Texas Ballot Compare

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Nonpartisan voter guide · Texas

Criminal District Attorney

Race · November 3, 2026 general election

Hays County
Vote for oneResearched · fact-checked
Alfonso O. SalazarAlfonso O. SalazarDemocratic
Kirsta MeltonKirsta MeltonIndependent
On ballot as
Alfonso O. Salazar
Kirsta Melton
Current role
Attorney; managing partner of his own law firm
Founder and CEO, Institute to Combat Trafficking (per campaign)
Background
  • BA, University of Texas at Austin (per candidate)
  • Law degree, Baylor Law School (per candidate)
  • Texas Air National Guard and active-duty Air Force, 12 years in the military; primarily Security Forces (per candidate)
  • Left the military in 2019 to build his law career (per candidate)
  • Born in San Antonio
  • BA in American government, Cornell University (1993) (per campaign)
  • Law degree and master of public affairs, University of Texas (1998) (per campaign)
  • Member, State Bar of Texas (since November 1998) (per campaign)
  • Adjunct professor, Texas State University and the University of Texas (per campaign)
  • Lives in Dripping Springs
Experience
  • Felony and misdemeanor court experience (per candidate, February 2026 bar association forum)
  • Experience building drug and DWI courts (per campaign)
  • Democratic primary (March 2026): won, 54.5% over Landon Bryan Campbell
  • Chair, Texas Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force (2017–2019) (per campaign)
  • Deputy Criminal Chief, Human Trafficking and Transnational Organized Crime Section, Office of the Texas Attorney General (2015–2019) (per campaign)
  • Assistant Criminal District Attorney, Bexar County (2000–2014) (per campaign)
  • Independent candidate; qualified for the ballot with 709 valid petition signatures (per San Marcos Daily Record)
Top priorities
  • "my DA's office will no longer operate as if it is beholden to law enforcement"
  • "Justice isn't about conviction numbers. Every case deserves honest judgment not rushed or one-size-fits-all punishment."
  • Conviction integrity unit: "I will seek funding for a fully staffed department to ensure justice was done"
  • "Living on the street or in between shelters should not be treated as criminal offense in our community"
  • Wants to strengthen the office's intake division (per Hays Free Press)
  • "TRANSPARENCY: I pledge to deal openly and honestly with the community at all times."
  • "I commit to ethical prosecution and decision-making, based solely on the facts and the law."
  • Proposes "Implementation of the Prosecutorial Performance Indicators and the provision of a public dashboard"
  • Proposes "Creation of a conviction review unit"
  • "Request additional positions for experienced domestic violence prosecutors"
Tidbits
  • Property taxes and budget: No public statement found
  • Growth and infrastructure: No public statement found
  • Flooding and drainage: No public statement found
  • Public safety: Campaign site: says justice should "restore the community to a safe and thriving balance" and that his office "will no longer operate as if it is beholden to law enforcement"
  • Property taxes and budget: No public statement found
  • Growth and infrastructure: No public statement found
  • Flooding and drainage: No public statement found
  • Public safety: Campaign site: "I commit to ethical prosecution and decision-making, based solely on the facts and the law." Proposes to "Request additional positions for experienced domestic violence prosecutors"
Endorsements
  • VoteVets (listed by campaign)
  • Texas Progressive Caucus (listed by campaign)
  • Hays Young Democrats (listed by campaign)
  • Lucy Johnson, Former Mayor of Kyle (listed by campaign)
  • Maxfield Baker, Former San Marcos City Council Member (listed by campaign)
Show all 9
  • Claudia Zapata, Kyle City Councilwoman (listed by campaign)
  • Jo Poenitzsch, Attorney, JP Law Firm; Former Williamson County Assistant District Attorney (listed by campaign)
  • CJ Cetina, Former Hays Young Dems President (listed by campaign)
  • Gerard Perches, Former ADA Hays County; Former ADA Williamson County (listed by campaign)
  • Texas Forward Party
  • CLEAT (Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas) (listed by campaign)
  • Hays County Law Enforcement Association (listed by campaign)
  • Buda Police Officers Association (listed by campaign)
  • San Marcos Police Officers Association (listed by campaign)
Show all 10
  • David L Peterson, Hays County Constable, Pct. 1 (listed by campaign)
  • Don Montague, Hays County Constable, Pct. 3; Hays County Sheriff, Retired (listed by campaign)
  • Gary Cutler, Hays County Sheriff, Retired (listed by campaign)
  • Robert Vititow, Rains County District Attorney (listed by campaign)
  • Davy Holmes, teacher, Dripping Springs High School (listed by campaign)
Campaign website
alfonso4haysda.com
kirstamelton.com
Alfonso O. Salazar

Alfonso O. Salazar

Democratic
On ballot as
Alfonso O. Salazar
Current role
Attorney; managing partner of his own law firm
Background
  • BA, University of Texas at Austin (per candidate)
  • Law degree, Baylor Law School (per candidate)
  • Texas Air National Guard and active-duty Air Force, 12 years in the military; primarily Security Forces (per candidate)
  • Left the military in 2019 to build his law career (per candidate)
  • Born in San Antonio
Experience
  • Felony and misdemeanor court experience (per candidate, February 2026 bar association forum)
  • Experience building drug and DWI courts (per campaign)
  • Democratic primary (March 2026): won, 54.5% over Landon Bryan Campbell
Top priorities
  • "my DA's office will no longer operate as if it is beholden to law enforcement"
  • "Justice isn't about conviction numbers. Every case deserves honest judgment not rushed or one-size-fits-all punishment."
  • Conviction integrity unit: "I will seek funding for a fully staffed department to ensure justice was done"
  • "Living on the street or in between shelters should not be treated as criminal offense in our community"
  • Wants to strengthen the office's intake division (per Hays Free Press)
Tidbits
  • Property taxes and budget: No public statement found
  • Growth and infrastructure: No public statement found
  • Flooding and drainage: No public statement found
  • Public safety: Campaign site: says justice should "restore the community to a safe and thriving balance" and that his office "will no longer operate as if it is beholden to law enforcement"
Endorsements
  • VoteVets (listed by campaign)
  • Texas Progressive Caucus (listed by campaign)
  • Hays Young Democrats (listed by campaign)
  • Lucy Johnson, Former Mayor of Kyle (listed by campaign)
  • Maxfield Baker, Former San Marcos City Council Member (listed by campaign)
Show all 9
  • Claudia Zapata, Kyle City Councilwoman (listed by campaign)
  • Jo Poenitzsch, Attorney, JP Law Firm; Former Williamson County Assistant District Attorney (listed by campaign)
  • CJ Cetina, Former Hays Young Dems President (listed by campaign)
  • Gerard Perches, Former ADA Hays County; Former ADA Williamson County (listed by campaign)
Campaign website
alfonso4haysda.com
Kirsta Melton

Kirsta Melton

Independent
On ballot as
Kirsta Melton
Current role
Founder and CEO, Institute to Combat Trafficking (per campaign)
Background
  • BA in American government, Cornell University (1993) (per campaign)
  • Law degree and master of public affairs, University of Texas (1998) (per campaign)
  • Member, State Bar of Texas (since November 1998) (per campaign)
  • Adjunct professor, Texas State University and the University of Texas (per campaign)
  • Lives in Dripping Springs
Experience
  • Chair, Texas Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force (2017–2019) (per campaign)
  • Deputy Criminal Chief, Human Trafficking and Transnational Organized Crime Section, Office of the Texas Attorney General (2015–2019) (per campaign)
  • Assistant Criminal District Attorney, Bexar County (2000–2014) (per campaign)
  • Independent candidate; qualified for the ballot with 709 valid petition signatures (per San Marcos Daily Record)
Top priorities
  • "TRANSPARENCY: I pledge to deal openly and honestly with the community at all times."
  • "I commit to ethical prosecution and decision-making, based solely on the facts and the law."
  • Proposes "Implementation of the Prosecutorial Performance Indicators and the provision of a public dashboard"
  • Proposes "Creation of a conviction review unit"
  • "Request additional positions for experienced domestic violence prosecutors"
Tidbits
  • Property taxes and budget: No public statement found
  • Growth and infrastructure: No public statement found
  • Flooding and drainage: No public statement found
  • Public safety: Campaign site: "I commit to ethical prosecution and decision-making, based solely on the facts and the law." Proposes to "Request additional positions for experienced domestic violence prosecutors"
Endorsements
  • Texas Forward Party
  • CLEAT (Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas) (listed by campaign)
  • Hays County Law Enforcement Association (listed by campaign)
  • Buda Police Officers Association (listed by campaign)
  • San Marcos Police Officers Association (listed by campaign)
Show all 10
  • David L Peterson, Hays County Constable, Pct. 1 (listed by campaign)
  • Don Montague, Hays County Constable, Pct. 3; Hays County Sheriff, Retired (listed by campaign)
  • Gary Cutler, Hays County Sheriff, Retired (listed by campaign)
  • Robert Vititow, Rains County District Attorney (listed by campaign)
  • Davy Holmes, teacher, Dripping Springs High School (listed by campaign)
Campaign website
kirstamelton.com

Open in the full comparison: Hays County

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