How this guide was put together, so you can judge it for yourself.
What is included
- Races and names come from each county’s official sample ballot for the November 3, 2026 general election. Names appear as on the ballot.
- Only contested races are shown. Uncontested races and ballot propositions are not.
- Counties. All 254 Texas counties are covered. Where a county had not posted a sample ballot, its races come from the Texas Secretary of State’s candidate list and official district sources; some city and school contests there may be missing.
Candidate profiles
Each profile lists current role, background, experience, priorities, endorsements and campaign website, drawn from public sources. Facts that come only from a campaign say so (“Her campaign says…”). We do not rate or characterize candidates.
Issue statements
Under “Tidbits”: what each candidate has said, in their own words, on the same set of topics for that office. If none was found, it reads “No public statement found”. Judicial candidates are limited in what they may say, so their topics are judicial philosophy and running the court.
Claims and the record
For some offices we also list prominent claims and widely covered controversies: U.S. Senator and Representative; Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Railroad Commissioner; State Senator and Representative; County Judge and County Commissioner. They appear for the statewide offices and U.S. Senate and House races, and for the other offices only on the ballots of the ten largest counties.
- Each item gives the claim or event, the documented outcome and the candidate’s response, or says none was found.
- Sources are official records, fact-checkers and news reporting, not opinion pieces, partisan sites, campaign material or opponents’ statements.
- A vote, a policy position or an attack line is not listed by itself. Private matters are left out unless they led to official action.
- If the outcome of a matter could not be established, it is left out.
- The same standard applies to everyone in a race. “None found in the news coverage we reviewed” means only that.
Endorsements
Endorsements list organizations and people with a public role, not private individuals. Labels show how firm each one is:
- No label: confirmed for the November general election from the endorser’s own list or independent reporting.
- (primary) or (primary runoff): made for that earlier election.
- (listed by campaign): shown on the candidate’s own materials and not independently confirmed.
- (shared endorsement): the endorser backed more than one candidate in the race.
How it was checked
Each race was researched, then checked by a separate reviewer who re-read every source. Quotes were compared word for word. Facts that could not be confirmed were removed.
Research and fact-checking were carried out with AI research tools working under these written rules. The site’s editor then reviewed the results, and the editor’s changes were applied as written.
Photos
Photos come from official government pages or the candidate’s campaign site, and each links to its source. Where no clearly identified photo was found, none is shown.
Corrections
See something wrong or out of date? Email admin@stg-fortbendranchersball-staging.kinsta.cloud and we will check it against the sources. Information comes from public sources and campaign websites and may contain errors.