Who is running in Galveston County, Texas in 2026
- County Judge
- Albert "Al" Smith and Mark Henry
- League City Mayor
- Tom Crews and Nick Long
- League City City Council, Position 1
- Dina DuBose Driskill, Dinah Carpenter and Gordon Bethel
- League City City Council, Position 2
- Tommy Cones and Gregory Van Etten
- League City City Council, Position 3 (unexpired term)
- Julius Segelquist, Robert Bruce and Seth Rowlands
- League City City Council, Position 6
- Lisa Welty and Sean Doyle
- League City City Council, Position 7
- Teresa Potter and Sean Saunders
- 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 14
- Thurman Bill Bartie and Randy Weber
- State Senator, District 11
- Shannon Dicely and Dennis Paul
- State Senator, District 4
- Ron C. Angeletti and Brett W. Ligon
- State Representative, District 23
- Cheryl Lynn Clark and Terri Leo-Wilson
- State Representative, District 24
- Frank N. Carr and Greg Bonnen
Galveston County
These races are partisan. The county judge chairs the commissioners court, which sets the county budget and tax rate and, in Galveston County, has redrawn its own precinct lines twice since 2021. The 2021 map broke up Precinct 3, the only precinct where Black and Latino voters had elected their candidate; a federal judge found it violated the Voting Rights Act, and the full Fifth Circuit reversed that ruling in 2024 on the ground that the law does not protect coalitions of different minority groups (Petteway v. Galveston County). In June 2026, between the primary and the general election, commissioners redrew precinct lines again; a challenge to that was pending at the Texas Supreme Court in late August. Precinct 3 is not on the ballot this year, and commissioners for Precincts 2 and 4 are unopposed.
County Judge
Vote for oneHenry, first elected in 2010, is seeking a fifth term. He won the March Republican primary over Chris Kinard.
Albert "Al" Smith
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratLists his priorities as housing, help for small businesses, opportunity in "historically underserved neighborhoods," and mental and behavioral health services outside the jail system. He holds degrees from Texas Southern and Prairie View A&M.
Sources: Campaign site, The Ballot Brief
Mark Henry
Not good people RepublicanLed the county through the 2021 redistricting that a federal judge found "denies Black and Latino voters the equal opportunity to participate in the political process"; Henry said the county "did not engage in any racial discrimination." After the commissioners redrew lines again in June 2026, between the primary and the general election, he told the Houston Chronicle the map achieves his goal of making the county Republican, according to the Texas Tribune.
Sources: Texas Tribune (2023 ruling), Texas Tribune (2026 map), Galveston County Daily News
Judicial races
Not profiledAll county and district judges on the Galveston County ballot this year are unopposed Republicans: 122nd District Court (Jeth Jones), 212th (Patricia Grady), 306th (Emily A. Fisher), County Courts at Law No. 1 (John Grady), No. 2 (Kerri Foley) and No. 3 (Jack Ewing), and Probate Court (Kim Sullivan).
Unopposed county races
No contestCriminal District Attorney (Kenneth Cusick), District Clerk (Samantha Morris), County Clerk (Dwight Sullivan), Commissioner, Precinct 2 (Joe Giusti), Commissioner, Precinct 4 (Robin Armstrong), and Justices of the Peace, Precinct 1 (Greg Rikard) and Precinct 2 (D. Blake Apffel) are unopposed Republicans. Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4 (Billy A. Williams, Jr.) is an unopposed Democrat.
League City elections
League City races are nonpartisan, for four-year terms. Position 3 is a special election for the rest of Tom Crews's term, which he gave up by running for mayor. Positions 1 and 6 are open. The council has split over a citizen committee, created in 2023, that can recommend moving or removing library books; in September 2024 it tied 4-4 on moving the children's picture book "Big Wig," about a boy who wears drag for a costume contest, so the book stayed. League City straddles Galveston and Harris counties.
Mayor
Vote for oneMayor Long against Council Member Crews. They split on the library book vote.
Tom Crews
Seems like good people (best choice in this race)Voted against creating the library book review committee and against moving "Big Wig" out of the children's section, and says he worked to keep the library "open and accessible to all." Also backed a bigger senior homestead exemption and questioned city money for Flock license-plate cameras for private homeowners associations.
Sources: Community Impact (book vote), Branch
Nick Long
CompromisedVoted in September 2024 to move "Big Wig" out of the children's section, and in 2023 argued for a separate board to review challenged books. Runs on lower city tax rates, more police officers and managing growth around the Grand Parkway.
Sources: Community Impact (book vote), Community Impact (2023 ordinance), Branch
City Council, Position 1
Vote for oneOpen seat: Andy Mann is not on the ballot. None of the three has a record to rate; the pick goes to Driskill, whose platform includes library expansion and privacy limits on surveillance cameras.
Dina DuBose Driskill
Not enough info (best choice in this race)Wants to protect residents' privacy from Flock camera surveillance, expand library and recreation programs, keep data centers away from neighborhoods and commission an outside flooding study for the Grand Parkway.
Sources: Branch
Dinah Carpenter
Not enough infoPledges to balance the budget, cut wasteful spending and limit "excessive regulations and government interference." We found nothing else on her.
Sources: Branch
Gordon Bethel
Not enough infoRuns on lower taxes, "growth to pay for growth" and drainage projects delivered on time and on budget. We found nothing else on him.
Sources: Branch
City Council, Position 2
Vote for oneWe found nothing on Van Etten, so the pick goes to the incumbent.
Tommy Cones
Seems like good people (best choice in this race)Voted against moving "Big Wig" out of the children's section. Led the push to raise the homestead exemption for seniors and disabled residents from $45,000 to $200,000 and wants more west-side fire stations and ambulances.
Sources: Community Impact (book vote), Branch
Gregory Van Etten
Not enough infoWe found no website, background or stated positions for him.
Sources: Branch
City Council, Position 3 (unexpired term)
Vote for oneSpecial election for the two years left on Tom Crews's term. None of the three has a record to rate. Bruce and Segelquist are close; it's a toss-up, and the pick goes to Segelquist, the only one proposing public transit.
Julius Segelquist
Not enough info (best choice in this race)Wants League City to join the Gulf Coast Transit District to start public transit, and puts drainage first in the budget.
Sources: Branch
Robert Bruce
Not enough infoWants new development approved only when roads and drainage can handle it, with developers paying for infrastructure, and proposes e-bike and scooter safety training in schools that stresses education and mentorship over punitive policing.
Sources: Branch
Seth Rowlands
Not enough infoRuns on responsible spending, lower property tax bills, traffic and drainage. We found nothing else on his positions.
Sources: Branch
City Council, Position 6
Vote for oneOpen seat: Chad Tressler is not on the ballot. Neither candidate has a record to rate; the pick goes to Welty for her focus on green space and flood resilience.
Lisa Welty
Not enough info (best choice in this race)Supports lower-density, walkable mixed-use development with trails and parks, and warns that rapid development can reduce green space and weaken drainage and flood resilience.
Sources: Branch
Sean Doyle
Not enough infoRuns on responsible budgeting, cutting waste, parks, public safety and traffic and drainage fixes.
Sources: Branch
City Council, Position 7
Vote for oneTeresa Potter
Seems like good people (best choice in this race)Wants council agenda items explained to residents before and after meetings, and supports a limited, securely managed license plate reader system while citing privacy, misuse and lack of public input as concerns.
Sources: Branch
Sean Saunders
CompromisedVoted in September 2024 to move "Big Wig" out of the children's section, saying "A parent should be involved in all aspects of their children's lives, including what books they read." Opposes another city bond.
Sources: Community Impact (book vote), Branch
School boards and local boards
These races are nonpartisan. Which ones you see depends on your address.
Santa Fe ISD Board of Trustees
Not profiledPosition 6 is contested: Megan Grove and Rusty Norman (a current trustee). We found too little to rate them. Unopposed: Position 4 (Clay Hertenberger) and Position 5 (James Grassmuck).
Other trustee elections
No contestGalveston ISD (Districts 5E and 6F) and Friendswood ISD (Positions 5, 6 and 7) ordered November trustee elections, but no contest for them appears on the county's list of races. Galveston County MUD No. 71 directors (vote for four): Jerilynn Calvo, Adam McClain, Diana Tabor and Jay Stell, unopposed.
State and federal
All of Galveston County is in Congressional District 14. Most of the county is in state Senate District 11; some voters are in District 4. The county is split between state House Districts 23 and 24, so check your sample ballot.
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 14
Vote for oneThurman Bill Bartie
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratRunning on disaster recovery money, affordability, health care and immigration reform.
Sources: Campaign site, Community Impact Q&A
Randy Weber
Not good people RepublicanOn January 6 and 7, 2021, voted against certifying Arizona's and Pennsylvania's electoral votes. Endorsed Trump in the 2024 primary.
Sources: Ballotpedia, House Clerk (Roll Call 10), House Clerk (Roll Call 11), Galveston County Daily News, Galveston County Daily News
State Senator, District 11
Vote for oneOpen seat. Sen. Mayes Middleton is running for attorney general.
Shannon Dicely
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratRunning on affordability, school funding, Medicaid expansion and teacher pay. Endorsed by Planned Parenthood Texas Votes, Everytown and the Houston Chronicle.
Sources: Lone Star Left, Houston Chronicle
Dennis Paul
Not good people RepublicanCo-authored HB 229 (2025), which writes “biological sex” definitions into state law, and co-sponsored SB 8, the 2025 law restricting bathroom use by sex. Endorsed by Dan Patrick.
Sources: LegiScan, Texas Legislature (HB 229), Texas Legislature (SB 8), Dan Patrick
State Senator, District 4
Vote for oneA rematch of the May special election. Ligon left the Montgomery County DA job for this seat. Only some Galveston County voters are in District 4; most of the county is in District 11.
Ron C. Angeletti
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratOpposes school vouchers and wants every child, "including students with disabilities," to have a real chance. Endorsed by Moms for Texas.
Sources: Community Impact, Ballotpedia
Brett W. Ligon
Compromised RepublicanWon the May special election with 75% and puts border enforcement and public safety first. Backed by Dan Patrick, the Houston Police Officers' Union PAC and Texas REALTORS.
Sources: Wikipedia, Campaign site, Ballotpedia
State Representative, District 23
Vote for oneDistrict 23 covers Chambers County and part of Galveston County.
Cheryl Lynn Clark
Not enough info (best choice in this race) DemocratWe found no website, background or stated positions for her.
Sources: Branch, The Ballot Brief
Terri Leo-Wilson
Not good people RepublicanVoted for the 2025 "bathroom bill" (SB 8) limiting where transgender Texans can use restrooms. Endorsed by Texas Right to Life, Texas Values Action and True Texas Project.
State Representative, District 24
Vote for oneFrank N. Carr
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratOpposes arming teachers, wants to tie school funding and teacher pay to inflation and calls for repealing Senate Bill 2, the 2025 private school voucher law. Supports access to reproductive care.
Sources: Branch, The Ballot Brief
Greg Bonnen
Not good people RepublicanVoted for the 2025 "bathroom bill" (SB 8) limiting where transgender Texans can use restrooms. Endorsed by Texas Right to Life and Texas Alliance for Life.
Courts of appeals and State Board of Education
Not profiledAlso on the ballot, and not rated (Republican listed first): 15th Court of Appeals, Chief Justice (Scott Brister, Jerry Zimmerer), Place 2 (Scott K. Field, Tom Baker) and Place 3 (April Farris, Marc M. Meyer); 14th Court of Appeals, Chief Justice (Kevin Jewell, Sarah Beth Landau) and Place 7 (Ken Wise, William Demond); 1st Court of Appeals, Place 3 (Todd Frankfort, Veronica Rivas-Molloy), Place 4, unexpired term (David Gunn, Julie Countiss) and Place 5 (Jessica Caird, Amy Guerra); State Board of Education, District 4, unexpired term (Tammie Nielsen, Coretta Mallet-Fontenot), District 7 (Julie Pickren, Tiffany Perkinz) and District 8 (Audrey G. Young, Dana Van De Walker).
City and special district propositions
We describe what each proposition does and don't make recommendations. There is no county bond on this ballot. Statewide races (U.S. Senate, governor and so on) are in the State and federal section.
League City, Proposition A
Propositions- Prop A: A nonbinding question asking whether League City police should keep using automated license plate reader cameras at fixed locations on public roads.
Utility districts
PropositionsOnly for voters inside these districts. All bond and tax propositions are marked on the ballot as a tax increase.
- Galveston County MUD No. 58, Prop A: $287.8 million in road bonds, including refunding bonds. Prop B: A road maintenance tax of up to 25 cents per $100 of value.
- Galveston County MUD No. 71, Prop A: Confirms the creation of the district. Props B to D: About $1.007 billion in water, sewer and drainage bonds, recreation bonds (listed on the ballot as "$180,00,000") and $512.25 million in road bonds. Props E and F: Maintenance taxes of up to $1.50 per $100 of value for water and drainage facilities and up to 25 cents for roads.
- Galveston County WCID No. 12: A $7.05 million water, sewer and drainage bond was listed, but the district has since canceled it (order).
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
- Bell County: Killeen, Temple, Belton, Harker Heights, Nolanville, Salado
- Lubbock County: Lubbock, Wolfforth, Slaton, Idalou, Shallowater, Abernathy, New Deal, Ransom Canyon