As of June 30, 2026, Ellzey had $2.48 million in cash on hand to Minton's $14K. That is exactly why the plan puts every dollar on the few places listed here instead of the whole map.

The evidence

Where voters cross over.

Every dot is a precinct. If no one split a ticket, every dot would sit on the line. The orange ones are where Minton's side lost voters it won further up the ballot.

-100-100-80-80-60-60-40-40-20-2000+20+20+40+40+60+60+80+80Minton's side, President 2024 margin (points)U.S. Senate 2024 margin (points)
Precincts
248
Slope
1.033
R²
0.994
Residual SD
2.3 pts
Crossover precincts
36

Weighted least squares, one point per precinct, weighted by ballots cast. Orange precincts sit more than one residual standard deviation below the line: Minton's side did worse there in this race than the top of the ticket predicts. Hover any dot for the precinct.

The next 37 days

Voting starts October 19.

  1. Now to October 5
    Find them

    Voter ID calls across the persuasion list in these precincts. Every conversation tags the voter: with Minton, with Ellzey, or undecided. The undecided become the persuasion universe; the supporters become the ballot chase list.

  2. October 6 to 18
    Persuade

    Second conversations with every undecided and soft voter, built around the one issue they named on the first call. The goal is 3,473 net votes from people who have crossed party lines before.

  3. October 19 to 25
    Bank the ballots

    Mail ballots are already going out, and in-person early voting runs October 19 through October 30. Mail ballot applications must be received by October 23. Chase every supporter's mail ballot request until it is returned, and move supporters to early voting while it is open.

  4. October 26 to November 2
    Turn them out

    The drop-off voters: people who voted in 2024 and skipped 2022. At least 14,591 of them live where Minton is favored. In-person early voting ends October 30. Mail ballots count if received by 7 p.m. on November 3, or by 5 p.m. on November 4 if postmarked by Election Day.

  5. November 3
    Election day

    Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Texas has no same-day registration; the registration deadline is October 5. The last calls go to identified supporters who have not voted, with their polling place in hand.

What has to be true

No wishful thinking.

Official results in this district: Trump carried the 2024 presidential race by 22.9 points; Cruz carried the 2024 U.S. Senate race by 17.2 points; Abbott carried the 2022 governor's race by 24.3 points.

  1. Minton wins 50 percent of the ticket splitters now leaning Ellzey.
  2. In Precinct 1054 (Ellis County) and Precinct 43 (Johnson County), 35 percent of the people who voted in 2024 but skipped 2022 come back and vote.
  3. The national environment moves about 20.3 points toward Minton's side between now and November 3.
  4. No 2026 public poll exists for this race, so the starting line is a weighted blend of official recent results; the first real poll will move it.
The work

2,566 conversations.

That is how many live voter conversations this plan takes: about 48,967 dials to 16,322 households, before the last ballot is cast.

16K
households on the target list
49K
dials across three attempts
2,566
live conversations: persuasion, voter ID, ballot chase

Call list: every ticket splitter and undecided voter in the targeted places (you cannot tell which way they lean before the call), every targeted drop-off voter, and the reachable third-party voters. About 69 households for every 100 voters on the list, three attempts each, and a 5.24 percent live answer rate per attempt, the per-program average across 1.2 million real 2026 dials in our published benchmarks.

HyperPhonebank

We run this list.

Calls are the voter ID and ballot chase engine of this plan. They find the persuadable voters and the supporters, so every other dollar lands on the right door. The full call program for this list is an estimated $6,472 at our published rates: 16,322 households, three attempts each.

Professional live callers working exactly these precincts: persuasion on the ticket splitters, voter ID on the fence, ballot chase on every absentee request until it is returned. A live dashboard shows every conversation as it happens. Days to launch, not weeks.

The candidates

Who is on the ballot.

Underdog

Danny Minton (D)

Medical sales professional in women's healthcare with a zoology degree from the University of Oklahoma and advanced study in epidemiology; won the Democratic nomination unopposed.

Cash on hand $13,638 and $44,283 raised since January 1, 2025, per FEC reports through June 30, 2026.

Favorite · incumbent

Jake Ellzey (R)

U.S. representative for the 6th District since 2021 and a U.S. Naval Academy graduate who flew as a Navy fighter pilot with tours in Afghanistan and Iraq; previously a Texas Veterans Commission commissioner and state representative.

Cash on hand $2,483,402 and $4,660,385 raised since January 1, 2025, per FEC reports through June 30, 2026.

Underdog Updates

What changed, and when.

We re-run this race as new polls, fundraising reports and early vote counts arrive. Every change to the numbers is logged here.

  1. September 26, 2026
    Underdog plan published

    Starting line: Ellzey +22.8. Danny Minton needs 50,199 net votes. Odds under 1% today, under 1% with the plan.

Share this plan. Running this campaign, or backing it? This page is yours to share with your team and supporters.
Share

Questions

Can Danny Minton win Texas's 6th Congressional District in 2026?

Only with help from the national environment. Campaign work can move about 5,405 net votes; the gap is 50,211. The rest would take a 20.3-point national shift.

Where are the votes Danny Minton needs?

Ranked by net votes in the plan: Precinct 1054 (Ellis County), Precinct 43 (Johnson County), Precinct 4621 (Dallas County), Precinct 4608 (Dallas County), Precinct 4632 (Dallas County). Persuadable voters are counted from ticket splitting in 2022 and 2024 official returns; turnout targets are people who voted in 2024 and skipped 2022.

How many voters does Danny Minton need to persuade?

About 1,736 voters who lean Jake Ellzey today, each worth two votes of margin when they switch. That is 50 percent of the 3,473 persuadable voters leaning Jake Ellzey.

When does early voting start in Texas in 2026?

In-person early voting in Texas runs October 19 through October 30, 2026. The voter registration deadline is October 5, and applications for a mail ballot must be received by October 23. Mail ballots count if received by 7 p.m. on Election Day, or by 5 p.m. the next day if postmarked by Election Day. Texas does not offer same-day registration.

Who made this analysis?

The Political Group, an independent campaign services firm, from official Texas Secretary of State precinct returns, Census data, FEC filings and published polls. It is not affiliated with any candidate or party.

Method and sources

Precinct math from official Texas Secretary of State returns for 2022 and 2024, projected onto current district lines. Polls, ratings and fundraising as published on the dates shown. This is independent analysis by The Political Group, as of September 26, 2026. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by any candidate or party, and it is written for every campaign that starts behind.

Statistics: a weighted least squares crossover regression on every precinct, and 20,000 seeded Monte Carlo simulations. The baseline error (7 points of margin) and plan efficacy spread (30 percent) are our stated assumptions. Download the precinct data (CSV, ready for JASP). Free to cite under CC BY 4.0 with a link to this page.

Race coverage

More Texas underdogs

Texas U.S. Senate
How Ken Paxton wins
265,529 net votes to find
TX-01
What it would take for Yolanda Prince
119,795 net votes to find
TX-02
What it would take for Shaun Finnie
55,482 net votes to find
TX-03
What it would take for Evan Hunt
57,216 net votes to find
TX-04
What it would take for Jason Pearce
61,109 net votes to find
TX-05
What it would take for Chelsey Hockett
43,166 net votes to find
TX-07
What it would take for Alexander Hale
51,235 net votes to find
TX-08
What it would take for Laura Jones
56,168 net votes to find
TX-09
What it would take for Leticia Gutierrez
20,806 net votes to find
TX-10
What it would take for Caitlin Rourk
52,107 net votes to find
TX-11
What it would take for Claire Reynolds
67,733 net votes to find
TX-12
What it would take for Angela "Heli" Rodriguez Prilliman
48,061 net votes to find
TX-13
What it would take for Mark Nair
102,644 net votes to find
TX-14
What it would take for Thurman "Bill" Bartie
56,491 net votes to find
TX-15
How Monica De La Cruz wins
7,158 net votes to find
TX-16
What it would take for Adam Bauman
34,487 net votes to find
TX-17
What it would take for Casey Shepard
48,953 net votes to find
TX-18
What it would take for Ronald Whitfield
101,469 net votes to find
TX-19
What it would take for Kyle Rable
102,579 net votes to find
TX-20
What it would take for Edgardo Rafael Baez
56,424 net votes to find
TX-21
What it would take for Kristin Hook
65,730 net votes to find
TX-22
What it would take for Marquette Greene-Scott
52,088 net votes to find
TX-23
How Katy Padilla Stout wins
10,194 net votes to find
TX-24
What it would take for Kevin Burge
45,794 net votes to find
TX-25
What it would take for Dione Sims
52,061 net votes to find
TX-26
What it would take for Steven Shook
63,948 net votes to find
TX-27
What it would take for Tanya Lloyd
49,699 net votes to find
TX-28
How Tano E. Tijerina wins
2,378 net votes to find
TX-29
What it would take for Martha Fierro
43,740 net votes to find
TX-30
What it would take for Everett Jackson
88,196 net votes to find
TX-31
What it would take for Justin Early
55,295 net votes to find
TX-32
What it would take for Dan Barrios
36,637 net votes to find
TX-33
What it would take for Patrick Gillespie
57,747 net votes to find
TX-34
How Eric Flores wins
3,399 net votes to find
TX-35
How Johnny Garcia wins
16,348 net votes to find
TX-36
What it would take for Rhonda Hart
53,363 net votes to find
TX-37
What it would take for Lauren Peña
162,220 net votes to find
TX-38
What it would take for Melissa McDonough
55,417 net votes to find