Texas voters will decide several powerful offices on Tuesday, Nov. 3. This Texas 2026 election guide compares the major Republican and Democratic nominees in statewide and Harris County races.
The guide focuses on each candidate’s experience, accomplishments and stated priorities. Libertarian, Green and write-in candidates appear in some contests. Voters should review their personalized ballot through Harris Votes.
U.S. Senate: Ken Paxton and James Talarico
Republican Ken Paxton has served as Texas attorney general since 2015. He previously represented North Texas in the state House and Senate.
As attorney general, Paxton created a unit targeting human trafficking. His office has also secured major opioid settlements and challenged federal policies involving immigration, energy, health care and elections.
Paxton has promised to support President Donald Trump’s priorities in the Senate. His platform includes completing the border wall, increasing deportations and reducing federal spending.
He also supports domestic energy production, lower taxes and fewer federal regulations. Paxton has pledged to defend abortion restrictions and Second Amendment rights.
Democrat James Talarico is a former public-school teacher who joined the Texas House in 2018. According to his Texas House biography, he helped write a major school-finance overhaul and passed legislation capping certain insulin copays at $25.
Talarico also worked on student mental health, prekindergarten class sizes and juvenile justice reforms. His campaign focuses heavily on affordability and government ethics.
He wants to lower housing, utility, prescription drug and grocery costs. His proposals include a federal public insurance option, a higher minimum wage and expanded tax credits for working families.
Talarico also supports increased public-school funding, legal immigration reforms and limits on congressional stock trading.
Governor: Greg Abbott and Gina Hinojosa
Republican Greg Abbott is seeking a fourth term as governor. He previously served as Texas attorney general and as a state Supreme Court justice.
Abbott highlights Texas job growth, property-tax reductions and business investment during his administration. He launched Operation Lone Star to increase state law enforcement activity along the Texas-Mexico border.
Abbott also signed legislation creating a private-school education savings account program. His administration has supported workforce training and new investments in electricity generation.
Abbott says another term would focus on reducing property taxes and lowering housing, insurance and energy costs. He also plans to continue border operations, expand educational choices and recruit more employers to Texas.
Democrat Gina Hinojosa represents Austin in the Texas House. She previously served as president of the Austin Independent School District board.
Hinojosa has made public education a central part of her legislative career. She opposes private-school vouchers and state takeovers of local school districts.
Her education platform calls for higher teacher salaries, smaller classes and increased classroom funding. She has also criticized efforts to replace teachers with artificial intelligence programs in Houston schools.
Hinojosa’s economic proposals include freezing electricity rates, reducing health care costs and supporting first-time homebuyers. She also wants stronger oversight of data centers because of their effects on community water and electricity supplies.
Lieutenant Governor: Vikki Goodwin and Dan Patrick
The lieutenant governor presides over the Texas Senate. The officeholder can influence which bills receive hearings and votes.
Republican Dan Patrick has held the position since 2015. His record includes property-tax measures, private-school vouchers and legislation supporting new power generation.
Patrick also helped establish the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. He has made conservative education and social policies a major part of his tenure.
Patrick wants additional property-tax reductions and stronger border enforcement. He supports preserving Texas abortion restrictions and expanding reliable electricity generation.
He has also advocated restrictions on products containing THC and stronger state rules governing public-school library materials.
Democrat Vikki Goodwin has represented the Austin area in the Texas House since 2019. She passed Cati’s Act, which strengthened water-safety requirements at child care facilities.
Goodwin also helped pass the Natalia Cox Act, which provides resources for domestic violence survivors. Her platform calls for increased public-school funding and higher teacher salaries.
Goodwin emphasizes affordable housing, clean water and expanded health coverage. She proposes a state-administered insurance option for uninsured Texans.
She also wants the Senate to consider more proposals from both parties. Goodwin argues that the lieutenant governor should encourage cooperation instead of controlling debate through partisan priorities.
Attorney General: Mayes Middleton and Nathan Johnson
Republican Mayes Middleton is a state senator, attorney and oil company president. He previously served two terms in the Texas House and represents a Gulf Coast district.
Middleton has supported legislation addressing school prayer, border security and access to certain facilities based on biological sex.
As attorney general, he says he would defend state abortion laws and challenge federal regulations. He also promises stronger action against human trafficking, election fraud and illegal immigration.
Democrat Nathan Johnson is a Dallas attorney and state senator first elected in 2018. His legislative work has covered health insurance, the electric grid, infrastructure and government accountability.
According to his Texas Senate biography, Johnson’s health care work helped hundreds of thousands of Texans obtain insurance. His office reported that 35 bills he authored became law during the 2025 legislative session.
Johnson says the attorney general should concentrate on consumer protection, child support enforcement, public corruption and government transparency. He supports stronger antitrust enforcement and wants fewer lawsuits driven primarily by national political disputes.
Harris County Judge: Letitia Plummer and Orlando Sanchez
The county judge leads Commissioners Court and helps direct the county budget, emergency response and infrastructure programs. Despite the title, the position is primarily an executive role.
Republican Orlando Sanchez served six years on Houston City Council and 12 years as Harris County treasurer. A Cuban immigrant and Air Force veteran, he became Houston’s first Latino immigrant elected to a citywide position.
Sanchez wants to reduce county spending and lower property taxes. His priorities include law enforcement, flood-control construction, roads and faster completion of voter-approved projects.
He also proposes performance reviews for county programs. Sanchez says Harris County should concentrate its budget on public safety, courts, health care and infrastructure.
Democrat Letitia Plummer is a dentist, small-business owner and former Houston City Council member. She represented the entire city through an at-large council position.
Plummer’s platform calls for faster flood-control projects, expanded Harris Health services and youth mental health partnerships.
She also supports small-business programs, workforce apprenticeships, broadband expansion and stronger environmental health protections. Plummer proposes additional transparency measures for county contracts and spending.
Harris County Commissioner, Precinct 2: Adrian Garcia and Richard Vega
Harris County commissioners adopt the county budget, set tax rates and oversee services including roads, parks, flood control and public health. Precinct 2 covers parts of northern and eastern Harris County.
Democratic incumbent Adrian Garcia has served on Commissioners Court since 2019. He previously served as Harris County sheriff, a Houston City Council member and a Houston police officer.
Garcia says Precinct 2 has delivered more than $1 billion in infrastructure, mobility, flood-control and community improvements during his tenure. His office reports investing more than $500 million in flood projects.
Garcia also created the VIPER Task Force to target repeat violent offenders. He supported mobile health services, affordable housing programs and increased opportunities for small businesses.
If reelected, Garcia wants to continue investing in public safety, flood resilience, health care and infrastructure. He also wants to reduce household costs and expand economic opportunities in underserved communities.
Republican Richard Vega is a pastor and community leader who previously sought the Precinct 2 seat.
Vega is campaigning on government transparency, fiscal restraint and stronger public safety. He identifies flooding, aging infrastructure and crime as the precinct’s leading challenges.
Vega wants additional drainage maintenance, faster road repairs and stronger coordination with law enforcement.
His housing proposals include partnerships with private developers, streamlined permitting and assistance for first-time homebuyers. He also says county spending should focus on essential services and taxpayer protection.
Harris County Commissioner, Precinct 4: Lesley Briones and Steve Radack
Precinct 4 includes western Harris County and parts of southwest Houston. The district contains major employment centers and neighborhoods near the Addicks and Barker reservoirs.
Democratic incumbent Lesley Briones has served as commissioner since 2023. She previously worked as an attorney, nonprofit executive and Harris County civil court judge.
Briones says her office provided direct assistance to about 20,000 families after Hurricane Beryl. She also established health services at community centers and supported expanding the county’s mental health response program.
Her office has invested in intersection improvements, sidewalks, flood mitigation and disaster readiness. Briones says she helped identify $182 million in county savings through efficiencies, asset sales and fund reallocations.
If reelected, Briones wants to focus on public safety, flood-control infrastructure and emergency preparation. She also supports workforce training, affordable health services and additional economic opportunities.
Republican Steve Radack previously served 32 years as the Precinct 3 commissioner. Before joining Commissioners Court, he worked in law enforcement and served as a Harris County constable.
Radack points to his experience managing county budgets, roads, parks and disaster response. He says the combined county property-tax rate remained unchanged or declined from 1997 through his final year in office.
Radack wants to reduce property taxes by reviewing administrative expenses and eliminating spending he considers unnecessary. He says the county should prioritize law enforcement, flood control, infrastructure and emergency response.
He also wants to rebuild the county’s disaster reserve fund and accelerate delayed projects from the 2018 flood-control bond program.
Harris County Clerk: Teneshia Hudspeth and Mike Wolfe
The Harris County clerk administers elections and maintains property, court and vital records.
Democratic incumbent Teneshia Hudspeth has more than 20 years of experience in the clerk’s office. She worked her way through several positions before becoming chief deputy and then county clerk.
Hudspeth has overseen numerous elections and absorbed election duties previously assigned to the county elections administrator. She has also digitized millions of records and expanded online access to county documents.
Hudspeth plans to introduce additional property-fraud alerts, strengthen election information and improve employee retention.
Republican Mike Wolfe served 12 years on the Harris County Department of Education board. He has also worked for the Texas Attorney General’s Office and the Harris County District Clerk.
Wolfe proposes modernizing digital records, publishing processing-time reports and conducting disaster-recovery audits.
He also wants public election-readiness meetings, clearer court-filing standards and greater use of grants to reduce the county’s reliance on paper records.
What Houston Voters Should Know
Houston does not have a regular election for mayor or City Council in November 2026. However, city residents will vote in federal, state, county, legislative and judicial contests based on their address.
Only residents of Commissioners Precinct 2 or Precinct 4 will vote in those commissioner races. Some Houston-area ballots also contain city propositions, school measures or special-district contests.
Election Day vote centers in Harris County will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Registered Harris County voters may use any Election Day vote center.
Reviewing a sample ballot before arriving can help residents research district-specific races. It also provides more time to consider the candidates who will shape state and county policies.