One source lists write-in candidate Stephen Samuelson for Governor, while the county write-in list, a news guide, and his own site list him for Lieutenant Governor. He is shown in the Lieutenant Governor race pending confirmation from the Secretary of State.
Independent Mike Collier was not on the ballot as of July and does not appear on the Harris County sample ballot, so he is not listed. A lawsuit over his ballot access was pending as of July; its outcome has not been confirmed.
Lieutenant Governor
4-year termIncumbent Republican Dan Patrick is seeking a fourth term. Former Democratic nominee Mike Collier sought to run as an independent and joined a lawsuit over petition requirements, but no independent qualified for any statewide ballot and he does not appear on the official ballot. Arturo Espinosa and Stephen Samuelson are declared write-in candidates. Goodwin challenged Patrick to a debate; no debate was located.Partially researched. Last researched Oct 20, 2026Report a correction
What is the candidate's position on property tax levels and relief?
Proposes extending the senior school homestead exemption to residents 55 and older and raising the general homestead exemption from $140,000 to $180,000. Listed homestead exemption increases to $140,000 (SB 4) and $200,000 for seniors (SB 23) among his 2025 Senate priorities.
Wants the state to carry more school, health and transportation costs now borne locally, automatic homestead exemptions for new buyers, and limits on rental property value increases tied to lower rents.
Says property tax relief requires spending cuts and that the state surplus shows Texans are overtaxed.
Would base appraisals on rent or lease value instead of comparable sales and eliminate exemptions he considers special-interest.
Education and School Choice
What is the candidate's position on public school funding, education savings accounts, and curriculum?
Advocates the education savings account program (often called school vouchers) and has proposed lowering a school's rating if it does not remove graphic books.
Voting record
Championed SB 2 (2025), creating the education savings account program (often called school vouchers); also listed teacher pay raises, Ten Commandments displays and school prayer among 2025 priorities.
Opposes the education savings account program (often called school vouchers) and supports higher teacher pay, less standardized testing and inflation-adjusted public school funding.
Voting record
Voted no on SB 2, which created the education savings account program (often called school vouchers); the House passed it on third reading 86-61 (Record 300, April 17, 2025).
Says school districts can be funded properly without raising taxes.
Calls for more teachers and improved curriculum.
Border Security
What role should the state play in border security and immigration enforcement?
Campaign site says he will secure the border. Listed SB 8 (2025), requiring local law enforcement to assist federal deportation efforts, as a session priority.
Supports comprehensive federal immigration reform, criticizes state detention and local-federal enforcement partnerships, and calls for limits and accountability for ICE agents.
Opposes taxpayer-funded welfare but supports immigrants who come to work, and criticizes blaming immigrants for tax problems.
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Power Grid and Energy
What is the candidate's position on the ERCOT grid, reliability, and energy production?
Supports adding thermal generation, a temporary moratorium on new data centers, and pausing large transmission line projects to protect landowners.
Calls for a pause on new data center construction until legislation requires them to pay for their own electricity and water and report usage; supports reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Supports encouraging renewable energy and technology in energy production and use.
Water
What is the candidate's approach to water supply and infrastructure?
Listed increased investment in the state's water supply (SB 7) as a 2025 Senate priority.
Would prioritize household water over industrial users, and supports conservation, rainwater and greywater reuse, pipe repair and recycled wastewater.
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Calls for new conservation and protection measures, citing shortages in south and west Texas and water transfers from east Texas.
Abortion
What is the candidate's position on Texas abortion law?
Supports preserving Texas' abortion ban.
Voting record
Authored the 2011 mandatory sonogram law as a state senator; listed the Life of the Mother Act and a bar on taxpayer-funded abortion travel among 2025 priorities.
Wants to repeal Texas' abortion ban.
Voting record
Voted no on SB 8 (2021), which bans most abortions after cardiac activity is detected, about six weeks into pregnancy, and allows private civil suits; the House passed it 83-64 (Record 784, May 6, 2021).
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Firearms
What is the candidate's position on Texas firearms laws?
Campaign site says he works to protect the Second Amendment.
Voting record
In 2019 called for background checks on gun sales between strangers; later backed legislation expanding gun rights, including constitutional (permitless) carry.
Supports Second Amendment rights with stronger background checks, training requirements, safe-storage laws, extreme risk protective orders with due process, and straw-purchase enforcement.
Voting record
Voted no on HB 1927 (2021), the permitless (constitutional) carry bill; the House passed it 87-58 (Record 298, April 16, 2021).
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Public Safety and Bail
What is the candidate's position on bail, policing, and criminal justice?
Listed bail reform bills (SB 9 and SB 40) among 2025 Senate priorities.
Supports mental health resources for first responders (HB 4863) and expanding Natalia Cox Act protections for survivors (HB 2748); no bail position located.
Voting record
Sponsored the Natalia Cox Act (2023) on notice to domestic violence victims and authored Cati's Act (2023) on child care drowning prevention.
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Health Care
What is the candidate's position on Medicaid, insurance coverage, and health costs in Texas?
Listed a dementia prevention and research institute (SB 5) and a 'Making Texas Healthy Again' bill (SB 25) as 2025 priorities; no Medicaid position located.
Proposes the Texas Cares Plan: Medicaid expansion up to 138% of poverty, a 'Lone Star Basic' tier to 200%, and a state-run public option, funded partly by federal dollars and a cannabis tax.
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Says the health system should be improved and pollutants removed from food, water and the environment; no specific proposals located.
Elections and Voting
What is the candidate's position on election administration, voting rules, and redistricting?
No public statement found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Voting record
Backed 2021 legislation changing voting rules, including barring local officials from sending unsolicited mail-ballot applications; listed a bill on non-citizen voting (SB 16) as a 2025 priority.
Supports a statewide citizen ballot initiative process (HJR 198), online voter registration, an independent redistricting commission, and opposed reducing Tarrant County voting sites.
Voting record
Voted no on CSHB 4, the 2025 mid-decade congressional redistricting bill, on the second-reading vote to pass it to engrossment, 88-52 (Record 25, August 20, 2025, 2nd Called Session).
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Supports ranked-choice voting in all elections, a single statewide primary and a nonpartisan redistricting commission.
Cannabis and THC
What is the candidate's position on hemp-derived THC, medical cannabis, and marijuana laws?
Supports banning the sale of THC products.
Voting record
Prioritized SB 3 (2025), which passed the Legislature to ban consumable THC products and was vetoed by Gov. Abbott.
Opposes a THC ban and supports regulation with age limits, testing, labeling and protections for hemp businesses.
Supports legalizing, or at minimum decriminalizing, marijuana and ending drug prohibition.
Supports building hemp production and processing as rural economic development; no marijuana position located.
Priorities for This Office
What does the candidate say they would prioritize in this specific office?
Seeking a fourth term; his campaign lists lowering property and business taxes, border security, grid reliability and protecting life, religious freedom and the Second Amendment.
Says she would run the Senate collaboratively, soliciting ideas from all senators, with a focus on public school funding and affordability.
Emphasizes a balanced budget, smaller government and protecting individual rights; says he will debate opponents if they agree.
Top legislative priorities: expanding city bus fleets, rural investment and electoral reform.
Transgender Policy
What is the candidate's position on Texas laws related to transgender people, including medical treatment for minors, school sports, facilities, and legal definitions of sex?
No public statement found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Voting record
As presiding officer of the Senate, issued an August 2025 statement on Senate passage of SB 7, limiting access to women's restrooms, locker rooms and family shelters by sex, saying the Senate would keep passing it each session.
Says people should be free to "be who they are" and cites an A+ rating from Equality Texas; her site does not address specific transgender bills.
Voting record
Voted no on House passage of SB 14 (2023), which prohibits gender transition medical treatment, including puberty blockers and hormones, for minors (Record 1688, May 15, 2023; passed 87-56).
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Religion and Public Schools
What is the candidate's position on religion in public schools, such as displaying the Ten Commandments, school prayer, and chaplains?
Listed "Placing the Ten Commandments in School" (SB 10) and "Protecting the Freedom to Pray in School" (SB 11) among his top 2025 legislative priorities; both became law.
No public statement found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Voting record
Voted no on SB 10. SB 10 requires display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms; the House passed it 82-46 (Record No. 3503, May 25, 2025).
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Religious Liberty and Faith Communities
What has the candidate said or done regarding religious freedom and specific faith communities in Texas, such as Christians, Jews, and Muslims?
Said in a 2026 social media post that he would "get to the bottom of the 'EPIC City' and 'Sharia Law' issues in Texas."
Voting record
In January 2026 interim charges, directed the Senate State Affairs Committee to study "preventing Sharia law in Texas," including the East Plano Islamic Center development, and recommend legislation.
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Home Insurance and Housing Costs
What is the candidate's approach to home insurance rates and housing costs in Texas?
Listed "Removing Barriers to Affordable Housing" (SB 15) and "Stopping Squatters" (SB 38) among his 2025 priorities; 2026 interim charges ask for legislation to protect Texans from housing discrimination and "unscrupulous developers." No home insurance position found.
Proposes cutting local permitting delays and rules that raise building costs to expand housing supply, the Fair Rent Incentive Act (HB 203) to lower appraisal caps for landlords charging fair-market rent or less, and reining in property tax and insurance costs.
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Issue 1 of 16
Property Taxes
What is the candidate's position on property tax levels and relief?
Proposes extending the senior school homestead exemption to residents 55 and older and raising the general homestead exemption from $140,000 to $180,000. Listed homestead exemption increases to $140,000 (SB 4) and $200,000 for seniors (SB 23) among his 2025 Senate priorities.
Wants the state to carry more school, health and transportation costs now borne locally, automatic homestead exemptions for new buyers, and limits on rental property value increases tied to lower rents.