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No special election for the remainder of the vacant term was found on the November ballot. A proclamation issued after August 29, 2026 would need to be checked.

U.S. House, Texas District 23

2-year termVacant seat: Rep. Tony Gonzales (R) withdrew from the March 2026 Republican runoff and resigned from Congress in April 2026; the seat has been vacant since. As of the latest reporting found (NBC/DMN, Aug. 29, 2026) Gov. Abbott had not called a special election, and neither the Secretary of State results page nor the Harris County sample ballot lists an unexpired-term U.S. House race, so no TX-23 special election appears on the Nov. 3 ballot; the general-election winner takes office in January 2027. Independent Ben Mendoza qualified by petition (SOS independent filings page). Ratings: Cook Likely R (Oct. 16, 2026); Inside Elections Likely R (Oct. 1, 2026); Sabato Likely R (Oct. 8, 2026). Third-party nominees: none other than Mendoza. District lines: PlanC2333 (H.B. 4, 89th Legislature, 2nd Called Session, signed Aug. 29, 2025). A three-judge federal panel enjoined it Nov. 18, 2025; the U.S. Supreme Court stayed that order Dec. 4, 2025 (Texas Legislative Council timeline) and on April 27, 2026 summarily reversed in Abbott v. LULAC, so PlanC2333 governs the 2026 election. Members elected under the 2021 map (PlanC2193) serve until January 2027.Partially researched. Last researched Oct 20, 2026Report a correction
Republican
Democratic
Independent
Economy and Cost of Living
What is the candidate's approach to inflation, prices, wages, and jobs?
Says he backs putting American workers first and reversing Biden-administration regulations. 
Ties cost of living to the tax code; on TPR she backed a higher minimum wage and required paid parental leave. 
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Taxes
What changes, if any, does the candidate support to federal income, business, or other taxes?
Has signed a no-new-taxes pledge and supports the REINS Act requiring congressional approval of major regulations. 
Opposes tax cuts for the wealthiest and wants a tax code that favors working families. 
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Federal Spending and Debt
How does the candidate approach the federal budget, deficit, and national debt?
Pledges to cut federal spending he links to inflation. 
Proposes universal pre-K and paid parental leave, suggesting leave could be funded through existing unemployment insurance programs. 
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Energy
What is the candidate's position on oil and gas, renewables, and energy regulation?
At the October debate he described West Texas as a center for data centers and said they should be regulated because of water use and local utility costs. 
Says the U.S. should rejoin the Paris Climate Accord; at the debate she backed federal minimum standards for data centers. 
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Social Security and Medicare
What changes, if any, does the candidate support to Social Security and Medicare?
Opposes benefit cuts and supports more investment options for younger workers. 
Her site proposes expanding Medicare to cover all Americans; it does not address Social Security. 
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Trade and Tariffs
What is the candidate's position on tariffs and trade agreements?
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Border and Immigration
What is the candidate's position on border security, enforcement, and legal immigration?
Supports funding border technology, more Border Patrol agents and infrastructure, and reinstating 'Remain in Mexico'. In the October debate he opposed a physical wall in Big Bend. 
Calls for bipartisan legislation pairing border security with humane rules and paths to citizenship; opposes the proposed Big Bend wall. 
At the October forum coverage he took a firm border-security stance and supported expanded seasonal H-2A and H-2B worker visas. 
Foreign Policy and Defense
What is the candidate's position on military spending, alliances, and current international conflicts?
Opposes sending large sums abroad while U.S. borders remain open and would bring troops home from Syria and Iraq. 
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Crime and Public Safety
What is the candidate's approach to crime, policing, and federal law enforcement?
His campaign says communities deserve "safety, security, and the rule of law," mainly in the context of border enforcement. Asked about the 2022 Uvalde shooting, he called for armed security at schools. 
On school shootings, said armed officers have not prevented them and called for mental health investment and raising the age to buy assault weapons to 21. 
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Israel and Gaza
What is the candidate's position on U.S. policy toward Israel and the war in Gaza, including military aid, humanitarian aid, and the Israeli government?
During his 2024 campaign he said on X he would vote against the roughly $95 billion foreign aid package that included aid to Israel; asked about ending foreign aid including to Israel, he said domestic problems come first. 
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 health insurance, the ACA, Medicaid, and drug prices?
Would expand TRICARE so veterans can choose doctors and supports MAHA nutrition and chronic-disease initiatives; listed veterans' health care as a debate priority. 
Supports expanding Medicare to all Americans; failing that, strengthening the ACA and expanding community health centers. 
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Abortion
What is the candidate's position on abortion law and federal action on abortion?
Opposes government funding for abortion and says he would sponsor the Infant Born Alive Act. 
Supports protecting reproductive rights and says medical decisions belong to a woman and her doctor. 
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Firearms
What is the candidate's position on firearms laws and the Second Amendment?
Supports national concealed-carry reciprocity, opposes red-flag laws and new firearms restrictions, and backs funding for school staff firearm training. 
Supports universal background checks, a bump-stock ban, red-flag laws and raising the purchase age for what she calls assault weapons to 21, plus mental-health funding. 
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Elections and Voting
What is the candidate's position on federal election rules, such as proof of citizenship to register, mail voting, and voter ID?
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Calls for Congress to restore and expand the Voting Rights Act, opposes voter roll purges and late changes to voting procedures, and supports a federal Election Day holiday. 
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Transgender Policy
What is the candidate's position on laws related to transgender people, including medical treatment for minors, school sports, and facilities?
Says he would act so that female athletes are not required to compete against male athletes (participation in sports by sex assigned at birth), using the phrase "woke leftists" for opponents. 
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, such as Christians, Jews, and Muslims?
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Issue 1 of 16

Economy and Cost of Living

What is the candidate's approach to inflation, prices, wages, and jobs?
Republican
Says he backs putting American workers first and reversing Biden-administration regulations. 
Democratic
Ties cost of living to the tax code; on TPR she backed a higher minimum wage and required paid parental leave. 
Independent
No public position found.
Searched Oct 20, 2026.
Sources for this contest (11)
  1. Election Results - Tuesday, November 3, 2026, Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved Oct 20, 2026.
  2. Ballot Certification Report, 2026 November General Election, Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved Oct 20, 2026.
  3. 2020s Redistricting Timeline, Texas Legislative Council. Retrieved Oct 20, 2026.
  4. Supreme Court allows Texas' redrawn congressional map to stand for 2026 elections, WLOS / Sinclair. Retrieved Oct 20, 2026.
  5. Texas 2026 General Election, The Green Papers. Retrieved Oct 20, 2026.
  6. Independent Candidate Filings, 2026 November 3rd General Election, Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved Oct 20, 2026.
  7. 2026 House Race Ratings, Cook Political Report. Retrieved Oct 20, 2026.
  8. Inside Elections 2026 House Ratings, 270toWin. Retrieved Oct 20, 2026.
  9. Crystal Ball 2026 House Ratings, 270toWin. Retrieved Oct 20, 2026.
  10. Voters await special election for Tony Gonzales' old seat, Axios San Antonio. Retrieved Oct 20, 2026.
  11. Gov. Abbott leaves nearly a million Texans without a vote in Congress, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth / Dallas Morning News. Retrieved Oct 20, 2026.