Meet the 2022 Texas Candidates
COMPILED BY KERRY K. GLEIM
INCUMBENT (I); HOVER TO FIND WEBSITES
FEDERAL POSITIONS
Positions in the US House of Representatives – find your representative/district. Learn more about what Congressional representatives in the House do HERE
US TX District 10, District map
Republican: Michael McCaul (I)
Democrat: Linda Nuno
US TX District 17, District map
Republican: Pete Sessions (I)
Democrat: Mary Jo Woods
US TX District 21, District map
Republican: Chip Roy (I)
Democrat: Claudia Andreana Zapata
US TX District 35, District map
Republican: Dan McQueen
Democrat: Greg Casar
US TX District 37, District map (new district as a result of recent state redistricting)
Republican: Jenny Garcia Sharon
Democrat: Lloyd Doggett (incumbent of TX-35)
STATE
Governor
Powers: Chief Executive Officer and Commander-in-Chief of the state who steers all Texas legislation, signs/vetoes bills, convenes special sessions of state legislature, grants pardons, and influences state budget
Republican: Greg Abbott (I)
Democrat: Beto O’Rourke
Lieutenant Governor
Powers: President of the Texas Senate who establishes all special and standing committees, appoints all chairpersons and members, and assigns all Senate legislation to the committee of his choice
Republican: Dan Patrick (I)
Democrat: Mike Collier
Attorney General
Powers: Chief lawyer and legal officer for the state of Texas who defends the laws and the constitution of Texas, represents the state in litigation, and approves public bond issues
Republican: Ken Paxton (I)
Democrat: Rochelle Garza
Comptroller of Public Accounts (Comptroller)
Powers: Chief financial officer of Texas who maintains the state’s finances as the tax collector, the chief accountant, the chief revenue estimator, and chief treasurer for the state
Republican: Glenn Hegar (I)
Democrat: Janet Dudding
Commissioner of the General Land Office (Land Commissioner)
Powers: Head of the General Land Office who oversees state land’s natural resources and revenue to fund public education, programs for veterans, and coastline protection
Republican: Dawn Buckingham
Democrat: Jay Kleberg
Commissioner of Agriculture
Powers: Head of the Department of Agriculture who oversees the sale, trade, and distribution of agricultural goods, pest control, broadband access, healthy living initiatives, programs to support farmers, and agricultural policy
Republican : Sid Miller (incumbent)
Democrat: Susan Hays
Railroad Commissioner (actually has nothing to do with railroads!)
Powers: Head of the Railroad Commission who oversees the oil and natural gas industry, pipeline transporters, natural gas and hazardous liquid pipeline industry, natural gas utilities, the LP-gas industry, and coal and uranium surface mining operations
Republican: Wayne Christian (I)
Democrat candidate: Luke Warford
Texas Supreme Court Justices
What is this position? The judges on the court of last resort in Texas for civil matters (cases that deal with personal or financial injury). Judges can be elected in Texas, and there are nine judges across the state.
Place 3
Republican: Debra Lehrmann (I)
Democrat: Erin Nowell
Place 5
Republican: Rebeca Huddle (I)
Democrat: Amanda Reichek
Place 9
Republican: Evan Young (I)
Democrat: Julia Maldonado
Court of Criminal Appeals Judges
What is this position? The judges on the court of last resort in Texas for criminal matters. There are nine judges across the state in total.
Place 5
Republican: Scott Walker (I)
Democrat: Dana Huffman
Place 6
Republican: Jesse McClure (I)
Democrat: Robert Johnson
State Board of Education Member, District 5
What is this position? Board members set policies and standards for Texas public schools. District 5 (map) includes central and south Austin.
Republican: Perla Hopkins (replacing candidate Mark Loewe who died in February)
Democrat: Rebecca Bell-Metereau (I)
State Senators
Positions in the Texas Senate – find your representative/district
District 14, District map
Libertarian: Steven Haskett
Democrat: Sarah Eckhardt (I)
District 21, District map
Republican: Julie Dahlberg
Democrat: Judith Zaffirini (I)
District 25, District map
Republican: Donna Campbell (I)
Democrat : Robert Walsh
State Representatives
Positions in the Texas House of Representatives – find your representative/district
District 19, District map
Republican: Ellen Troxclair
Democrat: Pam Baggett (I)
District 46, District map
Republican: Sam Strasser
Democrat: Sheryl Cole (I)
District 47, District map
Republican: Rob McCarthy
Democrat: Vikki Goodwin (I)
District 49, District map
Republican: Katherine Griffin
Democrat: Gina Hinojosa (I)
District 50, District map
Republican: Victor Johnson
Democrat: James Talarico (incumbent for district 52)
District 51, District map
Republican: Robert Reynolds
Democrat: Maria Luisa “Lulu” Flores
Justice for the 3rd Court of Appeals District, Place 4
What is this position? A judge on one of the 14 courts of appeals in Texas who hear civil and criminal cases. Travis county is included in this district.
Republican: Lesli R. Fitzpatrick
Democrat : Rosa Lopez Theofanis
AUSTIN/TRAVIS COUNTY
City Council
Powers: Approving and adopting the budget, levying taxes, creating and amending legislation. Also, oversees conduct and activities of city entities and employees. Find your city council district HERE.District 1
Nonpartisan candidate: Natasha Harper-Madison (incumbent), Clinton Rarey, Melonie House-Dixon, Misael Ramos
District 3
Nonpartisan candidate: José Velásquez, Daniela Silva, Jose Elias, Gavino Fernandez, Yvonne Weldon, Esala Wueschner
District 5
Nonpartisan candidate: Ken Craig, Ryan Alter, Aaron Webman, Stephanie Bazan, Bill Welch, Brian Anderson
District 8
Nonpartisan candidate: Paige Ellis (I), Kimberly Hawkins, Antonio Ross, Richard Smith
District 9
Nonpartisan candidate: Ben Leffler, Zohaib Qadri, Joah Spearman, Linda Guerrero, Tom Wald, Greg Smith, Suzanne “Zena” Mitchell, Kym Olson
Mayor, the 11th member of Austin City Council
Powers: Presides over meetings and is a voting member (with no veto power) of Austin City Council and guides city policy prioritization.
*** Austin has a council-manager form of government, meaning the Austin City Manager is hired by the council/Mayor to oversee day to day operations of the city.
Nonpartisan candidate: Kirk Watson, Celia Israel, Jennifer Virden, Anthony Bradshaw, Phil Brual, Erica Nix, Gary Spellman
County Clerk
Powers: Oversees maintenance of county records, including court records, bonds, deeds, birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, and serves as chief elections officer
Republican: Susan Haynes
Democrat: Dyana Limon-Mercado
District Court Judges
What is this position? A judge on one of the 477 district courts in Texas who hear civil and criminal cases. List of Travis County District Courts
455th Judicial District
Republican: Cleve Doty (I)
Democrat: Laurie Eiserloh
Kerry Gleim is a senior majoring in Communication & Leadership with a certificate in Ethics & Leadership in Law, Politics, & Government.