Candidates

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. 

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