Races, candidates, ballot measures, and voter information from across Texas.
Area of Emphasis: School Board Elections
School board races are on the ballot in every region — and they're consistently among the lowest-turnout, least-covered elections in Texas, even though the board sets policy for the largest local employer in most districts and oversees the education of every child who attends public school there. This site treats school board races as a standing coverage priority alongside statewide and county races. Below is a general candidate-evaluation checklist — not tied to any specific candidate or district — for what to look at when evaluating who's on your ballot.
Experience & Qualifications
Relevant background in education, business, law, or public service; understanding of how school districts actually operate; prior involvement in the district (PTA, booster clubs, volunteering, attending board meetings).
Fiscal Responsibility
Understanding of the district's budget and how per-pupil funding works; where they stand on bond measures and capital projects; a track record of managing money responsibly, in any setting.
Priorities & Positions
Where they actually stand on curriculum, safety, facilities, teacher pay, and technology — in their own words, not just a campaign slogan. Ask directly; don't assume from a flyer.
Communication & Transparency
Willingness to show up to candidate forums and answer voter questionnaires; accessibility to parents and the community; whether they give direct answers to hard questions.
Independence & Accountability
Whether the candidate is beholden to a single interest group, major donor, or faction, or accountable to the whole district. A candidate's actual record is a more reliable gauge here than their campaign literature.
Governance & Teamwork
Understanding that the board's job is policy and oversight — not running the school day-to-day; ability to work with fellow board members and the superintendent; respect for differing viewpoints and the board's own rules.
Time & Commitment
School board seats are unpaid and time-intensive — meetings, school visits, training, and constituent calls. Ask whether they can realistically commit to that.
Serves All Students
A track record or stated commitment to representing every student and family in the district, regardless of which school, neighborhood, or background they come from.
Faith & Values Alignment
Some voters also weigh whether a candidate's personal faith, church affiliation, or stated values line up with their own or the community's. Candidates often address this directly in campaign materials, forums, or when asked — check their own statements rather than assuming.
State & Federal Elections: What to Look At
Texas legislative and congressional races get more media attention than school board contests, but the same discipline applies: look past the mailers and ads to the candidate's actual record and positions. Below is a general candidate-evaluation checklist for the Texas Legislature, U.S. House, and U.S. Senate.
Experience & Qualifications
Background relevant to the office — prior public service, professional experience, or subject-matter expertise — weighed against what the job actually requires, not just campaign bio claims.
Voting & Legislative Record
For incumbents: actual bills sponsored, co-sponsored, and voted on, available through official legislator pages, the Texas Legislature Online, or Congress.gov — not just how they describe their record.
Policy Positions & Priorities
Where they actually stand on the issues that matter to you, in their own words from forums, questionnaires, or direct questions — not just a campaign slogan.
Fiscal Record
Budget votes, spending priorities, and tax positions — for incumbents, their actual record; for challengers, what they say they'd prioritize and cut.
Endorsements & Scorecards
Ratings from advocacy groups across the spectrum can be useful data points, but different organizations grade the same votes very differently — treat any single scorecard as one input, not the full picture.
Campaign Funding & Donors
Who's financing the campaign, available through Texas Ethics Commission and FEC public filings — useful context for whose interests a candidate may be most responsive to.
Accessibility & Communication
Willingness to hold town halls, attend debates or forums, and respond to constituents — and how they communicate with voters between elections, not just during a campaign.
Integrity & Ethics
Conflicts of interest, disciplinary or legal history, and general transparency about their record and finances.
Faith & Values Alignment
Some voters also weigh whether a candidate's personal faith, church affiliation, or stated values line up with their own or the community's. Candidates often address this directly in campaign materials, forums, or when asked — check their own statements rather than assuming.
Abbott, Hinojosa Win Governor's Race Primaries
Gov. Greg Abbott secured the Republican nomination for a fourth term on March 3, while Gina Hinojosa emerged from a crowded Democratic field that included Andrew White and Chris Bell.
General Election Set: Abbott vs. Hinojosa vs. Mack Raphoon
The November 3 governor's race is a three-way contest: incumbent Republican Greg Abbott, Democrat Gina Hinojosa, and Jenn Mack Raphoon.
No Statewide Constitutional Amendments This November
Texas voters decided a record 17 constitutional amendments in November 2025 — but amendment elections fall in odd years, so there's nothing on the statewide ballot measure this November.
