Texas Ballot Compare

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Nonpartisan voter guide · Texas

State Representative, District 28

Race · November 3, 2026 general election

State of Texas
Vote for oneResearched · fact-checked
Gary GatesGary GatesRepublican Incumbent
Sandy IbanezDemocratic
On ballot as
GARY GATES
SANDY IBANEZ
Current role
State Representative, Texas House District 28 (since February 11, 2020)
Public school teacher; commercial and residential real estate professional
Background
  • Founder and president, Gatesco, Inc., a family-run property management company
  • His real estate business has purchased and renovated thousands of apartment homes around Houston (per official biography)
  • That business created jobs for over 500 people (per official biography)
  • Attends Grace Community Bible Church
  • Father of 13 children
  • Bush High School graduate (per campaign)
  • BBA in management and entrepreneurship, University of Houston's Bauer College of Business (per campaign)
  • MBA, Western Governors University (per campaign)
  • Taught in Fort Bend ISD (per campaign)
  • Held an executive role at a Texas-based fintech company (per campaign)
  • Fifth-generation Texan and lifelong Fort Bend County resident (per campaign)
Experience
  • First elected in a January 2020 special election runoff
  • Member, Appropriations Committee (per official biography)
  • Vice chair, Urban Affairs and Resolutions Calendars committees (per official biography)
  • Ran for the same House seat (2002, 2004); lost
  • Ran for Texas Senate (2006, 2014); lost
  • Ran for Railroad Commissioner (2016); lost
  • Started two women's networking and mentorship groups (per campaign)
  • Democratic primary (March 3, 2026): won, 53.5%
Top priorities
  • "My top priority is to expand workforce education in Texas high schools" (Community Impact Q&A)
  • Growth: "we need to ensure infrastructure and services keep pace with growth"
  • Housing: "encouraging the development of housing supply to make the American Dream more affordable"
  • Immigration: "Secure borders are important, but immigration has been a powerful source of economic benefit in Houston and we should not shut that off."
  • "fully funding public education, expanding access to healthcare and mental health services, improving affordability" (Community Impact Q&A)
  • "supporting small businesses and workforce development, and investing in transportation, water and infrastructure"
  • Says Texas should prioritize "reliable water supplies, grid reliability, public education, transportation and workforce development"
  • Supports "fair and transparent property taxes and addressing rising auto and home insurance costs" (per her campaign site)
Tidbits
  • Abortion: Campaign issues page (undated; other text on the page dates from 2019): "Gary is 100% pro-life."
  • Border and immigration: In a Community Impact Q&A: "Secure borders are important, but immigration has been a powerful source of economic benefit in Houston and we should not shut that off."
  • Guns: No public statement found
  • Public schools and vouchers: In a Community Impact Q&A: "My top priority is to expand workforce education in Texas high schools"
  • Property taxes: Campaign issues page (undated; other text on the page dates from 2019): supports "reforming the appraisal process that has been the main culprit in higher property taxes"
Claims and the record
  • Controversies: None found in the news coverage we reviewed
  • Abortion: No public statement found
  • Border and immigration: No public statement found
  • Guns: No public statement found
  • Public schools and vouchers: In an ATPE candidate survey: "Public schools must be fully and equitably funded first." "If ESAs are implemented, they must be held to strong accountability standards"
  • Property taxes: Campaign site: will support "fair and transparent property taxes and addressing rising auto and home insurance costs"
Claims and the record
  • Controversies: None found in the news coverage we reviewed
Endorsements
  • Texas Home School Coalition
  • Fort Bend Business Coalition
  • "C" Club of Houston
  • Texas Alliance for Life (primary)
  • Texas AFL-CIO
  • Texas AFT
  • Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO
  • Blue Horizon Texas PAC
  • Texas Progressive Caucus (listed by campaign)
Show all 8
  • Asian American Democrats of Texas (listed by campaign)
  • Annie's List (listed by campaign)
  • Black Richmond Rosenberg Area Democrats (B.R.R.A.D.) (listed by campaign)
Campaign website
gatesfortexas.com
sandyfortexas.com
Gary Gates

Gary Gates

Republican Incumbent
On ballot as
GARY GATES
Current role
State Representative, Texas House District 28 (since February 11, 2020)
Background
  • Founder and president, Gatesco, Inc., a family-run property management company
  • His real estate business has purchased and renovated thousands of apartment homes around Houston (per official biography)
  • That business created jobs for over 500 people (per official biography)
  • Attends Grace Community Bible Church
  • Father of 13 children
Experience
  • First elected in a January 2020 special election runoff
  • Member, Appropriations Committee (per official biography)
  • Vice chair, Urban Affairs and Resolutions Calendars committees (per official biography)
  • Ran for the same House seat (2002, 2004); lost
  • Ran for Texas Senate (2006, 2014); lost
  • Ran for Railroad Commissioner (2016); lost
Top priorities
  • "My top priority is to expand workforce education in Texas high schools" (Community Impact Q&A)
  • Growth: "we need to ensure infrastructure and services keep pace with growth"
  • Housing: "encouraging the development of housing supply to make the American Dream more affordable"
  • Immigration: "Secure borders are important, but immigration has been a powerful source of economic benefit in Houston and we should not shut that off."
Tidbits
  • Abortion: Campaign issues page (undated; other text on the page dates from 2019): "Gary is 100% pro-life."
  • Border and immigration: In a Community Impact Q&A: "Secure borders are important, but immigration has been a powerful source of economic benefit in Houston and we should not shut that off."
  • Guns: No public statement found
  • Public schools and vouchers: In a Community Impact Q&A: "My top priority is to expand workforce education in Texas high schools"
  • Property taxes: Campaign issues page (undated; other text on the page dates from 2019): supports "reforming the appraisal process that has been the main culprit in higher property taxes"
Claims and the record
  • Controversies: None found in the news coverage we reviewed
Endorsements
  • Texas Home School Coalition
  • Fort Bend Business Coalition
  • "C" Club of Houston
  • Texas Alliance for Life (primary)
Campaign website
gatesfortexas.com

Sandy Ibanez

Democratic
On ballot as
SANDY IBANEZ
Current role
Public school teacher; commercial and residential real estate professional
Background
  • Bush High School graduate (per campaign)
  • BBA in management and entrepreneurship, University of Houston's Bauer College of Business (per campaign)
  • MBA, Western Governors University (per campaign)
  • Taught in Fort Bend ISD (per campaign)
  • Held an executive role at a Texas-based fintech company (per campaign)
  • Fifth-generation Texan and lifelong Fort Bend County resident (per campaign)
Experience
  • Started two women's networking and mentorship groups (per campaign)
  • Democratic primary (March 3, 2026): won, 53.5%
Top priorities
  • "fully funding public education, expanding access to healthcare and mental health services, improving affordability" (Community Impact Q&A)
  • "supporting small businesses and workforce development, and investing in transportation, water and infrastructure"
  • Says Texas should prioritize "reliable water supplies, grid reliability, public education, transportation and workforce development"
  • Supports "fair and transparent property taxes and addressing rising auto and home insurance costs" (per her campaign site)
Tidbits
  • Abortion: No public statement found
  • Border and immigration: No public statement found
  • Guns: No public statement found
  • Public schools and vouchers: In an ATPE candidate survey: "Public schools must be fully and equitably funded first." "If ESAs are implemented, they must be held to strong accountability standards"
  • Property taxes: Campaign site: will support "fair and transparent property taxes and addressing rising auto and home insurance costs"
Claims and the record
  • Controversies: None found in the news coverage we reviewed
Endorsements
  • Texas AFL-CIO
  • Texas AFT
  • Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO
  • Blue Horizon Texas PAC
  • Texas Progressive Caucus (listed by campaign)
Show all 8
  • Asian American Democrats of Texas (listed by campaign)
  • Annie's List (listed by campaign)
  • Black Richmond Rosenberg Area Democrats (B.R.R.A.D.) (listed by campaign)
Campaign website
sandyfortexas.com

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