Don Huffines

Sarah Eckhardt

- The Comptroller is the state’s chief financial officer. They collect taxes, manage state money, and watch over how Texas spends that money.
- They collect most state revenue (like sales tax and business taxes) and issue tax permits and licenses.
- They track all state spending, audit agencies, publish financial reports, and provide important financial data to lawmakers.
- They manage the state treasury, investments, and cash flows, and estimate how much money the state has available for the budget.
- The office is elected statewide for a four-year term with no limits on re-election.
- The salary for the position is about $153,750 per year.

Collects taxes and manages the state's money.

Texas

Corruption

Economic Growth

Financial Management

Administration

Small Businesses

Clayton Tucker

Nate Sheets

- The agriculture commissioner heads the Texas Department of Agriculture, guiding policies on farming, food safety, and rural development.
- They promote Texas agricultural products and help Texas farmers, ranchers, and agribusinesses reach wider markets.
- The commissioner enforces rules on weights and measures, pesticides, pasture pests and plant diseases, and food programs (including school meals).
- They work on economic support for rural communities and help with disaster relief tied to agricultural losses or challenges.
- The commissioner is elected statewide for a four-year term and can be re-elected without term limits.
- As of 2026, the position’s salary is about $140,938 per year.

Oversees farming, food safety, and rural development. 

Consumer Protection

Energy & the Environment

Public Health

Economy

Dan Patrick

Vikki Goodwin

- The lieutenant governor is elected statewide by voters and is the second-highest elected official in Texas.
- They run the Texas Senate, deciding which bills are considered and who serves on Senate committees. This gives them major influence over state laws.
- They can cast a deciding vote in the Senate if there is a tie.
- The lieutenant governor helps shape the state budget and policy priorities by serving on key budget and oversight boards.
- If the governor is out of state, temporarily unable to serve, or leaves office, the lieutenant governor takes over the governor’s duties. If the governor leaves office permanently, the lieutenant governor becomes governor.
- The lieutenant governor serves a four-year term and can run again with no term limits.
- The position pays the same base salary as a Texas state legislator (about $7,200 a year), plus additional daily pay during legislative sessions.

Public Safety

Utility Costs

Healthcare

Foreign Policy and Immigration

Education

Voting & Elections

Jimmy Blacklock

Maggie Ellis

- The Texas Supreme Court consists of a chief justice and eight additional justices, who decide civil cases brought to them as a group.
- The Court has administrative control over the State Bar of Texas, while serving as the sole authority for licensing attorneys and appointing members of the Board of Law Examiners that administers the bar exam.
- The Court approves new statewide rules, ranging from judicial administration, conduct, and education, to civil and appellate procedure.
- They serve as the final authority on civil cases, checking for any errors that occurred in the interpretation of the law by prior courts.
- The chief justice of the Supreme Court is elected in a partisan, state-wide election for a six-year term. Candidates must be registered to vote in the state of Texas, be at least 35 years old but not older than 75 years old, cannot be a convicted felon, must be a practicing lawyer and/or judge in the state of Texas for at least 10 years, and must have lived continuously in Texas for at least twelve months.
- The annual salary for the chief justice of the Supreme Court ranges from $224,700 and $279,300, depending on their years of service as a judge of selected courts or an elected attorney, along with years of contributing service credit to the Judicial Retirement System Plan (I or II) while serving as a state judge.

The leader of Texas’s highest civil court, administrating efficient justice.

Legal Experience

Judicial Administration

Judicial Philosophy

Ethics & Conduct

Community Involvement

Kristen Hawkins

Kyle Hawkins

- The Supreme Court of Texas is the court of last resort for civil matters, including juvenile delinquency cases.
- The Texas Supreme Court is made up of nine justices. All nine positions are elected, with a term of office of six years and no term limits.
- Decisions are made collectively by majority vote, and a justice writes the majority opinion.
- The Texas Supreme Court is the only state supreme court in the United States in which refusing to hear a lower court’s cases implies approval of the court’s decision, thus rendering it precedent.
- Justices must be at least 35 years old, a citizen of Texas, licensed to practice law in Texas, and must have practiced law (or have been a lawyer and a judge of a court of record together) for at least ten years
- Court of Criminal Appeals judges earn a salary of $210,000 to $264,600, depending on how long they have served in office.

One of nine judges who serve on the highest civil court in Texas.

Civil Rights

Holly Taylor

John Messinger

- Voters of the entire state elect judges to the Texas Criminal Court of Appeals. He or she serves in that capacity for a full six-year term. There are no term limits, but judges must retire at 75 years or older.
- The court has the power to overturn a criminal conviction and is the final authority on criminal matters in the state of Texas.
- The Criminal Court of Appeals can choose whether or not to review most criminal cases. However, the court is required to review cases involving the death penalty or bail denials.
- Court of Criminal Appeals judges earn a salary of $210,000 to $264,600, depending on how long they have served.

One of nine judges who serves on the highest appeals court for criminal matters in Texas. 

Criminal Justice

- Has original jurisdiction over all felony criminal matters in the district.
- Cases either go to the Court of Appeals or directly to the Court of Criminal Appeals, where their legal reasoning may be reviewed. May hear appeals from county courts when authorized.
- County’s criminal courts administration–which has positions like case managers, magistrate support officers, and bailiffs–reports to each county’s criminal district judge.
- Criminal District Judges are elected through partisan, county-wide elections to four-year terms. Candidates must be a U.S. citizen, at least 25 years old, have been a Texas and county resident for at least 24 consecutive months, a practicing lawyer and/or judge in Texas for at least eight years, and registered to vote in that county.
- The salary for Criminal District Judges range from $175,000 to $245,500, depending on years of service and how much they receive as a county supplement.

Presides over all felony criminal cases within the elected district.

Upshur

Judicial Efficiency

Richard A. Schmidt

- District attorneys prosecute felony criminal cases on behalf of the state, presenting them to grand juries and working closely with law enforcement during investigations.
- They also represent victims seeking protective orders and assist in removing children from abusive homes as part of their responsibilities.
- They are elected to four-year terms.
- District attorneys in Texas make between $175,000 and $220,500, based on how long they have served in office. 

Acts as the attorney for the state of Texas in felony cases.

Van Zandt

Constance Filley Johnson

- Represents the state and victims of crime in prosecuting felony-level and misdemeanor criminal cases in district courts within the county. Represents the county in civil cases.
- Can be at sole discretion as to whether a case is prosecuted.
- Works with law enforcement officers in criminal case investigations, while preparing arrest and search warrants.
- Represents victims of domestic abuse through obtaining protective orders. Represents children in Child Protective Services cases.
- Provides county officials with written opinions or advice on their official duties.
- Criminal district attorneys are elected through partisan, county-wide elections to four-year terms. Candidates must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old, have been a Texas resident for at least 12 consecutive months, a county resident for at least six consecutive months, and registered to vote in that county. They also must be a registered lawyer or judge in the state of Texas.
- The annual salary for criminal district attorneys range from $175,000 to $210,000, set by the county’s Commissioners Court.

Represents the state and victims of cases in district courts.

Victoria

Victim Assistance

Policing

Will Durham

Walker

Tomball

Ingleside on the Bay

Corpus Christi

Wharton

Manor

El Campo

Martindale

Austwell

Portland

Aransas Pass

Niederwald

Flatonia

Seadrift

Bastrop

San Marcos

Gregory

Palacios

Uhland

Lockhart

Sealy

Webberville

Bay City

Mustang Ridge

Columbus

Mountain City

Buda

La Grange

Brenham

Rockport

Carmine

Creedmoor

Smithville

Elgin

Edna

Schulenburg

Fulton

San Leanna

La Ward

Round Top

Point Comfort

Kyle

Austin

San Felipe

Bellville

Ganado

Weimar

Fayetteville

Industry

Wallis

Eagle Lake

Brazos Country

East Bernard

Luling

Port Lavaca

Ellinger

Hays

Ingleside

Port Aransas

Burton

Westlake

Southlake

Colleyville

Trophy Club

Euless

Flower Mound

Keller

Grapevine

La Grulla

Escobares

San Diego

Roma

Rio Grande City

Benavides

Freer

Lone Oak

Celeste

Wolfe City

Josephine

Greenville

Hawk Cove

Quinlan

West Tawakoni

Neylandville

Campbell

Caddo Mills

Union Valley

Royse City

Commerce

Little River-Academy

Burnet

Copperas Cove

Gatesville

Weir

Jarrell

Granger

Liberty Hill

Marble Falls

Granite Shoals

Highland Haven

Full profiles for 15 counties, including Collin and Dallas

Full profiles for down to counties, including Bexar and Brazoria (measures use no coverage)

2026 Texas General Election

2026 Texas candidates

Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts

2 candidates

How this impacts you

Texas Commissioner of Agriculture

How this impacts you

Texas Lieutenant Governor

2 candidates

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Texas Chief Justice, Supreme Court

2 candidates

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Texas State Supreme Court Justice, Post 7

2 candidates

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Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Judge, Post 9

2 candidates

Upshur Criminal District Judge

0 candidate

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Van Zandt District Attorney

1 candidate

Victoria Criminal District Attorney

1 candidate

How this impacts you

Walker District Attorney

1 candidate