Texas Ballot Compare

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Nonpartisan voter guide · Texas

State Representative, District 53

Race · November 3, 2026 general election

State of Texas
Vote for oneResearched · fact-checked
Wes VirdellWes VirdellRepublican Incumbent
Kathryn HartmannKathryn HartmannDemocratic
On ballot as
WES VIRDELL
KATHRYN HARTMANN
Current role
State Representative, Texas House District 53 (since January 14, 2025)
Pediatric physical therapist
Background
  • U.S. Air Force (2001–2008)
  • Worked on intercontinental ballistic missiles and as a military training leader (per campaign, 2024)
  • Returned home in 2008 to join the family business (per campaign, 2024)
  • Founder, own trucking business (per campaign, 2024)
  • Mechanic (per Secretary of State filing)
Show all 9
  • Texas State Director, Gun Owners of America (per campaign, 2024)
  • Gun rights advocate at the Capitol since 2011 (per campaign, 2024)
  • Ninth-generation Texan (per campaign, 2024)
  • Lives in Brady (per campaign, 2024)
  • Bachelor's degree, University of Texas, Pan American (1986) (per Ballotpedia)
  • Doctorate, UTMB-Galveston (per campaign)
  • Paralegal certification, UTSA (1999) (per campaign)
  • Physical therapist in homes, schools, hospitals and clinics (per campaign)
  • Taught high school science and physics at Bandera High School (per campaign)
Show all 9
  • Has taught at middle school, high school and college levels (per campaign)
  • Worked in family law for a year (per campaign)
  • Born in McAllen; graduated from its public schools (per campaign)
  • Fifth-generation Texan (per campaign)
Experience
  • Member, Criminal Jurisprudence and Land & Resource Management committees (per House committee page)
  • Member, select committee on Disaster Preparedness & Flooding (per House committee page)
  • November 2024 election: won with 76.6% of the vote
  • Republican Party of Texas state delegate (2020 and 2022) (per campaign, 2024)
  • National convention delegate (2020 and 2024) (per campaign, 2024)
Show all 7
  • Ran for U.S. House District 11 (March 3, 2020 Republican primary); finished third with 7.1% of the vote
  • Republican primary (March 3, 2026): unopposed
  • Democratic primary (March 3, 2026): unopposed
Top priorities
  • "Wes' legislative priorities include safeguarding our gun rights, protecting our borders, and putting an end to property taxes." (campaign site, unchanged since 2024)
  • "Wes will fight to increase penalties for voter fraud." (campaign site, unchanged since 2024)
  • "Parents have a God-given, fundamental right to make decisions for the well-being and education of their own children." (campaign site, unchanged since 2024)
  • "Fully fund special education and put counselors and therapists back in our schools."
  • "I will work to expand Medicaid in rural Texas."
  • "Protect SNAP, expand WIC to young children and the elderly, and feed every child all summer long."
  • On flood safety: "Real warning systems, and the funding to maintain them."
Tidbits
  • Abortion: Campaign site (text unchanged since his 2024 campaign): "Wes will always fight for the life of the innocent."
  • Border and immigration: Campaign site (text unchanged since his 2024 campaign): "We cannot have a sovereign nation if we don't have a secure border."
  • Guns: Campaign site (text unchanged since his 2024 campaign): "The 2nd Amendment is a restriction on the government. It is not a restriction on the citizen."
  • Public schools and vouchers: Campaign site (text unchanged since his 2024 campaign): "Parents have a God-given, fundamental right to make decisions for the well-being and education of their own children."
  • Property taxes: Campaign site (text unchanged since his 2024 campaign): "Property Tax is one of the most egregious forms of taxation."
  • Abortion: No public statement found
  • Border and immigration: Campaign site: "Building the border wall across Big Bend or the Rio Grande Valley would put the native animals of those areas at risk."
  • Guns: No public statement found
  • Public schools and vouchers: Campaign site: "I will work to increase funding for students with disabilities so public schools can hire quality staff and get the equipment students need"
  • Property taxes: No public statement found
Endorsements
  • Texas Home School Coalition
  • Texas Right to Life PAC
  • Texas Values Action
  • Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT) PAC
  • Hill Country Chapter, Texas Democratic Women (listed by campaign)
  • Citizens for Change 325 (listed by campaign)
Campaign website
virdellfortexas.com
kathrynhartmannhd53.com
Wes Virdell

Wes Virdell

Republican Incumbent
On ballot as
WES VIRDELL
Current role
State Representative, Texas House District 53 (since January 14, 2025)
Background
  • U.S. Air Force (2001–2008)
  • Worked on intercontinental ballistic missiles and as a military training leader (per campaign, 2024)
  • Returned home in 2008 to join the family business (per campaign, 2024)
  • Founder, own trucking business (per campaign, 2024)
  • Mechanic (per Secretary of State filing)
Show all 9
  • Texas State Director, Gun Owners of America (per campaign, 2024)
  • Gun rights advocate at the Capitol since 2011 (per campaign, 2024)
  • Ninth-generation Texan (per campaign, 2024)
  • Lives in Brady (per campaign, 2024)
Experience
  • Member, Criminal Jurisprudence and Land & Resource Management committees (per House committee page)
  • Member, select committee on Disaster Preparedness & Flooding (per House committee page)
  • November 2024 election: won with 76.6% of the vote
  • Republican Party of Texas state delegate (2020 and 2022) (per campaign, 2024)
  • National convention delegate (2020 and 2024) (per campaign, 2024)
Show all 7
  • Ran for U.S. House District 11 (March 3, 2020 Republican primary); finished third with 7.1% of the vote
  • Republican primary (March 3, 2026): unopposed
Top priorities
  • "Wes' legislative priorities include safeguarding our gun rights, protecting our borders, and putting an end to property taxes." (campaign site, unchanged since 2024)
  • "Wes will fight to increase penalties for voter fraud." (campaign site, unchanged since 2024)
  • "Parents have a God-given, fundamental right to make decisions for the well-being and education of their own children." (campaign site, unchanged since 2024)
Tidbits
  • Abortion: Campaign site (text unchanged since his 2024 campaign): "Wes will always fight for the life of the innocent."
  • Border and immigration: Campaign site (text unchanged since his 2024 campaign): "We cannot have a sovereign nation if we don't have a secure border."
  • Guns: Campaign site (text unchanged since his 2024 campaign): "The 2nd Amendment is a restriction on the government. It is not a restriction on the citizen."
  • Public schools and vouchers: Campaign site (text unchanged since his 2024 campaign): "Parents have a God-given, fundamental right to make decisions for the well-being and education of their own children."
  • Property taxes: Campaign site (text unchanged since his 2024 campaign): "Property Tax is one of the most egregious forms of taxation."
Endorsements
  • Texas Home School Coalition
  • Texas Right to Life PAC
  • Texas Values Action
  • Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT) PAC
Campaign website
virdellfortexas.com
Kathryn Hartmann

Kathryn Hartmann

Democratic
On ballot as
KATHRYN HARTMANN
Current role
Pediatric physical therapist
Background
  • Bachelor's degree, University of Texas, Pan American (1986) (per Ballotpedia)
  • Doctorate, UTMB-Galveston (per campaign)
  • Paralegal certification, UTSA (1999) (per campaign)
  • Physical therapist in homes, schools, hospitals and clinics (per campaign)
  • Taught high school science and physics at Bandera High School (per campaign)
Show all 9
  • Has taught at middle school, high school and college levels (per campaign)
  • Worked in family law for a year (per campaign)
  • Born in McAllen; graduated from its public schools (per campaign)
  • Fifth-generation Texan (per campaign)
Experience
  • Democratic primary (March 3, 2026): unopposed
Top priorities
  • "Fully fund special education and put counselors and therapists back in our schools."
  • "I will work to expand Medicaid in rural Texas."
  • "Protect SNAP, expand WIC to young children and the elderly, and feed every child all summer long."
  • On flood safety: "Real warning systems, and the funding to maintain them."
Tidbits
  • Abortion: No public statement found
  • Border and immigration: Campaign site: "Building the border wall across Big Bend or the Rio Grande Valley would put the native animals of those areas at risk."
  • Guns: No public statement found
  • Public schools and vouchers: Campaign site: "I will work to increase funding for students with disabilities so public schools can hire quality staff and get the equipment students need"
  • Property taxes: No public statement found
Endorsements
  • Hill Country Chapter, Texas Democratic Women (listed by campaign)
  • Citizens for Change 325 (listed by campaign)
Campaign website
kathrynhartmannhd53.com

Open in the full comparison: Bandera County, Crane County, Crockett County, Edwards County, Kimble County, Kerr County, McCulloch County, Llano County, Mason County, Medina County, Menard County, Pecos County, Real County, Schleicher County, Sutton County, Upton County

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