Here are Democratic primary candidates for Texas governor in 2026

Democratic primary ballots for Texas governor list nine candidates. One of them, Andrew White, dropped out but still appears on the ballot.

The top vote-getter in the March 3 primary will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot, facing off with the Republican candidate for governor.

Here are the Democratic candidates’ responses to a Star-Telegram questionnaire. They are listed in the order you’ll see them on the ballot.

Carlton W. Hart

Did not respond.

Zach Vance

Age (as of March 3, 2026): 39

Campaign website: www.4abettertexas.com

Best way for voters to reach you: campaign@4abettertexas.com

Occupation: Structural Engineering Drafter and retired military

Education: BA Radio, Film, Television Broadcasting from University of North Texas

Have you run for elected office before? 2022 Republican primary for Texas Lieutenant Governor and 2024 Democratic primary for Texas House district 19

Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in Texas: Lobbying for veterans issues in the 86th and 87th legislature.

Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? If yes, please explain: Possession of marijuana under 2 ounces when I was in my late teens and public intoxication in my early 20’s.

Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? No

Who are your top three campaign contributors? Fran Raymond, Burnice Beck, and Sally Duval

Why are you seeking this office? Because Texans deserve a governor who truly cares about them and wants to help them when they are suffering or hurting. Who wants to create a state environment that allows people to have as great of a life as they can possibly have. A governor who truly cares about freedom and letting people live the lives that they want to live. A governor who truly cares about all people not just a select few or specific groups. A governor who cares about people more than money. A governor who cares more about employees and consumers more than businesses and corporations. We deserve a governor who genuinely cares about us, and I will be that governor.

If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be?

Affordability such as loweing property taxes, home and car insurance, and utilities.

Strengthening public education.

And healthcare. I want to get as many people as possible on a health insurance program.

How will you measure your success as governor? By Texans quality of life. By how good their public education is, and not just a handful of schools, but all of them. By how much more money they have in their pockets. By how healthy Texans are. By how much less polluted the state is. By how plentiful our clean water is. By how much less traffic there is. By how many more people we have owning homes. By how many less people are homeless. By how many fewer people we have suffering, hurting, or struggling. By how many people have jobs, and jobs that they are taken good care of at. By how happy people are living here.

Why should voters choose you over your opponents? Because we need a Democrat who is focused entirely on building trust and bringing people together. Issues and policies are important, but we will not be able to beat Greg Abbott unless we have someone completely dedicated to having a genuine connection with the electorate. Someone who can bring people together. New voters and low propensity voters are key, and they will not turn out just because of policy positions. They will only turn out for a candidate who they know truly understands them, cares about them, and who they trust. Same with many swing voters. And not to mention the democrats, this party is going to come out of this primary for U.S. Senate battered and bruised, and we are going to need a candidate at the top of the ticket who can truly hold the party together after the infighting that is happening during this primary. I feel like I’m the best person in this race to hold the party together after the primary, as well as connect and turn out new and low propensity voters.

As governor, how would you interact and work with members of the opposite party? Are there specific policy ideas where you see opportunities for bipartisanship? I will work with Republicans on anything that makes Texan’s lives better. However, good people and people of quality can no longer win in a republican primary, therefore, there are very few republicans in office that actually actually care about people and want to make people’s lives better.

They are all; “Muslim this... Woke agenda that... Sharia law this... Trans people that...” and it is disgusting and absolutely pathetic. The republican primary base has too much hate in their hearts to elect people who actually want to solve problems. I will work with every single Republican who actually wants to solve Texas’ problems, but in all honesty, I doubt there will be any after I win in November.

What is the biggest challenge facing Texas? How would you address it if elected? Affordability. The state absolutely must lower property taxes, and lower utility and insurance rates for homeowners and renters. The Governor of Texas, through their appointment of the commissioners, is essentially in charge of utilities in Texas. Greg Abbott is letting companies charge us what they are charging us, and as governor I would make them lower it. We need a governor who cares more about people than cares about making companies money so they can kick some back. Same with insurance. Abbott is letting insurance companies charge what they are charging and he could absolutely make them lower it, but he doesn’t.

Property taxes can be lowered by the state increasing their portion of the amount that they send to public schools therefore lowering the property tax burden on families. As well as getting people insured so that hospitals don’t have to charge uninsured visits back to the homeowners.

What, if anything, should the state do to address costs of living in Texas? The state must lower property taxes, as well as lower utility bills and insurance premiums. The governor has almost complete power and control over all of those things, but our current governor chooses to let companies over charge us for all of these utilities and services while underfunding public schools on purpose. Everything in this state is as expensive as it is because of Greg Abbott, and Texans have to be able to see that. They don’t understand how much power the governor of Texas has over all of these things, and he chooses to make this state as unaffordable as possible because he cares more about companies making money than he does about Texans. All it takes is a governor who truly cares about people and wants to make people’s lives better. Then and only then can this state become more affordable.

Is eliminating school property taxes for homeowners achievable and something you’d support? Why or why not, and what plan do you propose to achieve their elimination or as an alternative? No, absolutely not. That would mean increasing sales tax significantly. An educated population is everyone’s responsibility, and those taxes need to be based on income. The fairest way to do that is by taxing property since the state does not utilize an income tax. The state just needs to increase its portion of the funding that goes to schools so that local entities don’t have to raise as much from the residents. If the state would just pay more for schools and keep up with inflation, then property taxes would not be where they are now. The state has more than enough money to do that, it just doesn’t because Greg Abbott is trying to strangle public schools, and then blame local entities for raising taxes while saying public schools are bad even though he’s the reason they don’t have as much money as they should.

What steps, if any, should the state take to prepare for the rise of artificial intelligence? By making this state extremely unattractive to AI data centers. This state doesn’t need AI data centers. We have so many people moving here that we need to focus on the water that people use and not let AI data centers come here and consume it all. Water is going to be an extremely valuable resource in the coming years and we need to do everything we can to plan for the water that residents use and not let data centers come here and consume millions of gallons a day. Data centers need to go where water and energy is more plentiful, and Texas is not that place.

What, if anything, should Texas do to ensure there’s an adequate supply of water and electricity in the state now and in the future? For water, Texas must invest over $150 billion in the next 50 years to develop new supplies, upgrade aging infrastructure, and enhance conservation efforts. As well as keep AI data centers from coming to the state.

We need to better diversify how we get energy as well. I would like to utilize more renewable sources over gas generation, but I understand that the state also needs reliable sources, so it is a delicate balance between the two. I would like the state to invest in new ways to generate power that is not nuclear, wind, solar, or gas generation. There has to be other ways out there that we just haven’t figured out yet. Or that we have figured out, but that is being kept hidden from us. The biggest thing is just stopping companies that consume massive amounts of power and water from coming to the state. The Texas government needs to focus on Texans more and stop focusing so much on companies. Texas residents are who are the most important, not companies.

What specific K-12 and higher education policies should Texas prioritize in 2027 when the Texas Legislature next meets? I would increase teacher pay and get the state to hire as many new teachers as possible to lower classroom sizes. I would figure out a better way to assess students and schools than just relying on testing. I would give teachers more power in the classroom and not let students have the power that they currently do. Schools need to be more on the side of the teacher than the student. There are too many disrespectful and violent students in the classroom than there have ever been, and we must come up with a solution to address that problem. I would create a conference to meet before each legislative session where teachers can come and have their input in ways to make schools better, and then I would have the legislature write bills to address and implement their suggestions. I will also keep tax dollars out of private schools.

What role should the state play in immigration and border security? What, if any, specific policies would you support as governor? This country must have a strong border, but we also must be compassionate for people who are coming here looking for a better life. Criminals should be deported and denied entry, but decent regular people who go to work everyday to make ends meet for their family, though undocumented, should not be sent back. On day one I would remove the buoys from the Rio Grande that are meant to drown people who are crossing. When it comes to the National Guard I would have to assess the situation myself and make a determination later, but as it stands right now, I don’t think the National Guard is truly necessary to be deployed to the border in the current way that they are. The state spends billions on border security when we could actually be using that money to make Texans lives better.

What, if anything, should the state do in the way of hemp and marijuana policy? Adults should be allowed to consume cannabis recreationally. Or at the very minimum, an extremely robust medical marijuana program that allows people to consume and home grow cannabis for almost any issue that would benefit them. Something similar to how Colorado was before recreational. Cannabis can help so many people for so many different things and keeping it illegal the way it currently is should not be the protocol. I understand that a lot of people think it’s bad, but alcohol is much much worse than cannabis.

Patricia Abrego

Age (as of March 3): 61

Campaign website: I do not have one

Best way for voters to reach you: Text

Occupation: Doctor chiropractic/Uber-eats driver

Education: Doctor of chiropractic/bachelors in psychology

Have you run for elected office before? No

Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in Texas: Being a devoted democrat all my life. Working different jobs to understand what the voters are going through. This has been my goals since I was six years old.

Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? No

Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? No

Who are your top three campaign contributors? I am not taking contributions

Why are you seeking this office? To change Texas healthcare along with legal issues that need to be changed.

If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be? Healthcare. Mandated laws. Lower food and gas prices.

How will you measure your success as governor? Buy my accomplishments in a four year term

Why should voters choose you over your opponents? Because I am a doctor( DC ). I will do free exams on everyone that voted for me in the first four years of my governorship in Texas.

As governor, how would you interact and work with members of the opposite party? Are there specific policy ideas where you see opportunities for bipartisanship? I am a doctor and I care about all humans. Healthcare is a very important policy that needs to be updated. Mandated laws need improvement. Families are going without food because they cannot afford it. This is a concern across party lines.

What is the biggest challenge facing Texas? How would you address it if elected? Healthcare. I will give a free exam to each person who voted for me in the first four years.

What, if anything, should the state do to address costs of living in Texas? In Texas, the cost of living has skyrocketed. Food and water is very important. It is a basic necessity to life. So I will work to decrease food prices. Water is essential for every cell in the body, so I will work to decrease water bills throughout the state of Texas.

Is eliminating school property taxes for homeowners achievable and something you’d support? Why or why not, and what plan do you propose to achieve their elimination or as an alternative? Eliminating school property taxes is achievable. I can work to decrease property taxes and then eliminate. an alternative will be asking doctors to give free exams one day a week for four hours. This should help take the burden off of our hard-working people in Texas.

What steps, if any, should the state take to prepare for the rise of artificial intelligence? TX is one of the technological states helping the rise of artificial intelligence. This is bringing jobs and revenue to the state. We have to go with technology that brings money to our people in Texas.

What, if anything, should Texas do to ensure there’s an adequate supply of water and electricity in the state now and in the future? TX has grids. Sometimes we are overloaded and another grid takes over. I test these grids to make sure that when we need them they will work.

What specific K-12 and higher education policies should Texas prioritize in 2027 when the Texas Legislature next meets? Reading, writing and arithmetic.

What role should the state play in immigration and border security? What, if any, specific policies would you support as governor? My mother was born in Mexico and my father was born in San Antonio, Texas. Immigration and border security is very important. I will visit Mexico to help ensure that the border is more secure. I will ask for Mexico‘s help in securing the border.

What, if anything, should the state do in the way of hemp and marijuana policy? I believe that hemp and marijuana should be legal in the state of Texas. We would have an enormous amount of revenue from this.

Gina Hinojosa

Age (as of March 3): 52

Campaign website: ginafortexas.com

Best way for voters to reach you: You can email us at info@ginafortexas.com

Occupation: State Representative

Education: University of Texas, Austin (BA), George Washington University (JD)

Have you run for elected office before? Austin ISD school board, Texas’s 49th House of Representatives district

Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in Texas: I have advocated for working Texans through legislative advocacy, public testimony, coalition work, and financial contributions. This includes supporting reproductive freedom, labor protections, civil rights, and voting rights organizations. I’ve worked closely with advocates for Planned Parenthood, LGBTQ+ equality, labor unions, and immigrant rights, both inside the Capitol and in the community.

Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? No

Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? No

Who are your top three campaign contributors? I do not take any corporate PAC donations. In addition to myself, my three largest donors in my run for governor are individuals in Texas who have given $10,000 to my campaign of their personal wealth.

Why are you seeking this office? I never planned on running for governor. I got into politics because my son’s school was threatened with closure and I had to fight back. But after ten years in the Texas House, I’ve seen how Greg Abbott has rigged the system so his billionaire donors get richer while working Texans get squeezed harder and harder. Texans are working harder and getting less – paying more for groceries, utilities, and housing while Abbott gives tax breaks to corporations and lets them jack up our rates. I’m running because Texas families deserve a governor who works as hard as they do, not one who works for the highest bidder.

If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be? Education – Keep our public schools open and put an end to the voucher scam. As a former Austin ISD member and public education advocate, I know strong schools are the bedrock of a thriving Texas. I will fight for fully funded schools, higher teacher pay, lower class sizes, and policies that strengthen our classrooms, not undermine them. Health Care – I will take on insurance and pharmaceutical companies to bring down costs. All Texans deserve access to affordable, high-quality care. I have delivered billions in funding for local health care systems and will expand coverage, strengthen community care, and restore access to reproductive health services. Utilities – Your electricity bill is too high because Greg Abbott allowed big corporations to make billions in record profits, while Texans froze in their homes. We will hold corporations accountable to keep more money in your pocket, especially in the face of billionaires attempting to open more and more data centers in our communities.

How will you measure your success as governor? I will have succeeded as Governor when our tax dollars are spent on the real needs of Texans instead of vendor contracts connected to Greg Abbott’s donors. We will have brought down the cost of utilities, expanded access to health care, and redirected the savings from needless vendor contracts to pay teachers amongst the highest in the nation.Parents should know that the school they send their kids to every day will stay open, and that their children will get a safe, quality education. Success means a Texas where there are real opportunities for everyone, not just the wealthy and well-connected, and where government works for the people, not for special interests.

Why should voters choose you over your opponents? My approach to governing is built on a lifetime of fighting for working families, public education, affordable health care, and real economic opportunity, not corporate handouts. As a civil rights and union lawyer and a former school board president, I’ve spent my career standing with hardworking Texans. In the Texas House, I helped secure billions of dollars for public schools, fought to strengthen health care access, and exposed policies that divert public resources to wealthy interests.

Most importantly, I never thought I would do this. I wasn’t interested in politics, but my son’s school was threatened with closure and I became a mad mom on a mission to keep it open. My time in public service has been defined by that same desire to make state government work for working people. I carry a strong track record of building coalitions, winning populist reforms, and challenging the status quo to make our state more fair and affordable for all Texans.

As governor, how would you interact and work with members of the opposite party? Are there specific policy ideas where you see opportunities for bipartisanship? I hear from members of both parties about the problem of corruption in Austin — people are tired of Greg Abbott putting his donors first. I’ve stood with Republican moms to save our schools from closure, because when it comes to fighting for our kids and rooting out corruption, party doesn’t matter. As Governor, I’ll work with anyone who’s willing to put Texas families ahead of special interests and billionaire donors. There’s real opportunity for bipartisan work on lowering costs, fully funding our schools, and ending the pay-to-play politics that have defined Abbott’s tenure.

What is the biggest challenge facing Texas? How would you address it if elected? Corruption – Governor Abbott has put a for sale sign on Texas. He has handed out nearly $1 billion in no-bid state contracts to his political donors — using our tax dollars to enrich well-connected corporations. As Governor, I will put an end to the corruption that has closed public schools and raised costs on Texans. I will redirect state resources back to families, classrooms, and communities instead of to political insiders and billionaire interests.

What, if anything, should the state do to address costs of living in Texas? Families across Texas are being crushed by the rising costs of housing, energy, property taxes and everyday essentials – much of this is caused by Abbott’s documented corruption. I will prioritize policies that end the corruption so that we can lower costs, make housing affordable, and ensure Texans can build stable, secure lives. Texas deserves a governor that’s willing to fight to make your life cheaper.

Is eliminating school property taxes for homeowners achievable and something you’d support? Why or why not, and what plan do you propose to achieve their elimination or as an alternative? Texans are feeling squeezed and lied to by our current governor when it comes to tax relief. As governor, I would push for meaningful property tax relief with a zero based budgeting approach to funding services that wipes clean wasteful vendor contracts and prioritizes the needs of Texans. This will free up state revenue to reduce the pressure on local tax rates, especially for homeowners and renters. Similarly, I support comprehensive tax reform that protects public services while lowering rates for families, and ensures neighborhood schools are properly funded so local school districts aren’t forced to raise taxes just to keep teachers in the classroom.

What steps, if any, should the state take to prepare for the rise of artificial intelligence? The Governor should be making life more affordable, not less. But Greg Abbott is bending over backwards to build data centers that line the pockets of his donors, while raising our utility rates and depleting our water. These data centers are owned by the richest men in the world — they should pay for these data centers themselves, not Texas taxpayers. Instead, Abbott gives them sweetheart deals and subsidies while everyday Texans foot the bill through higher energy costs. He’s putting billionaire profits over our power grid and our water supply.

What, if anything, should Texas do to ensure there’s an adequate supply of water and electricity in the state now and in the future? Texas has to plan for growth in a way that protects families and communities, not just powerful interests. As governor, I would invest in modernizing our water infrastructure and supporting local water planning efforts so every community has a secure future. When it comes to electricity, we must strengthen grid reliability and hold utilities to standards that reflect the real weather Texans face.

We also need to be honest about new, high-demand users like large data centers. These facilities place enormous strain on both our water and electric systems, and without safeguards, they can drive up costs. Data centers are owned by the richest men in the world, they should pay for themselves. They also have to prove they won’t compromise affordability or reliability.

Reliable water and power are basic necessities. Texas should never allow unchecked growth to make them more expensive or harder to access for families, schools, or small businesses.

What specific K-12 and higher education policies should Texas prioritize in 2027 when the Texas Legislature next meets? As a former Austin ISD board member and longtime public education advocate, I believe strong schools are the foundation of a thriving Texas. I will fight for fully funded public schools, higher teacher pay, lower class sizes, and policies that strengthen our classrooms instead of undermining them.

What role should the state play in immigration and border security? What, if any, specific policies would you support as governor? We can have both a secure border and humane treatment of immigrants and families. We need a system that treats longtime, law-abiding and hardworking residents of the community differently from how it treats the vetting of new arrivals. This administration is ripping apart American families—that is wrong. Instead, we need to create a real path toward legal status for people who abide by our laws, pay taxes, and give back to their communities.

Internal immigration crackdowns that are largely focused on stoking fear among communities of law-abiding longtime residents do not make us safer. The funding that currently pays state law enforcement overtime to trump up charges against those suspected.

What, if anything, should the state do in the way of hemp and marijuana policy? More than 100,000 Texans, including many veterans, already use marijuana to treat conditions like PTSD, cancer, and epilepsy. I believe we should hold a ballot referendum so the people of Texas have an opportunity to decide for themselves if we legalize marijuana.

If legalized, the state should route the money that comes from setting up a well-regulated legalized marijuana market into making sure we do the basics right: well-funded neighborhood public schools, access to affordable, high-quality health care, infrastructure, and reduce the pressure on taxpayers.

Angela ‘TiaAngie’ Villescaz

Age (as of March 3): 58

Campaign website: www.TiaAngie.com

Best way for voters to reach you: phone (512)952-9856

Occupation: Professional Education Advocate at Cirkiel Law Group

Education: Criminal Justice BA from HBCU-Jarvis Christian University, Gov’t major at University of Texas at Austin ‘85-‘90

Have you run for elected office before?

US Congress CD23 in 2018, Texas State Rep HD45 2022, Dem County Chair

Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in Texas. 1. Captain for Beto O’Rourke’s Powered by People voter registration org. 2. Founder of Fierce Madres (Gun Violence Prevention org) 3. COPAA national group of parents, attorneys and activists for Special Education 4. National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) 5. Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA) 6. National Committee for Latinas for Kamala

Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? Yes. As a teenager, I worked at a department store where I was guilty of taking off a security sensor tag from a pair of $20.00 jeans for a friend. She was caught at the door, and we both ended up arrested (the judge gave me a deferred adjudication with no conviction.) That experience had a huge impact on my life. That experience forced me to confront my choices and the environment around me, but it also taught me how a single moment can shape a life. The punishment led to community service hours assisting the executive director at a rape crisis center and I later spent decades as an advocate for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.

Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? No, never.

Who are your top three campaign contributors? One cousin, one good friend, and the greatest neighbor!

Why are you seeking this office? To fix what is broken!

If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be?

1. All policies that address affordability and bringing down the cost of living.

2. Protecting children 3. ICE OUT

How will you measure your success as governor? By the voices of the people. I will only serve a second term (2 total terms max) and that will be determined by the people.

Why should voters choose you over your opponents? The voters should choose me because I am NOT a part of the status quo/establishment. I am an HBCU graduate that is passionate about protecting HBCUs from Project 2025-26 attacks. I understand the importance of protecting our civil rights. I have dedicated decades of my life to being a career advocate for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking. I am from Uvalde, TX and attended Robb Elementary. Since the school shooting, I began working at the Cirkiel Law Group advocating for students in special education. The governor claimed that we do not have a gun problem, he claims it is a mental health problem - So I focused on NAMI’s work and he and the President, cut 1 billion dollars of funding for mental illness. I have spent the last four years traveling to lobby for these causes in DC and the state level on my own dime.

I AM A FIGHTER that cannot be bought or bullied. I know that under my leadership, people will feel so proud to be a Texan.

As governor, how would you interact and work with members of the opposite party? Are there specific policy ideas where you see opportunities for bipartisanship? As a woman of faith, I know there are some God fearing folks on the other side of the aisle. I used to live in the most ruby red part of Texas behind the pine curtain of East Texas. Three different Mayors appointed me to key positions in Wood County, a Republican, a Democrat and an Independent. I NEVER waivered in where I stood as a progressive (leftist) but their respect towards me never waivered either. I would use my proven ability to build winning teams to bring the state legislature to work together on the toughest issues. One of my favorite quotes is: “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit.” I don’t have an ego, I genuinely want to build a better society.

What is the biggest challenge facing Texas? How would you address it if elected? The greatest challenge facing Texas is the lack of trust between its residents and the current administration. We will not be able to have peace and the people’s trust until we prosecute the politicians (Republican and Democrats alike) without the opportunity of a pardon. When Texans actually witness these corrupt men and women truly being held accountable, then we can start to build a better world for all Texans. As the next governor, it will be crystal clear that Texas will no longer bend the knee to the White House.

What, if anything, should the state do to address costs of living in Texas? Elect the right Democrat for governor!!! If you elect a true ‘progressive’ and not an establishment candidate - we will always stay focused on pushing policies that help reduce the cost of living for every Texas household. A progressive, will also VETO bills that clearly are designed to benefit the rich. Bet on yourself...and make sure a new sheriff comes to town that is looking out for you and your families.

Is eliminating school property taxes for homeowners achievable and something you’d support? Why or why not, and what plan do you propose to achieve their elimination or as an alternative? Absolutely, it is definitely achievable. I would begin with an immediate elimination of school property taxes for individuals 55+ I strongly believe in taking care of our elders. They paid their dues to society. They raised their children and paid for others to get a public education. It is time for Texas to have a governor that will prioritize all Texans and stop sending tax money to other countries. We must “recalibrate” our Texas priorities. We need a governor who is BOLD - BRAVE - and FIERCE when it comes to how money is going to flow in the new and improved future of Texas.

What steps, if any, should the state take to prepare for the rise of artificial intelligence? Tax the wealthy and make corporations pay their fair share of taxes.

What, if anything, should Texas do to ensure there’s an adequate supply of water and electricity in the state now and in the future? Texans must VOTE OUT the current politicians (including status quo Democrats.) Until we have leaders that we can trust - we will never secure our natural resources. It’s that simple. Do not fumble this opportunity to select a governor that is a true progressive candidate. We are the only one’s that cannot be bought nor bossed.

What specific K-12 and higher education policies should Texas prioritize in 2027 when the Texas Legislature next meets? Texas needs to prioritize public education by paying teachers what they are worth, and they are worth the world! We can easily ‘fully’ fund public schools by shifting the annual budget of $5 billion dollars that is currently being spent on the cruel and inhumane project called ‘Operation Lone Star’. A Democratic governor will drastically shift the focus to public schools and teachers.

What role should the state play in immigration and border security? What, if any, specific policies would you support as governor? ICE OUT and until a new immigration agency is formed, we need to UNMASK and PROSECUTE ICE agents that break the law.

What, if anything, should the state do in the way of hemp and marijuana policy? The state should always listen to the will of the people, especially when it comes to policy requests that carry bipartisan support. The majority of all Texans know that it is way past time that we legalize marijuana. As the next governor - we will get it passed in the first week, WATCH!

Chris Bell

Age (as of March 3): 66

Campaign website: www.chrisbellfortexas.com

Best way for voters to reach you:www.chrisbellfortexas.com

Occupation: Lawyer

Education: University of Texas at Law and South Texas College of Law Houston

Have you run for elected office before? Yes. Houston City Council, US Congress, Governor, Texas State Senate, Mayor, US Senate

Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in Texas: Filing of the ethics complaint against Tom Delay, forming the Port Security Caucus, campaigning to expand light rail in Houston, chairing Clean Energy Fund Texas at its inception, and passing major ethics reforms while chairing the City Council Ethics Committee.

Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? I was arrested for evading arrest in 1978 following a food fight in an Austin restaurant.

Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? Yes, I was sued for malpractice by a disgruntled client after he lost his case and his baseless case against me was fully dismissed. I also had to file a claim against a former client who refused to pay his bill.

Who are your top three campaign contributors? Myself, Mike Lowenberg, and Jeff Steen.

Why are you seeking this office? Because the state is on the wrong path and in need of new leadership. I have ideas that will move the state in a more positive direction. And I believe that Greg Abbott has declared war on public schools by taking over school districts, strong arming the private school voucher bill through the legislature, and now trying to eliminate the use of property taxes to help schools without proposing a funding alternative.

If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be? Modernizing and improving public schools, passing campaign finance reform to limit the amounts that can be donated, and looking for ways to improve affordability and opportunity by leveraging the size and strength of Texas on behalf of consumers. For example, buying electricity and WiFi in bulk and selling it to consumers at a low fixed rate.

How will you measure your success as governor? By what we have actually accomplished and set in motion, not just by stopping bad legislation. The veto pen is a powerful tool but I’m far more interested in finding ways to work together for progress than I am just standing in the way.

Why should voters choose you over your opponents? We are not going to win just by complaining about Greg Abbott and Donald Trump; and that’s what I hear mostly from my opponents. We also have to put ideas on the table that can make life better for Texans, and whether it’s my suggested school reforms, the Texas Opportunity Fund, campaign finance reform, or affordability measures, that is what I have been doing throughout the campaign. I also have the experience and record to be ready on day one.

As governor, how would you interact and work with members of the opposite party? Are there specific policy ideas where you see opportunities for bipartisanship? I will have an open door and hope many Republicans will also. I have always believed compromise shows strength and intelligence, not weakness, and think leaders have missed big opportunities for progress by drawing lines in the sand. One big example is energy. With our abundance of fossil fuels and alternative resources, we are perfectly positioned to show the rest of the country the way. Republicans have shown a lot of interest in nuclear energy of late, something I believe offers great promise in shoring up our grid. Dan Patrick has proposed an investment fund similar to mine (I believe the investment should be $5000 instead of $1000) and I would look forward to finding a number we could agree on.

What is the biggest challenge facing Texas? How would you address it if elected? Education. If we do not find ways to modernize, improve, and restore confidence in public schools, our future is not bright. Public schools have offered the key to the future for thousands of young people and that must not change. I have proposed setting up model schools in different geographic regions to test new approaches that have worked in other places. I believe greater use of technology can personalize the educational experience, make it much more interesting for students, relieve a lot of the burdens placed on teachers, and create a model that hopefully can be implemented or built upon statewide.

What, if anything, should the state do to address costs of living in Texas? Incentivize builders and developers to build smaller, more affordable “first time buyer” homes; use the state’s leverage to buy electricity and WiFi in bulk and offer it at a fixed lower rate to consumers; work with major medical institutions to lower the cost of healthcare; and since we have the highest car and home insurance rates in the country, start requiring insurance carriers to justify rate increases, not just submit them.

Is eliminating school property taxes for homeowners achievable and something you’d support? Why or why not, and what plan do you propose to achieve their elimination or as an alternative? To suggest this without a funding alternative is highly irresponsible. I think we should certainly look for ways to lower property taxes whenever possible but proposing elimination for political purposes is simply wrong.

What steps, if any, should the state take to prepare for the rise of artificial intelligence? We must make sure our unemployment system is updated so that benefits can be received during retraining. There is likely to be high unemployment as a result of jobs being lost to AI. Plenty of jobs will remain but people will need training to fill them.

What, if anything, should Texas do to ensure there’s an adequate supply of water and electricity in the state now and in the future? Continue to implement recommendations from the Texas Water Plan from 2022. Many of those involve conservation which should remain the top priority but we should also look for ways to speed up reuse proposals. As stated above, I also believe the greater use of nuclear energy could be a game changer for the future.

What specific K-12 and higher education policies should Texas prioritize in 2027 when the Texas Legislature next meets? If there are legislative roadblocks to expanding the use of AI in schools, those should be eliminated. We need to have all tools available and technology is a big part of the future. We should look for ways ways to shore up and secure the teacher retirement system. Salaries for teachers who have stayed in the classroom and have continued to advance their skills should be increased; there’s no reason a teacher should be capped at around $80,000 when other professions face no such limitations. Changes being made to higher ed must be reviewed and eliminated if they are preventing a full education for students by preventing controversial subjects from being taught. Conservative thought on college campuses should be protected along with liberal and more progressive thought.

What role should the state play in immigration and border security? What, if any, specific policies would you support as governor? I’m not in favor of wasting billions of state dollars performing what is a federal responsibility. The wall Abbott spent a fortune on is only 8% complete and easy to get around. It was good for political points but little else. I always want to see a secure border and if state assistance can actually serve a productive purpose, I’m willing to consider. As for the “roundup” of undocumented migrants by the Trump administration, I believe it’s a disaster that’s ripping the country apart. We were led to believe the “worst of the worst” would be targeted for deportation, a worthy goal, but now innocent US citizens have been murdered as law abiding undocumented individuals are being swept up along with law breakers. The state must do what is required but should not help facilitate the administration’s reckless program when not required.

What, if anything, should the state do in the way of hemp and marijuana policy? Legalize marijuana, regulate it like the sale of alcohol, and reap billions in new tax revenue. We have already seen what a huge business it can be just by legalizing certain hemp products and it’s primarily the alcohol industry working to stop it. This makes no sense for a modern, 21st century state.

Jose Navarro Balbuena

Did not respond.

Bobby Cole

Did not respond.

This story was originally published February 14, 2026 at 3:00 AM.