In addition to the Presidential and Texas Senate races, Travis County and Austin residents will vote on a wide range of positions this election season. The Daily Texan compiled candidate information for other federal and statewide races. To learn more about who and what is on the ballot visit the Travis County elections website.
Texas early voting began Monday and runs through Nov. 1. Election day is Nov. 5. Polling locations can be found on the Texas voting website.
The race for the U.S. House District 37 seat has three candidates, and whoever gets elected will serve in the position for two years. Candidates include Democrat Rep. Lloyd Doggett, Republican Jenny Garcia Sharon and Libertarian Girish Altekar.
Before serving in the U.S. House of Representatives Doggett served for 11 years in the Texas State Senate and was a justice on the Texas Supreme Court. He was first elected to the U.S. House in 1995 and has served as the representative for Texas Districts 10, 25, 35 and now 37. He currently serves in the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee and is the Ranking Member of the subcommittee on health.
According to her website, Sharon is pro-life and a supporter of legal immigration. If elected, her top priority would be addressing election integrity.
Altekar said his priorities if elected would include eliminating “unnecessary laws and regulations,” stopping the war on drugs and removing obstacles on migrant workers.
The race for a Texas Railroad Commissioner seat has four candidates, and whoever is elected will serve in the position for six years.
Democrat Katherine Culbert is a process safety engineer who helps oil and gas companies operate safely and follow regulations. She prioritizes strict adherence to safety protocols, accountability for corporations in the oil and gas industry and ensuring transparency of the Commission’s work to the public, according to her website. She said she also looks to protect Texas’ groundwater and air quality by enforcing policies holding companies accountable for safely plugging wells.
Republican incumbent Christi Craddick has served on the Railroad Commission since November 2012. She has been a vocal critic against the Green New Deal and other progressive policies, according to her website, and said she prioritizes fighting federal overreach and advocating for state-led solutions to issues.
Libertarian Hawk Dunlap has more than 30 years of domestic and international oil and gas experience and specializes in well control. He intends to safeguard natural resources and ensure a sustainable future for the oil and gas industry, according to his website. He is also pushing for reform of the commission, particularly in plugging wells effectively to prevent groundwater contamination, blowouts and “zombie wells” that can reemerge after failed plugs.
Green Party candidate Eddie Espinoza is an army veteran and climate activist looking to broaden the commission’s work to deliver affordable, sustainable and 100% renewable energy to Texans. His priorities include protecting the state’s freshwater, improving oversight for inactive wells as well as oil and gas waste pits and eliminating the commission’s economic and political ties to the oil and gas industry, according to his website.
Travis Country and Austin residents will vote on a number of city positions during this election season. The Daily Texan compiled a list of candidates for two major races for Austin and Travis County. To learn more about who and what is on the ballot visit the Travis County elections website.
Early voting in Texas began Monday and runs through Nov. 1. Election day is Nov. 5, and polling locations can be found on the Texas voting website.
The race for Austin mayor has five candidates, and whoever is elected will serve in the position for four years.
Carmen D. Llanes Pulido is a former city commissioner whose priorities include preserving and creating affordable housing and protecting Austinites from displacement, providing effective homelessness prevention and response and supporting workers by increasing the minimum wage to $22 per hour, according to her website. She is also focused on lowering utility rates and improving the reliability of Austin Energy.
Jeffrey L. Bowen worked in the Air Force for 20 years, where he collaborated with the U.S. Embassy on numerous nation-building projects while stationed in Honduras. His priorities include ensuring Austin has enough first responders to serve the needs of citizens, working with local groups to create a plan for dealing with homelessness and conducting an independent audit of the city to hold them accountable for spent funds, according to his website.
Doug Greco worked as chief of staff to State Rep. Gina Hinojosa and is the former lead organizer of Central Texas Interfaith, a coalition of religious congregations and labor unions committed to promoting justice and democratic values. Greco said he would focus on affordability, support Austin public schools and invest in affordable housing.
Mayor Kirk Watson was first elected as mayor in 1997 before leaving the mayorship and serving in the Texas Senate for over 13 years. He returned to office in 2023 as mayor. Watson is focusing his campaign on continuing the work he and the City Council already accomplished. He wants to create more affordability within the city and “make further improvements to the city’s approach to fighting homelessness,” according to his website.
Kathie Tovo previously served on City Council as the District 9 representative and Mayor Pro Tem, along with teaching graduate students at UT. She wants to focus on affordability and advocates for water and energy conservation, according to her website.
The race for district attorney has two candidates. The winning candidate will serve four years.
Daniel W. Betts has been a criminal defense attorney for 13 years. He prioritizes expediting cases and advocating for the separation of partisan politics and the justice system and building the relationships between the district attorney’s office, law enforcement and victims of crime, according to his website.
José Garza has served as District Attorney since 2021. According to his website, he prioritizes community partnerships, transparency and data-driven policies. During his time in office, he settled the lawsuit brought by survivors of sexual assault against the previous administration, led the office in a plan for gun violence prevention and expunged the records of over 1,000 Travis County residents arrested, but never convicted.
Candidates for Texas State Senator District 14, Texas State Representative District 49, county attorney, sheriff, county tax assessor-collector, commissioner precinct 3 and county constable precinct 5 races are all running unopposed.
