Who is running in College Station, Texas in 2026
- 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
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
Also on your ballot
Every Brazos County voter also picks in these races. Full write-ups on the Brazos County page.
- County Commissioner, Precinct 4: Wanda J. Watson Seems like good people, Peter Michelena Seems like good people
- County Constable, Precinct 4: Hezekiah Carter, Jr. Not enough info, Guadalupe "Lupe" Arredondo Not enough info
- U.S. Senator: James Talarico Seems like good people, Ken Paxton Not good people
- Governor: Gina Hinojosa Seems like good people, Greg Abbott Not good people
- Lieutenant Governor: Vikki Goodwin Seems like good people, Dan Patrick Not good people
- Attorney General: Nathan Johnson Seems like good people, Mayes Middleton Not good people
- U.S. Representative, District 10: Caitlin Rourk Seems like good people, Chris Gober Not good people
- State Senator, District 5: Paul Thomasson Seems like good people, Charles Schwertner Compromised
- State Representative, District 14: Janet Tycelia Dudding Seems like good people, Paul Dyson Not good people, Jeff Miller Not enough info
- State Representative, District 12: Andie Ho Seems like good people, Trey Wharton Not good people