Texas House District 128 is located in southeast Texas and encompasses Houston and its surrounding communities in Harris county. It is currently represented by Republican House Rep. Briscoe Cain, who faces one Republican and two Democratic challengers.
The Candidates:
Briscoe Cain (Incumbent) (R) – Briscoe Cain is a Republican from Deer Park, Texas. Professionally, he is an attorney with Fulton Strahan Group, a full-service business law firm in Houston, Texas. Cain has made controversial statements on a few occasions, including his “My AR is ready for you” tweet in response to Beto O’Rourke’s threat, “Hell yes, we are going to take your AR-15, your AK-47” comment at a presidential debate. His tendency to be bombastic has endeared him to some Republicans and rankled others. It also brought a challenger from the same side of the aisle. His endorsements include conservative groups such as Texas Homeschool Coalition, Young Conservatives of Texas, Texas Values, the NRA, and Gun Owners of America. Cain has not faced a primary challenger since 2016 and has never faced a Democrat in a general election.
Robert Hoskins (R) – Robert Hoskins is a Republican from Baytown, Texas. He has worked at Enterprise Products for over 40 years and has served on the Goose Creek CISD Board of Trustees and Baytown City Council for District 5. His policy objectives include “reducing taxes and regulation,” ending “‘Robin Hood,’” increasing border security, “protecting life,” and “defending our right to keep and bear arms.” Hoskins has been endorsed by Texas Alliance for Life, Baytown Firefighters, Texas State Association of Firefighters, Texas Medical Association PAC, and AFSCME. These organizations typically support moderate-to-liberal Republicans and Democrats.
Josh Markle (D) – Josh Markle is a Democrat who moved to Texas in 2012, after serving six years in the Air Force. He now manages a sign language interpreting agency. He also serves on the Deaf Resource and Emergency Response Team that was created after Hurricane Harvey. According to his website, Markle’s objectives include free tuition at community colleges and technical schools, free healthcare, marijuana legalization, and a living wage.
Mary Williams (D) – Mary Williams does not appear to have a website or to have conducted any fundraising. With no campaign information available, she is not included in the chart below.
House District 128 — By the Numbers*
| Briscoe Cain (R) [Incumbent] | Robert Hoskins (R) | Josh Markle (D) | |
| Total Money Raised | $183,919 | $20,895 | $80,049 |
| Total Number of Donations | 557 | 37 | 5362 |
| Average Donation Amount | $330 | $565 | $15 |
| Total Money Raised In-District | $15,560 | $15,800 | $1,908 |
| Total Number of Donations In-District | 67 | 19 | 48 |
| Percentage of All Money Raised In-District | 8% | 76% | 2% |
| Total Money Raised Outside District | $168,359 | $5,095 | $78,142 |
| Total Number of Donations From Outside District | 490 | 18 | 5314 |
| Percentage of All Money From Outside District | 92% | 24% | 98% |
| Total Expenditures | $141,221 | $27,515 | $13,506 |
| Cash-on-Hand | $112,722 | $19,647 | $67,317 |
A long shot:
For the Republicans, the incumbent Cain is way ahead on fundraising, number of donations, and cash-on-hand, making him the clear favorite over Hoskins.
On the Democratic side, Josh Markle has no real opposition. He should easily win the primary and advance to the general election in November, making him the first Democratic contender for Texas House District 128 in nearly two decades.
After the primary, it will be interesting to see if Democrat PACs and mega donors line up behind Markle to help him take on the Republican. Unless they do — unless Democrat interest and money begins to flow — it will be a very long shot for him to flip this solidly Republican, well-funded seat to the blue column in November.
Join us as we continue to bring you clear, easy-to-follow analysis of the money in some of the most hotly contested political contests in Texas.
*According to the most recent campaign finance reports on file with the Texas Ethics Commission.