State Senator, District 31 - Texas Ballot Compare

Kevin Sparks

Republican Incumbent

On ballot as: KEVIN SPARKS
Current role: State Senator, Texas Senate District 31 (elected November 2022; in office since January 10, 2023)
Background: Bachelor of Business Administration, University of Texas at Austin (1985)
Joined Discovery Operating, his family's oil and gas business in Midland, and rose to chief executive officer
Trustee, Midland Classical Academy (per campaign, 2022 text)
Former board member, Texas Public Policy Foundation (per campaign, 2022 text)
Former board member, High Sky Children's Ranch (per campaign, 2022 text)
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Former board member, Natural Gas Producers Association (per campaign, 2022 text)
From Midland
Raised four children in Midland with his wife, Jill
Has served as an elder at Stonegate Fellowship
Experience: Vice chair, Senate Economic Development Committee (per The Texas Tribune's directory)
Member, Senate committees: Health & Human Services; Natural Resources; Nominations; Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Republican primary (March 3, 2026): unopposed
Top priorities: "Secure the Border" (campaign site; wording unchanged since 2022 campaign)
"Defend the Second Amendment" (campaign site; wording unchanged since 2022 campaign)
"Protect Life" (campaign site; wording unchanged since 2022 campaign)
"Reduce Regulation and Spending" (campaign site; wording unchanged since 2022 campaign)
Focus: energy reliability, water, healthcare systems, foster care reform, oilfield theft (per Senate biography)
Tidbits: Abortion: Campaign issues page (wording unchanged since his 2022 campaign): "We must always protect innocent life, born and unborn."
Border and immigration: Campaign issues page (wording unchanged since his 2022 campaign): "Texas must step up and do the work the federal government has failed to do."
Guns: Campaign issues page (wording unchanged since his 2022 campaign): "I will never compromise in defense of our 2nd Amendment rights."
Public schools and vouchers: No public statement found
Property taxes: No public statement found
Endorsements: Texas Home School Coalition
Texas Values Action
Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT) PAC
Texas Alliance for Life
Texas Right to Life PAC
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TEXPAC (Texas Medical Association Political Action Committee)
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC
NFIB Texas PAC (primary)
TruckPAC (Texas Trucking Association) (primary)
Young Conservatives of Texas (primary)
Campaign website: kevinsparksfortexas.com

John Betancourt

Democratic

On ballot as: JOHN BETANCOURT
Current role: Family service manager, Memorial Park Funeral Home & Cemetery and Griggs-Schooler-Gordon Funeral Directors, Amarillo
Background: Professional photographer; owner-operator, Illusions Studio and Media Group (per Amarillo College biography)
Site administrator, Texas Tech University (2002–2011) (per Ballotpedia)
Former senior manufacturing resource analyst, Bell Helicopter-Textron (per Ballotpedia)
Past president, Panhandle Area School Board Association for Region 16 (per Amarillo College biography)
Hispanic Man of the Year, Los Barrios de Amarillo (2021) (per Amarillo College biography)
Experience: Amarillo College Board of Regents (elected May 1, 2021, to a six-year term; term expires 2027) (per the college)
At-large trustee, Amarillo ISD Board of Trustees (2015–2019)
Democratic nominee, State Board of Education District 15 (2020); lost general election to Jay Johnson
Democratic primary (March 3, 2026): unopposed
Top priorities: Not found
Tidbits: Abortion: No public statement found
Border and immigration: No public statement found
Guns: No public statement found
Public schools and vouchers: No public statement found
Property taxes: No public statement found
Endorsements: None found in our research
Campaign website: Not found