State Senator, District 5 - Texas Ballot Compare

Charles Schwertner

Republican Incumbent

On ballot as: Charles Schwertner
Current role: State Senator, District 5 (since 2013)
Background: B.S. in Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin
M.D., University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
Orthopedic surgeon
Hometown: Georgetown
Sixth-generation Texan (per official biography)
Experience: Chair, Senate Committee on Business and Commerce
Member, Finance, State Affairs and Economic Development committees
Texas House, District 20 (2011–2013)
Republican primary (March 3, 2026): won, 74.6% over Larry Nance and Apollo Hernandez
Top priorities: Ballotpedia survey: "My focus next session is to continue reducing property taxes while also speeding up the relief of existing measures for homeowners."
Ballotpedia survey: "It's critical that we focus on strong enforcement of our immigration laws to restore law, order, and safety to our nation."
Campaign site: "He will pass laws in the next legislative session that ensure data centers respect and do not burden our communities, infrastructure, and natural resources."
Tidbits: Abortion: No public statement found
Border and immigration: In a Ballotpedia survey: "It's critical that we focus on strong enforcement of our immigration laws to restore law, order, and safety to our nation."
Guns: Campaign site describes him as "the author of the State's landmark" Constitutional Carry law
Public schools and vouchers: Campaign site: "He helped deliver the largest increase in public education funding in Texas history, raised teacher pay"
Property taxes: In a Ballotpedia survey: "My focus next session is to continue reducing property taxes while also speeding up the relief of existing measures for homeowners."
Endorsements: Texas Home School Coalition
Texas Medical Association PAC (TEXPAC)
Texas Alliance for Life (primary)
President Donald J. Trump (listed by campaign)
Governor Greg Abbott (listed by campaign)
Show all 68
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick (listed by campaign)
Bastrop County Conservatives PAC (listed by campaign)
Cattle Raisers PAC (listed by campaign)
Rural Friends of Electric Cooperatives (listed by campaign)
National Rifle Association (listed by campaign)
Texas State Rifle Association (listed by campaign)
Texas Oil & Gas Association PAC (listed by campaign)
Texas Farm Bureau AGFUND (listed by campaign)
Texas Realtors Association PAC (listed by campaign)
Texas Association of Business (listed by campaign)
Free Enterprise PAC (listed by campaign)
Manufacturers PAC of Texas (listed by campaign)
Texans for Life Committee PAC (listed by campaign)
Steve & Lisa Aldrich, Former Brazos County Commissioner (listed by campaign)
Jason Bienski, Former Mayor of Bryan (listed by campaign)
Russ Boles, Williamson County Commissioner (listed by campaign)
Dawn Buckingham, Texas Land Commissioner (listed by campaign)
Paul Dyson, Representative for HD 14 (listed by campaign)
Jake French, Georgetown City Council Member (listed by campaign)
Stan Gerdes, Representative for HD 17 (listed by campaign)
Bobby Gutierrez, Mayor of Bryan (listed by campaign)
Caroline Harris Davila, Representative for HD 52 (listed by campaign)
Glenn Hegar (listed by campaign)
Cody Hirt, Georgetown ISD Board Trustee (listed by campaign)
Janis Holt, Representative for HD 18 (listed by campaign)
Andrew & Shelley Nelson, Former Mayor of Bryan (listed by campaign)
John Nichols, Mayor of College Station (listed by campaign)
Steve Ogden, Former Senator for SD 5 (listed by campaign)
Angelia Orr, Representative for HD 13 (listed by campaign)
Greg & Julie Owens, Former Bryan City Council Member (listed by campaign)
Will & Nikki Peckham, Upper Brushy Creek WCID (listed by campaign)
Kevin Pitts, Georgetown City Council Member (listed by campaign)
Esme Ruelas-Olivares, Rockdale City Council Member (listed by campaign)
Josh Schroeder, Mayor of Georgetown (listed by campaign)
Julie Schultz, Former College Station City Council Member (listed by campaign)
Andy Webb, Former Georgetown ISD Board Trustee (listed by campaign)
Trey Wharton, Representative for HD 12 (listed by campaign)
Terry Wilson, Representative for HD 20 (listed by campaign)
Dennis Wilson, Former Limestone County Sheriff (listed by campaign)
Mel Cooper, Bastrop County Conservatives Cofounder & Executive Director (listed by campaign)
Kevin Counsil, Former Madison County GOP Chair (listed by campaign)
Curtis Courtney, Former Bastrop County GOP Chair (listed by campaign)
Bill Fairbrother, Former SD 5 Committeeman & Williamson Co. GOP Chair (listed by campaign)
Joan Guild, Robertson County Republican Women President (listed by campaign)
Rebecca Luckey, Milam County GOP Chair (listed by campaign)
Mike McCloskey, Former Senate District 5 SREC Committeeman (listed by campaign)
Linda McKenzie, Walker County GOP Chair (listed by campaign)
Carol Milder, Leon County GOP Chair (listed by campaign)
Jo Miller, Former RCRW President/ GOP Chair/ SD5 Committeewoman (listed by campaign)
Keith Payne, Madison County Precinct Chair (listed by campaign)
Lance & Jan Phillips, Limestone County GOP Chair (listed by campaign)
Dwayne Wright, San Jacinto County GOP Chair (listed by campaign)
Phil Adams, Former Texas A&M Board Of Regents Member (listed by campaign)
Cary Baker, Executive Director of Scotty's House (listed by campaign)
Mira Boyda, Commercial Realtor & Investor Relations at Pohl Jensen (listed by campaign)
Tara Burnett, Executive Director of H.E.A.R.T.S. Veterans Museum of Texas (listed by campaign)
Dr. Mark Geyer, Georgetown Orthopedics (listed by campaign)
Hunter Goodwin, Developer at Oldham Goodwin Group (listed by campaign)
Paul Luckey, Rockdale Memorial Company (listed by campaign)
Bill Pohl, Pohl Partners Real Estate (listed by campaign)
Milton Rister, Pedernales Electric Cooperative Board of Directors (listed by campaign)
Scott Stribling, Century 21 Real Estate (listed by campaign)
Clayton Watson, AG3 Properties (listed by campaign)
Campaign website: drschwertner.com

Paul Thomasson

Democratic

On ballot as: Paul Thomasson
Current role: Retired United Methodist pastor
Background: B.A., Southwestern University in Georgetown (1980) (per campaign)
Master of Theology, Perkins School of Theology at SMU (1984) (per campaign)
40 1/2 years in full-time United Methodist Church ministry, from June 1984 (per campaign)
Former chaplain, Harris County Hospital District, mainly at Ben Taub Hospital (per campaign)
Helped establish Boys and Girls Club and Habitat for Humanity chapters in towns where he was pastor (per campaign)
Experience: Democratic primary (March 3, 2026): won, 51.3% over Kevin Nelson
Top priorities: Campaign goal: "PROTECT PUBLIC SCHOOLS"
Campaign goal: "NO MORE DATA CENTERS"
Campaign goal: "CONSERVE OUR LAND AND WATER"
Campaign goal: "END MASS SURVEILLANCE"
Campaign goal: "RESTORE WOMEN'S RIGHTS"
Ballotpedia survey: "Jobs and the economy must be made better!"
Tidbits: Abortion: No public statement found
Border and immigration: Campaign site: "The political weaponization that is demonizing all immigrants is unconscionable, inexcusable, and simply evil."
Guns: In a Ballotpedia survey: "I own guns and will use them on wild hogs (or for emergency defense) but strongly believe they should be much harder for dangerously mentally ill persons to obtain."
Public schools and vouchers: Campaign site: "Vouchers have taken millions away from public school systems across Texas, causing all kind of big, new problems."
Property taxes: No public statement found
Endorsements: Texas AFL-CIO COPE
Austin American-Statesman Editorial Board (primary)
Campaign website: thomassonforsenate.com