Who is running in Brazos County, Texas in 2026
- County Commissioner, Precinct 4
- Wanda J. Watson and Peter Michelena
- County Constable, Precinct 4
- Hezekiah Carter, Jr. and Guadalupe "Lupe" Arredondo
- Bryan Mayor of Bryan
- Rafael D. Peña III and Bobby Gutierrez
- Bryan City Council, District 1
- Paul Torres and Chris Scotti
- Bryan City Council, District 2
- Chrissy Ransome, Ray Arrington and Jeannette Stewart Moseley
- Bryan ISD Trustee, District 2
- David Sessum and Chris Cartwright
- College Station Mayor of College Station
- Elizabeth Cunha and Bob Yancy
- College Station City Council, Place 1
- Mark Smith, Roy May and Howard Mayne
- College Station City Council, Place 2
- Michael Kidd and Chandler Arden
- College Station City Council, Place 5 (special election)
- Tre Watson, Valen Cepak and Padon Holt
- College Station ISD Trustee, Place 6
- Michelle Gallagher and Kim Ege
- College Station ISD Trustee, Place 7
- Heather Simmen and Karen Strope
- U.S. Senator
- James Talarico and Ken Paxton
- Governor
- Gina Hinojosa and Greg Abbott
- Lieutenant Governor
- Vikki Goodwin and Dan Patrick
- Attorney General
- Nathan Johnson and Mayes Middleton
- U.S. Representative, District 10
- Caitlin Rourk and Chris Gober
- State Senator, District 5
- Paul Thomasson and Charles Schwertner
- State Representative, District 14
- Janet Tycelia Dudding, Paul Dyson and Jeff Miller
- State Representative, District 12
- Andie Ho and Trey Wharton
Brazos County
These races are partisan. The Commissioners Court sets the county budget and tax rate, builds county roads and runs the jail. Precinct 4 covers much of north and east Bryan. Constables serve court papers and patrol for the justice of the peace courts.
County Commissioner, Precinct 4
Vote for oneWanda J. Watson
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratWants new roads for traffic congestion, more jobs and water security, with decisions based on "long-term fiscal sustainability rather than short term expansion." Chairs the education committee of the Brazos County NAACP and sits on the Bryan ISD Education Foundation board.
Sources: Community Impact Q&A, Campaign site
Peter Michelena
Seems like good people RepublicanSays "Growth should pay for Growth" and wants county incentive deals to carry clawbacks that protect taxpayers. Proposes mobile health clinics, telehealth and more rural rides so "no one should miss a medical appointment because they cannot get there."
Sources: Community Impact Q&A
County Constable, Precinct 4
Vote for oneHezekiah Carter, Jr.
Not enough info (best choice in this race) DemocratRunning for re-election. We found nothing published about his record in office.
Sources: Ballotpedia
Guadalupe "Lupe" Arredondo
Not enough info RepublicanA Bryan High graduate who served three combat deployments to Iraq. Running on community policing and more training for deputies. Little public record beyond his campaign.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Campaign site
Unopposed county and district races
No contestCounty Judge (Kyle Kacal), County Court at Law No. 1 (Amanda S. Matzke) and No. 2 (Mark Maltsberger), District Clerk (Wayland Van Nest), County Clerk (Ashlie Peters-Bowman), County Treasurer (Cristian Villarreal), County Commissioner Precinct 2 (Kyle Greenwood), Justices of the Peace in Precinct 1 (Kenny E. Elliott), Precinct 2 (Terrence Nunn) and Precinct 3 (Kim Russell), Constables in Precinct 1 (Jeff W. Reeves), Precinct 2 (Donald Joe Lampo) and Precinct 3 (J.P. Ingram), 85th District Judge (Roy D. Brantley), 361st District Judge (David Hilburn) and 10th Court of Appeals, Place 2 (Lee Harris). All are Republicans except Justice of the Peace Precinct 4 (Darrell Booker), a Democrat, also unopposed.
Bryan elections
City races are nonpartisan. Bryan elects a mayor and council members by district. This section also has the Bryan ISD trustee race and the district's tax election, which reach parts of College Station and the rural county too, and the city's Texas Avenue medians question.
Mayor of Bryan
Vote for oneBoth seem decent, so this is close. Our pick goes to Peña for his push to give residents more time in front of the council.
Rafael D. Peña III
Seems like good people (best choice in this race)Wants the council back to two regular meetings a month and to reopen "Hear Citizens" so residents can reach their officials. Says the city should understand water and power demands before backing resource-heavy projects like SpaceX's planned Terafab plant in Grimes County.
Sources: League of Women Voters (Vote411), Community Impact Q&A
Bobby Gutierrez
Seems like good peopleHelped Bryan ISD secure the land for its 100-plus-acre workforce and career-tech campus. In 2023 he publicly apologized for calling a College Station sewer line route through a south Bryan neighborhood a "bloodbath."
Sources: City of Bryan, WTAW, Community Impact Q&A
Bryan City Council, District 1
Vote for oneBoth seem decent. Our pick goes to the incumbent, a public health worker with a record on drainage and street repair.
Paul Torres
Seems like good people (best choice in this race)Says more than $50 million in drainage, road and other infrastructure work was finished or started in his four years. Wants to restart the stalled Midtown Park entertainment project and recover the city's money, and favors moving public comment earlier in meetings.
Sources: Community Impact, City of Bryan
Chris Scotti
Seems like good peopleSays he would have opposed the city's additional loan to the stalled movie-theater project and wants clearer public explanations of what delayed road repairs cost. Proposes more chances for residents to talk to council members.
Sources: Community Impact, Campaign site
Bryan City Council, District 2
Vote for oneChrissy Ransome
Seems like good people (best choice in this race)Says affordability is pushing out multigenerational families and wants zoning to weigh wages and home prices. Proposes holding Bryan and College Station council meetings on different days so working residents can attend both.
Sources: Community Impact, Community Impact Q&A
Ray Arrington
Seems like good peopleWants continued work on the district's older pipes, roads and sidewalks, and better bus stops with posted routes and weekend service. Has raised concerns about building on smaller lots in established neighborhoods.
Sources: Community Impact, Community Impact Q&A
Jeannette Stewart Moseley
Not enough infoOn the ballot, but she didn't answer Community Impact's questionnaire and we found nothing else published about her.
Sources: Community Impact
Bryan ISD Trustee, District 2
Vote for oneDavid Sessum
Seems like good people (best choice in this race)Has three young children who are or will be in Bryan ISD. Backs the district's 2-cent tax election, which he says would close deficits left by a lack of state funding.
Sources: Ballotpedia (candidate survey), League of Women Voters (Vote411)
Chris Cartwright
Not enough infoWants to review administrative costs, contracted services and purchasing before cutting anything that touches classrooms, and also backs the 2-cent tax election. Little public record beyond his questionnaire answers.
Sources: League of Women Voters (Vote411)
Bryan ISD Trustee, At-Large Place 6
No contestJoel Bryan is unopposed.
Bryan, Proposition A (Texas Avenue medians)
Propositions- Prop A: Adds a section to the city charter requiring removal of the medians on Texas Avenue from Rosemary Drive to about 600 feet south of State Highway 21.
Bryan ISD, Proposition A (tax rate election)
Propositions- Prop A: Ratifies a tax rate of $0.9668 per $100 of value, a 2.10% increase in maintenance and operations revenue (about $5.6 million more this year). The ballot labels it a tax increase.
College Station elections
City races are nonpartisan. College Station elects its mayor and council at large, so every city voter picks in each race. Place 5 is a special election because Bob Yancy gave up the seat to run for mayor. The College Station ISD trustee races are here too.
Mayor of College Station
Vote for oneElizabeth Cunha
Seems like good people (best choice in this race)Has served on nine city boards and committees, from the Audit Committee to Planning and Zoning, and chaired the Parks and Recreation Board. Credits her students at A&M Consolidated as the reason she got into local government.
Sources: WTAW, Bryan-College Station Eagle (2023), The Battalion (2021 guest column)
Bob Yancy
CompromisedRunning on "No tax rate increases," public safety and neighborhood protection. His campaign site says the College Station Police Officers Association endorsed him, along with firefighters, realtors and home builders.
Sources: WTAW, Campaign site
College Station City Council, Place 1
Vote for oneMark Smith
Seems like good people (best choice in this race)Wants more frequent Brazos Transit buses to ease traffic and would waive impact fees for affordable housing. At an October forum he opposed renewing the city's Flock license-plate camera contract without better protection for residents' data.
Sources: Community Impact, Community Impact Q&A
Roy May
Seems like good peopleWants incentives for builders who put up homes below set price limits and better sidewalk and bike links to clinics. Supports license-plate cameras but wants stronger rules on how the data is handled.
Sources: Community Impact, Community Impact Q&A, Bock Realty Group bio
Howard Mayne
Not enough infoSays the city needs to "keep taxes and fees under control, rein in spending, and support police and firefighters." Questions the $55 million public works center and proposes a phased approach or other sites.
Sources: Community Impact Q&A, Community Impact
College Station City Council, Place 2
Vote for oneOpen seat; Mayor Pro Tem William Wright didn't run again. Neither candidate has a record in office.
Michael Kidd
Not enough info (best choice in this race)Wants more scrutiny of city spending and contracts and more down-payment help so residents and students can stay. Raised privacy concerns about the city's Flock license-plate cameras.
Sources: Community Impact, CollegeStation.news
Chandler Arden
CompromisedA developer who says impact fees add substantially to the cost of a home and that the burden should be spread across the community. In his League of Women Voters answers he lists the College Station Police Officers Association among his endorsements, along with firefighters and home builders; he sits on the builders association's board.
Sources: Community Impact, League of Women Voters (Vote411), Campaign site
College Station City Council, Place 5 (special election)
Vote for oneFor the two years left on Bob Yancy's term.
Tre Watson
Seems like good people (best choice in this race)Running "to slow down displacement by defending our neighborhoods from out of town investors" and for housing working-class families can afford. Wants the empty city-owned Macy's turned into a youth recreation center.
Sources: Community Impact Q&A, Community Impact, City of College Station (2024 results)
Valen Cepak
Seems like good peopleSays he testified to the state on affordable housing and wants to revise fees and expand down-payment help. Would have opposed the city's $7.3 million purchase of the Macy's building and now favors tearing it down and selling the lot.
Sources: Community Impact Q&A, Community Impact, Campaign site
Padon Holt
Not enough infoWants market demand to guide development, with planning and impact fees to manage growth, and a privately built downtown "not public debt." Would put the Macy's building back on the market. Little public record so far.
Sources: Community Impact, Community Impact Q&A
College Station ISD Trustee, Place 6
Vote for oneBoth seem decent. Our pick goes to the longtime CSISD teacher.
Michelle Gallagher
Seems like good people (best choice in this race)Says "Educators should have a seat at the boardroom table" and wants smaller classes and better teacher pay. Wants state funding based on enrollment instead of attendance, so students who miss school for medical reasons don't cost the district money.
Sources: Community Impact Q&A, Community Impact
Kim Ege
Seems like good peopleCalls more state funding for public schools the district's top need and says CSISD has trimmed budgets while still giving staff raises. Said at an October forum she hadn't heard of the district retaliating against staff who raised concerns.
Sources: Community Impact Q&A, Community Impact
College Station ISD Trustee, Place 7
Vote for oneBoth seem decent. Our pick goes to the incumbent, who backs confidential listening sessions for staff and more state funding.
Heather Simmen
Seems like good people (best choice in this race)Supports confidential listening sessions where staff can talk to trustees without administrators present, and wants a meaningful increase in the state's basic allotment. Points to the district's new career-tech center.
Sources: Community Impact, Community Impact Q&A
Karen Strope
Seems like good peopleSays CSISD is losing both students and teachers and wants to find out why. Would restore interventionist and gifted-and-talented positions and scrutinize plans for a new central administration building.
Sources: Community Impact Q&A, Community Impact
Other propositions
We describe what each proposition does and don't make recommendations. Bryan's medians question and the Bryan ISD tax election are in the Bryan section. Statewide races are in the State and federal section below.
State and federal
All of Brazos County is in Congressional District 10 and State Senate District 5. House District 14 covers Bryan and College Station; House District 12 covers the rest of the county. Check your sample ballot to see which is yours.
U.S. Senator
Vote for oneAlso on the ballot: Ted Brown (Libertarian).
James Talarico
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratA former teacher who wrote the Texas law capping insulin at $25 a month and co-wrote a ban on police chokeholds.
Sources: Wikipedia
Ken Paxton
Not good people RepublicanSued to throw out four states' 2020 votes and spoke at the January 6 rally, telling the crowd "We will not quit fighting." The Republican-led Texas House impeached him for corruption 121 to 23; the state Senate acquitted him in 2023.
Sources: Wikipedia, Texas Tribune, Al Jazeera, Texas Public Radio
Governor
Vote for oneAlso on the ballot: Pat Dixon (Libertarian).
Gina Hinojosa
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratA public school advocate who ran the Austin school board before the Legislature.
Sources: Texas Tribune
Greg Abbott
Not good people RepublicanSigned SB 4, which lets state police arrest and deport people on suspicion of illegal entry, and bused more than 100,000 migrants to other cities as a stunt. Also signed the school voucher law.
Sources: Texas Tribune, Wikipedia
Lieutenant Governor
Vote for oneAlso on the ballot: Anthony Cristo (Libertarian), Kevin McCormick (Green).
Vikki Goodwin
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratRunning on school funding and against vouchers.
Sources: Texas Tribune
Attorney General
Vote for oneAlso on the ballot: Tom Oxford (Libertarian).
Nathan Johnson
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratHas passed about 134 bills since 2019 and promises to run the AG's office as a law office again instead of a political shop.
Sources: Texas Tribune
Mayes Middleton
Not good people RepublicanCalls himself "MAGA Mayes" and has called 2020 "a stolen election." Beat Chip Roy by attacking him for certifying the 2020 results.
Sources: Texas Tribune, KSAT
Everything else on the statewide ballot
Not profiledComptroller, Land Commissioner, Agriculture Commissioner, Railroad Commissioner, the State Board of Education, and the Supreme Court and appeals court seats. We haven't profiled these yet.
U.S. Representative, District 10
Vote for oneOpen seat. Michael McCaul is retiring. Nearly a third of the district's people live in Brazos County.
Caitlin Rourk
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratSays "military force shouldn't be our only tool" and backs diplomacy and development to slow the causes of migration. Endorsed by the Texas AFL-CIO.
Sources: Alliance for American Leadership, Texas AFL-CIO, Campaign site
Chris Gober
Not good people RepublicanEndorsed by Trump in December, and his campaign promises he'll be "standing strong for President Trump and delivering his America First Agenda." Ran the legal side of America PAC, which spent nearly $300 million backing Trump in 2024.
Sources: Texas Tribune, Houston Chronicle, Campaign site
State Senator, District 5
Vote for onePaul Thomasson
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratWants a minimum wage above $7.25, reopened rural hospitals, a repeal of the voucher law, and school standards built on "facts and data, not political opinion." Endorsed by the Austin Chronicle.
Sources: Community Impact Q&A, Austin Chronicle
Charles Schwertner
Compromised RepublicanEndorsed by the anti-abortion Texas Alliance for Life PAC in 2026. Wrote the 2025 law (SB 8) requiring many Texas sheriffs to sign agreements to enforce federal immigration law with ICE. Arrested for DWI in Austin in 2023; prosecutors dropped the charge.
Sources: Texas Alliance for Life, Texas Legislature (SB 8), Austin Chronicle, Texas Tribune
State Representative, District 14
Vote for oneJanet Tycelia Dudding
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratRunning on strong public schools, academic freedom and affordability, and on "keeping public money out of private projects." Says she wants to "speak truth to power" for taxpayers.
Sources: Community Impact Q&A, Campaign site
Paul Dyson
Not good people RepublicanVoted for the 2025 school voucher bill (SB 2). Trump sent written re-election endorsements to every House Republican who voted for it except two holdouts, and Dyson was not one of them. Also voted for the bill requiring the Ten Commandments in every classroom.
Sources: Teach the Vote (ATPE voting record), The Texan
Jeff Miller
Not enough info LibertarianRunning to give voters a choice beyond the two parties, quoting Barry Goldwater: "My goal is not to pass laws, but to repeal them." Wants property and estate taxes repealed and opposes qualified immunity for police.
Sources: Community Impact Q&A, Branch voter guide
State Representative, District 12
Vote for oneAndie Ho
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratSays "Immigration is a deeply personal matter to me" and backs a path to citizenship and in-state tuition for undocumented students. Wants Medicaid expanded and more openness about SpaceX's planned plant in Grimes County.
Sources: Ballotpedia (candidate survey), Campaign site
Trey Wharton
Not good people RepublicanLists Trump's endorsement first on his campaign site. He voted for the 2025 school voucher bill (SB 2), and Trump endorsed nearly every House Republican who did. Also endorsed by the anti-abortion Texas Alliance for Life.
Sources: Campaign site (endorsements), The Texan, Teach the Vote (ATPE voting record), Texas Alliance for Life
Justice, 10th Court of Appeals, Place 2
No contestLee Harris (Republican) is unopposed. The Texas Supreme Court, Court of Criminal Appeals and 15th Court of Appeals races are in the statewide section.
More Texas guides
Governor, statewide offices and ballot measures: Texas statewide races.
- Hays County: San Marcos, Kyle, Buda, Wimberley, Dripping Springs
- Williamson County: Round Rock, Georgetown, Cedar Park, Leander, Pflugerville, Hutto, Taylor
- Harris County: Houston, Pasadena, Baytown, Katy, Spring, Cypress, Humble, Tomball
- Tarrant County: Fort Worth, Arlington, Grand Prairie, Mansfield, North Richland Hills, Euless, Keller, Bedford, Grapevine, Benbrook
- Fort Bend County: Sugar Land, Missouri City, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fulshear, Stafford, Katy, Needville
- Bexar County: San Antonio, Converse, Live Oak, Universal City, Schertz, Leon Valley, Helotes, Alamo Heights, Windcrest, Kirby
- Collin County: Plano, McKinney, Frisco, Allen, Wylie, Princeton
- Dallas County: Dallas, Irving, Garland, Mesquite, Grand Prairie, Richardson, Carrollton
- Denton County: Denton, Lewisville, Flower Mound, Carrollton, Frisco, Little Elm, The Colony, Argyle
- Travis County: Austin, Pflugerville, Manor, Lakeway, Bee Cave, Lago Vista, Del Valle, Sunset Valley, West Lake Hills, Jonestown
- Hidalgo County: McAllen, Edinburg, Mission, Pharr, Weslaco, Edcouch, Mercedes, San Juan, Alamo, Donna
- El Paso County: El Paso, Socorro, Horizon City, San Elizario, Anthony, Clint, Vinton, Canutillo, Fabens
- Cameron County: Brownsville, Harlingen, San Benito, Los Fresnos, Port Isabel, South Padre Island, La Feria, Santa Rosa
- Nueces County: Corpus Christi, Robstown, Port Aransas, Bishop, Driscoll, Agua Dulce, Petronila, San Patricio
- Montgomery County: Conroe, The Woodlands, Magnolia, Willis, Montgomery, Splendora, Shenandoah, Oak Ridge North
- Brazoria County: Pearland, Alvin, Lake Jackson, Angleton, Freeport, Manvel, Clute, Iowa Colony
- Galveston County: Galveston, League City, Texas City, Friendswood, Dickinson, La Marque, Santa Fe, Kemah
- Bell County: Killeen, Temple, Belton, Harker Heights, Nolanville, Salado
- Lubbock County: Lubbock, Wolfforth, Slaton, Idalou, Shallowater, Abernathy, New Deal, Ransom Canyon