Texas Ballot Compare

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Nonpartisan voter guide · Texas

State Representative, District 96

Race · November 3, 2026 general election

State of Texas
Vote for oneResearched · fact-checked
Ellen FleischmannRepublican
Ebony M. TurnerDemocratic
On ballot as
Ellen Fleischmann
Ebony M. Turner
Current role
Attorney; owner, Fleischmann Legal Group, Mansfield
Criminal defense attorney with her own law firm
Background
  • Texas Tech University, Rawls College of Business; J.D., Texas Tech University School of Law (per her Fort Worth Report questionnaire)
  • Born and raised in Tarrant County; yoga studio owner, Lubbock (per Fort Worth Report)
  • Daughter of Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells (per Fort Worth Report)
  • B.A. in English, University of Texas at Austin; J.D., St. Mary's University School of Law (per her Fort Worth Report questionnaire)
  • Attorney for 25 years (per campaign)
  • Former legislative attorney
  • Drafted bills at the Texas Legislative Council (per campaign)
  • Her son has Down syndrome (per campaign)
  • Special education funding is the main reason she is running (per campaign)
Experience
  • First run for office
  • No prior elected office (per Fort Worth Report questionnaire)
  • Open seat: Rep. David Cook (R) holds it now and is not on the ballot
  • Republican primary (March 3, 2026): unopposed
  • Ran for this seat (2024); lost to Rep. David Cook with 42.6% of the vote
  • Ran for judge, Tarrant County Criminal Court 6 (2022) (per her Fort Worth Report questionnaire)
  • Open seat: Rep. David Cook (R) holds it now and is not on the ballot
  • Democratic primary (March 3, 2026): unopposed
Top priorities
  • "Keep criminals and fentanyl off our streets."
  • "Cut regulations on small businesses."
  • "Stop the rising cost of insurance."
  • Campaign site: "I care deeply about delivering real property tax relief for our families."
  • Campaign site: "Ellen will fight to increase funding for our teachers and students."
  • "I'm fully invested in funding public education and repealing the voucher law."
  • In a questionnaire before the March 2026 primary: "Increase access to affordable health care by expanding Medicaid."
  • Same questionnaire: "Lowering property taxes by increasing exemptions and reigning in outrageous appraisals"
  • Campaign site issue list: "Resources for Special Needs Students"
  • Campaign site issue list: "Livable Wages for All Texans"
Tidbits
  • Abortion: Campaign site: "I'm strongly pro-life and pro-Second Amendment."
  • Border and immigration: In a 2026 Fort Worth Report questionnaire: "I support strong border enforcement, resources for law enforcement, and cooperation with federal immigration authorities."
  • Guns: Campaign site: "I'm strongly pro-life and pro-Second Amendment."
  • Public schools and vouchers: To the Fort Worth Report (Oct. 1, 2026), on the education savings account program: "I'm excited to look at that data and see how this has impacted education."
  • Property taxes: In a 2026 Fort Worth Report questionnaire: "I will support spending restraint, transparency, and reforms that limit runaway property tax growth."
Claims and the record
  • Controversies: None found in the news coverage we reviewed
  • Abortion: No public statement found
  • Border and immigration: In a Fort Worth Report questionnaire (answered before the March 2026 primary): "anyone seeking to enter this country and apply for citizenship should follow a legal path, whether that be through asylum or otherwise"
  • Guns: No public statement found
  • Public schools and vouchers: To the Fort Worth Report (Oct. 1, 2026): "I'm fully invested in funding public education and repealing the voucher law."
  • Property taxes: Campaign site: "We need to ensure the appraisal process makes sense so we can keep property taxes lower."
Claims and the record
  • Controversies: None found in the news coverage we reviewed
Endorsements
  • Texas Home School Coalition
  • Tarrant County Patriots PAC (primary)
  • Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas (listed by campaign)
  • Charlie Geren, Texas State Representative (listed by campaign)
  • Manny Ramirez, Tarrant County Commissioner (listed by campaign)
Show all 9
  • Jake Ellzey, United States Congressman (listed by campaign)
  • John McQueeney, Texas State Representative (listed by campaign)
  • David Cook, Texas State Representative (listed by campaign)
  • Tim O'Hare, Tarrant County Judge (listed by campaign)
  • John Bryant, State Representative House District 114 (listed by campaign)
  • Sandra Lee, Tarrant County Constable Precinct 7 (listed by campaign)
  • Climate Cabinet Action (listed by campaign)
  • Texas Democrats With Disabilities (listed by campaign)
  • Texas Young Democrats (listed by campaign)
  • Planned Parenthood Texas Votes PAC (listed by campaign)
Campaign website
ellen4texas.com
ebforhd96.com

Ellen Fleischmann

Republican
On ballot as
Ellen Fleischmann
Current role
Attorney; owner, Fleischmann Legal Group, Mansfield
Background
  • Texas Tech University, Rawls College of Business; J.D., Texas Tech University School of Law (per her Fort Worth Report questionnaire)
  • Born and raised in Tarrant County; yoga studio owner, Lubbock (per Fort Worth Report)
  • Daughter of Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells (per Fort Worth Report)
Experience
  • First run for office
  • No prior elected office (per Fort Worth Report questionnaire)
  • Open seat: Rep. David Cook (R) holds it now and is not on the ballot
  • Republican primary (March 3, 2026): unopposed
Top priorities
  • "Keep criminals and fentanyl off our streets."
  • "Cut regulations on small businesses."
  • "Stop the rising cost of insurance."
  • Campaign site: "I care deeply about delivering real property tax relief for our families."
  • Campaign site: "Ellen will fight to increase funding for our teachers and students."
Tidbits
  • Abortion: Campaign site: "I'm strongly pro-life and pro-Second Amendment."
  • Border and immigration: In a 2026 Fort Worth Report questionnaire: "I support strong border enforcement, resources for law enforcement, and cooperation with federal immigration authorities."
  • Guns: Campaign site: "I'm strongly pro-life and pro-Second Amendment."
  • Public schools and vouchers: To the Fort Worth Report (Oct. 1, 2026), on the education savings account program: "I'm excited to look at that data and see how this has impacted education."
  • Property taxes: In a 2026 Fort Worth Report questionnaire: "I will support spending restraint, transparency, and reforms that limit runaway property tax growth."
Claims and the record
  • Controversies: None found in the news coverage we reviewed
Endorsements
  • Texas Home School Coalition
  • Tarrant County Patriots PAC (primary)
  • Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas (listed by campaign)
  • Charlie Geren, Texas State Representative (listed by campaign)
  • Manny Ramirez, Tarrant County Commissioner (listed by campaign)
Show all 9
  • Jake Ellzey, United States Congressman (listed by campaign)
  • John McQueeney, Texas State Representative (listed by campaign)
  • David Cook, Texas State Representative (listed by campaign)
  • Tim O'Hare, Tarrant County Judge (listed by campaign)
Campaign website
ellen4texas.com

Ebony M. Turner

Democratic
On ballot as
Ebony M. Turner
Current role
Criminal defense attorney with her own law firm
Background
  • B.A. in English, University of Texas at Austin; J.D., St. Mary's University School of Law (per her Fort Worth Report questionnaire)
  • Attorney for 25 years (per campaign)
  • Former legislative attorney
  • Drafted bills at the Texas Legislative Council (per campaign)
  • Her son has Down syndrome (per campaign)
  • Special education funding is the main reason she is running (per campaign)
Experience
  • Ran for this seat (2024); lost to Rep. David Cook with 42.6% of the vote
  • Ran for judge, Tarrant County Criminal Court 6 (2022) (per her Fort Worth Report questionnaire)
  • Open seat: Rep. David Cook (R) holds it now and is not on the ballot
  • Democratic primary (March 3, 2026): unopposed
Top priorities
  • "I'm fully invested in funding public education and repealing the voucher law."
  • In a questionnaire before the March 2026 primary: "Increase access to affordable health care by expanding Medicaid."
  • Same questionnaire: "Lowering property taxes by increasing exemptions and reigning in outrageous appraisals"
  • Campaign site issue list: "Resources for Special Needs Students"
  • Campaign site issue list: "Livable Wages for All Texans"
Tidbits
  • Abortion: No public statement found
  • Border and immigration: In a Fort Worth Report questionnaire (answered before the March 2026 primary): "anyone seeking to enter this country and apply for citizenship should follow a legal path, whether that be through asylum or otherwise"
  • Guns: No public statement found
  • Public schools and vouchers: To the Fort Worth Report (Oct. 1, 2026): "I'm fully invested in funding public education and repealing the voucher law."
  • Property taxes: Campaign site: "We need to ensure the appraisal process makes sense so we can keep property taxes lower."
Claims and the record
  • Controversies: None found in the news coverage we reviewed
Endorsements
  • John Bryant, State Representative House District 114 (listed by campaign)
  • Sandra Lee, Tarrant County Constable Precinct 7 (listed by campaign)
  • Climate Cabinet Action (listed by campaign)
  • Texas Democrats With Disabilities (listed by campaign)
  • Texas Young Democrats (listed by campaign)
  • Planned Parenthood Texas Votes PAC (listed by campaign)
Campaign website
ebforhd96.com

Open in the full comparison: Tarrant County

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