Shelly is a native-born Texan from Houston and went to high school at Katy High School, class of 2001. She went to college at Trinity University here in San Antonio where she met her husband Eric, who she has been married to for 19 years. She then went to medical school in Wild, Wonderful West Virginia at Marshall University where she also attended her internal medicine residency where she received the American College of Physicians award for advocacy in healthcare.

Shelly Nickels campaign website

She went to college at Trinity University here in San Antonio where she met her husband Eric, who she has been married to for 19 years. She then went to medical school in Wild, Wonderful West Virginia at Marshall University where she also attended her internal medicine residency where she received the American College of Physicians award for advocacy in healthcare.

She has been a hospitalist in San Antonio since 2014 and became the youngest medical director at Methodist Hospital, overseeing the largest hospitalist group for HCA at the largest hospital in the state of Texas. During that time, she earned a masters degree in healthcare administration at the executive program at Trinity University.

About Dr. Shelly Nickels
Child Care and Education

Shelly Nickels is a physician, a mom to three wonderful children, a wife, and a dedicated member of her community here in San Antonio.

Shelly Nickels is from Houston, Texas. She attended Trinity University and medical school at Marshall University, and earned a master's degree in healthcare administration through Trinity University's executive program. She is married to Eric and has three children.

She has been a hospitalist in San Antonio since 2014 and became the youngest medical director at Methodist Hospital, overseeing the largest hospitalist group for HCA at the largest hospital in the state of Texas.

1. Please tell voters about yourself.

I am a native Texan, an internal medicine physician, and the proud mother of three children. For the past 12 years, I have cared for patients in San Antonio, serving as a medical director for hospital medicine programs. I earned my undergraduate degree and later a Master’s in Healthcare Administration through Trinity University’s executive program, where I also met my husband, Eric.

Shelly Nickels | 2026 candidate for Texas House District 122 - San Antonio Report

Shelly works as a hospitalist in San Antonio and as a medical director at Methodist Hospital, where she serves hospital medicine programs.

Shelly Nickels | 2026 candidate for Texas House District 122

2026 Texas General Election

5. Reducing the burden of property taxes is expected to be a major focus of the next legislative session. Describe your ideas for balancing the needs of a growing state with state leaders’ desire to rein in that major revenue source?

Reducing property taxes should be a major priority, but Texas must do it responsibly.

Reducing property taxes should be a major priority, but Texas must do it responsibly.

Relief should focus on primary residences, seniors, disabled Texans, veterans, and working families rather than providing the largest benefits to corporations, investors, and owners of multiple properties.

Relief should focus on primary residences, seniors, disabled Texans, veterans, and working families rather than providing the largest benefits to corporations, investors, and owners of multiple properties.

Large commercial property owners should not be able to use expensive litigation or distorted comparisons to shift more of the tax burden onto homeowners and small businesses.

Every major exemption or incentive should have measurable public benefits, regular audits, and an expiration date. Programs that do not create the promised jobs or investment should end.

Every major exemption or incentive should have measurable public benefits, regular audits, and an expiration date. Programs that do not create the promised jobs or investment should end.

Texas should use its broad statewide revenue base to permanently reduce school district tax rates while fully replacing the lost local revenue.

Taxpayers should receive clear information showing which taxing entities increased or decreased their rates, how their bill was calculated, and how to challenge an inaccurate appraisal.

Texas should not pay for relief through excessive sales taxes, fees, or other regressive measures that simply move the burden from one household bill to another.

We need to increase the supply of affordable housing for working families, teachers, first responders, veterans, and seniors.

Supports responsibly reducing property taxes, with relief focused on primary residences, seniors, disabled Texans, veterans, and working families.

Opposes appraisal practices that allow large commercial property owners to shift more property-tax burden onto homeowners and small businesses.

Calls for public-benefit requirements, audits, and expiration dates for major tax exemptions and incentives.

Proposes using statewide revenue to permanently lower school-district tax rates while replacing lost local revenue.

Opposes financing property-tax relief through excessive sales taxes, fees, or other regressive measures.

Calls for increasing the supply of affordable housing for working families, teachers, first responders, veterans, and seniors.

- Supports responsibly reducing property taxes, with relief focused on primary residences, seniors, disabled Texans, veterans, and working families.
- Opposes appraisal practices that allow large commercial property owners to shift more property-tax burden onto homeowners and small businesses.
- Calls for public-benefit requirements, audits, and expiration dates for major tax exemptions and incentives.
- Proposes using statewide revenue to permanently lower school-district tax rates while replacing lost local revenue.
- Opposes financing property-tax relief through excessive sales taxes, fees, or other regressive measures.
- Calls for increasing the supply of affordable housing for working families, teachers, first responders, veterans, and seniors.

Economy

Finally, every Texan deserves to feel safe and respected. I support strong hate crime protections, common-sense gun safety measures, and policies that protect the rights, freedoms, and dignity of every person in our state.

We need to protect our water resources, modernize the electric grid, and ensure that large industrial users, including data centers, contribute fairly to the infrastructure. We need to support law enforcement with training and resources while expanding mental health services, crisis intervention, and diversion courts that reduce repeat offenses and improve community safety.

Supports hate-crime protections and unspecified gun-safety measures.

Supports hate-crime protections and "common-sense" gun-safety measures.

Calls for law-enforcement training and resources alongside expanded mental-health services, crisis intervention, and diversion courts.

- Supports hate-crime protections and "common-sense" gun-safety measures.
- Calls for law-enforcement training and resources alongside expanded mental-health services, crisis intervention, and diversion courts.

Public Safety

2. Briefly describe your top policy priorities.

I believe Texas should expand Medicaid to improve access to care and reduce the financial burden on families and rural hospitals.

I believe Texas should expand Medicaid to improve access to care and reduce the financial burden on families and rural hospitals.

We must restore women’s reproductive rights and reverse laws that have denied Texans access to necessary medical care, contributed to preventable maternal deaths, and driven OB-GYNs out of our state. I also support protecting the right to build a family through IVF and surrogacy and oppose efforts to restrict those options.

We must restore women’s reproductive rights and reverse laws that have denied Texans access to necessary medical care, contributed to preventable maternal deaths, and driven OB-GYNs out of our state. I also support protecting the right to build a family through IVF and surrogacy and oppose efforts to restrict those options.

I also support protecting the right to build a family through IVF and surrogacy and oppose efforts to restrict those options.

We should use the state’s purchasing power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices and reduce out-of-pocket costs for patients.

As a physician this is the number one priority facing Texans. No one should have to go bankrupt due to unforeseen medical emergencies. No one should have to go without lifesaving medical care that they need such as cancer care. Shelly believes strongly in Medicare for the elderly, Medicaid for the disabled and CHIP for pregnant women and children. Medicare is an earned program. Americans deserve to have this without worrying about cuts when they paid into the system.

Shelly believes strongly in Medicare for the elderly, Medicaid for the disabled and CHIP for pregnant women and children. Medicare is an earned program. Americans deserve to have this without worrying about cuts when they paid into the system. Additionally, the ACA should provide subsidizes so that the working class can pay for insurance and not have their premiums doubled.

Supports expanding Medicaid to improve access to care and reduce financial burdens on families and rural hospitals.

Calls for restoring reproductive rights and reversing Texas laws that restrict access to reproductive medical care.

Supports protecting access to in vitro fertilization and surrogacy and opposes restrictions on those family-building options.

Proposes using state purchasing power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices and reduce patients' out-of-pocket costs.

Supports Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program, and calls for Affordable Care Act subsidies for working-class insurance coverage.

- Supports expanding Medicaid to improve access to care and reduce financial burdens on families and rural hospitals.
- Calls for restoring reproductive rights and reversing Texas laws that restrict access to reproductive medical care.
- Supports protecting access to in vitro fertilization and surrogacy and opposes restrictions on those family-building options.
- Proposes using state purchasing power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices and reduce patients' out-of-pocket costs.
- Supports Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program, and calls for Affordable Care Act subsidies for working-class insurance coverage.

Healthcare

Strong public schools are the foundation of a strong Texas. I support fully funding public education, investing in universal pre-K, paying teachers competitive salaries, and maintaining the separation of church and state in our public schools.

4. Texas has taken major steps to reshape its public education system, including allowing taxpayer dollars to fund private school tuition. What do you believe needs to happen to monitor the success of Education Savings Accounts, and to ensure every student still receives a quality education?

Texas should fully fund public education, oppose vouchers that drain neighborhood schools, and ensure all publicly funded schools are held to the same standards of accountability.

Texas should fully fund public education, oppose vouchers that drain neighborhood schools, and ensure all publicly funded schools are held to the same standards of accountability. Just because legislation was passed, this does not mean that is the way it must stay. We must undo this harmful legislation that primarily benefits those who were already attending and could already afford private school education at the expense of our public schools.

Texans need more access to affordable childcare. Studies show that head start programs make students better prepared for school as well as having long term effects on economic self-sufficiency. This means higher earning workers for the future of Texas.

Supports fully funding public education, universal prekindergarten, competitive teacher pay, and church-state separation in public schools.

Opposes private-school vouchers and calls for repealing the legislation while requiring equal accountability for publicly funded schools.

Calls for greater access to affordable child care.

- Supports fully funding public education, universal prekindergarten, competitive teacher pay, and church-state separation in public schools.
- Opposes private-school vouchers and calls for repealing the legislation while requiring equal accountability for publicly funded schools.
- Calls for greater access to affordable child care.

Education

Texas should protect our clean air, clean water, and electric grid while ensuring large corporations contribute their fair share and create opportunities for Texas workers.

We need to protect our water resources, modernize the electric grid, and ensure that large industrial users, including data centers, contribute fairly to the infrastructure.

Calls for protecting water resources and modernizing the electric grid while requiring large industrial users, including data centers, to contribute to infrastructure.

- Calls for protecting water resources and modernizing the electric grid while requiring large industrial users, including data centers, to contribute to infrastructure.

Energy & the Environment

3. What would you like to see the legislature do to make Texas cities better places to live? In what ways could state officials work better with local officials?

I believe the Legislature should treat Texas cities as partners, not adversaries. Every community faces different challenges, and local leaders are usually in the best position to understand the needs of their residents. The state’s role should be to provide resources, set high standards, and ensure accountability.

I believe the Legislature should treat Texas cities as partners, not adversaries. Every community faces different challenges, and local leaders are usually in the best position to understand the needs of their residents. The state’s role should be to provide resources, set high standards, and ensure accountability.

Believes the Legislature should work with Texas cities as partners, providing resources, standards, and accountability while recognizing local leaders' knowledge of residents' needs.

- Believes the Legislature should work with Texas cities as partners, providing resources, standards, and accountability while recognizing local leaders' knowledge of residents' needs.

Voting & Elections

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Shelly Nickels

- Calls for law-enforcement training and resources alongside expanded mental-health services, crisis intervention, and diversion courts.

Shelly Nickels is from Houston, Texas. She has a bachelor 27s degree from Trinity University and a master 27s degree in healthcare administration from Trinity University. She attended medical school at Marshall University. She is married to her husband, Eric, and they have three children together.

Shelly is a physician. She has been a hospitalist in San Antonio since 2014 and became the youngest medical director at Methodist Hospital, overseeing the largest hospitalist group for HCA at the largest hospital in the state of Texas. She also earned a master's degree in healthcare administration at the executive program at Trinity University. 

Shelly is a local educator and community advocate.

Meet the Republican primary candidates for Texas House District 122

Supports placing caps on property taxes to help residents, especially the elderly, afford to stay in their homes.

Supports policies that promote job creation and support small businesses to strengthen the local economy.

As of July 22, 2026, Shelly Nickels’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Supports Medicare for the elderly, Medicaid for the disabled, and CHIP for pregnant women and children. Advocates for affordable healthcare, including subsidies for the working class, and aims to lower drug prices through negotiation with pharmaceutical companies.

Supports increased access to affordable childcare and emphasizes the importance of head start programs for better school preparedness and long-term economic self-sufficiency.

Buket Urgen

Alejandra Gracias

Mark Dorazio

- Your state representative represents the interests of your local district in the Texas House of Representatives. The State House of Representatives, along with the State Senate, makes up your state lawmaking body: the Texas State Legislature
- Your state representative can author, sponsor, and vote on bills that may become state laws. 
- There are 150 members of the Texas House of Representatives, each representing a single district. Representatives must be at least 21 years old and reside in the state for at least two years before their election. 
- State representatives are elected to two-year terms during even-numbered years. There are no term limits. 
- State representatives make $7,200 annually in addition to a $221 payment per day during legislative sessions and mileage reimbursements.

Your representative and state lawmaker in the Texas House of Representatives.