Texas Ballot Compare

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Nonpartisan voter guide · Texas

Commissioner of the General Land Office

Race · November 3, 2026 general election

State of Texas
Vote for oneResearched · fact-checked3-way race
Dawn BuckinghamDawn BuckinghamRepublican Incumbent
Benjamin FloresDemocratic
Neill SniderNeill SniderLibertarian
On ballot as
DAWN BUCKINGHAM
BENJAMIN FLORES
NEILL SNIDER
Current role
Texas Land Commissioner (elected 2022; since January 2023)
Not found
Mechanical contractor and small cattle operation
Background
  • Oculoplastic surgeon and small business owner
  • B.S., University of Texas at Austin
  • M.D., University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
  • Born in Mexico
  • Started a 10-acre heritage-breed pig business
  • Family operates a small cattle farm, invested in oil and gas interests
Experience
  • Texas Senate,
  • Elected land commissioner, first woman to lead the General Land Office
  • Bay City City Council
  • Served on the Bay City Development Corporation and the Houston-Galveston Area Council
  • In the trades, managing projects, meeting payroll and dealing with government regulations
Top priorities
  • "Protect Texas lands"
  • "Generate billions for public education without raising our taxes"
  • "Serve our veterans"
  • "Secure our border"
  • "Strengthen our coast" and keep the GLO "a responsible steward" of its resources
  • "Increasing revenue for public schools through responsible land management"
  • "Making Veterans Land Board programs faster and easier to access"
  • "Protecting our coast"
  • "Delivering quicker, fairer disaster recovery"
  • "Fight for a VA hospital in the Rio Grande Valley"
  • Manage state land and mineral assets "efficiently and transparently to maximize revenue" for taxpayers and schools, "or should be sold"
  • Support "responsible energy production, fair leasing practices, and reducing wasteful spending within the General Land Office itself"
  • GLO should "operate with transparency, and avoid political favoritism and unnecessary spending"
Tidbits
  • School funding and state lands: "We will continue expanding responsible energy development and generating billions for public education without raising taxes."
  • Disaster recovery: "That means cutting red tape, communicating directly with local communities, and ensuring recovery dollars reach those in need."
  • Border security: "Texas has an obligation to secure its border, but we will not sacrifice our state sovereignty."
  • Veterans: "oversees 10 veteran nursing homes that offer respectful and special care to our veteran residents" and "5 veteran cemeteries"
  • School funding and state lands: In a Community Impact Q&A: "I will expand responsible leasing, strengthen oversight and use data to maximize long-term returns for public schools."
  • Disaster recovery: In a Community Impact Q&A: "Recovery funding must reach rural, coastal and low-income Texans without years of delay."
  • Border security: "Texas can protect its border without surrendering control of state lands or sacrificing parks, resources and private property rights."
  • Veterans: Will "expand Veterans Land Board home-loan and support programs, improve outreach, reduce long-distance travel for assistance, and fight for a VA hospital in the Rio Grande Valley"
  • School funding and state lands:
  • Disaster recovery: No public statement found
  • Border security: No public statement found
  • Veterans: No public statement found
Endorsements
  • President Donald Trump
  • Numerous Republican Elected Officials and Conservative Organizations – too many to list
  • Numerous Texas Business Associations – too numerous to list.
  • Combine Law Enforcement Associations of Texas
  • Numerous Law Enforcement Associations and Officers – too many to list
Show all 8
  • BIZPAC
  • Exotic Wildlife Association
  • Gun Owners of America
  • Texas AFL-CIO
  • Sierra Club Political Committee of Texas
  • Several Democrat Elected Officials and Organizations
None found in our research
Dawn Buckingham

Dawn Buckingham

Republican Incumbent
On ballot as
DAWN BUCKINGHAM
Current role
Texas Land Commissioner (elected 2022; since January 2023)
Background
  • Oculoplastic surgeon and small business owner
  • B.S., University of Texas at Austin
  • M.D., University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
Experience
  • Texas Senate,
  • Elected land commissioner, first woman to lead the General Land Office
Top priorities
  • "Protect Texas lands"
  • "Generate billions for public education without raising our taxes"
  • "Serve our veterans"
  • "Secure our border"
  • "Strengthen our coast" and keep the GLO "a responsible steward" of its resources
Tidbits
  • School funding and state lands: "We will continue expanding responsible energy development and generating billions for public education without raising taxes."
  • Disaster recovery: "That means cutting red tape, communicating directly with local communities, and ensuring recovery dollars reach those in need."
  • Border security: "Texas has an obligation to secure its border, but we will not sacrifice our state sovereignty."
  • Veterans: "oversees 10 veteran nursing homes that offer respectful and special care to our veteran residents" and "5 veteran cemeteries"
Endorsements
  • President Donald Trump
  • Numerous Republican Elected Officials and Conservative Organizations – too many to list
  • Numerous Texas Business Associations – too numerous to list.
  • Combine Law Enforcement Associations of Texas
  • Numerous Law Enforcement Associations and Officers – too many to list
Show all 8
  • BIZPAC
  • Exotic Wildlife Association
  • Gun Owners of America
Campaign website
dawnbuckingham.com

Benjamin Flores

Democratic
On ballot as
BENJAMIN FLORES
Current role
Not found
Background
  • Born in Mexico
  • Started a 10-acre heritage-breed pig business
Experience
  • Bay City City Council
  • Served on the Bay City Development Corporation and the Houston-Galveston Area Council
Top priorities
  • "Increasing revenue for public schools through responsible land management"
  • "Making Veterans Land Board programs faster and easier to access"
  • "Protecting our coast"
  • "Delivering quicker, fairer disaster recovery"
  • "Fight for a VA hospital in the Rio Grande Valley"
Tidbits
  • School funding and state lands: In a Community Impact Q&A: "I will expand responsible leasing, strengthen oversight and use data to maximize long-term returns for public schools."
  • Disaster recovery: In a Community Impact Q&A: "Recovery funding must reach rural, coastal and low-income Texans without years of delay."
  • Border security: "Texas can protect its border without surrendering control of state lands or sacrificing parks, resources and private property rights."
  • Veterans: Will "expand Veterans Land Board home-loan and support programs, improve outreach, reduce long-distance travel for assistance, and fight for a VA hospital in the Rio Grande Valley"
Endorsements
  • Texas AFL-CIO
  • Sierra Club Political Committee of Texas
  • Several Democrat Elected Officials and Organizations
Campaign website
letsgowithben.com
Neill Snider

Neill Snider

Libertarian
On ballot as
NEILL SNIDER
Current role
Mechanical contractor and small cattle operation
Background
  • Family operates a small cattle farm, invested in oil and gas interests
Experience
  • In the trades, managing projects, meeting payroll and dealing with government regulations
Top priorities
  • Manage state land and mineral assets "efficiently and transparently to maximize revenue" for taxpayers and schools, "or should be sold"
  • Support "responsible energy production, fair leasing practices, and reducing wasteful spending within the General Land Office itself"
  • GLO should "operate with transparency, and avoid political favoritism and unnecessary spending"
Tidbits
  • School funding and state lands:
  • Disaster recovery: No public statement found
  • Border security: No public statement found
  • Veterans: No public statement found
Endorsements
None found in our research
Campaign website
voteneillsnider.com