Eight races are on the Bexar County Democratic runoff ballot — two statewide, one US House, one state legislature, and four countywide. Winners become the Democratic nominees for November 2026.
Election Day
Tue., May 26, 2026
Early Voting
May 18–22, 2026
Register by
Apr. 27, 2026
Races on ballot
8 contests
Who can vote in this runoff
You voted in the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026.
You didn’t vote in either primary in March 2026.
You voted in the Republican primary in March — you’re locked into the Republican runoff and cannot cross over.
The Lieutenant Governor presides over the Texas Senate and is widely considered the most powerful statewide elected official. They appoint committee chairs, set the legislative agenda, control which bills get heard, and step in as Governor if the Governor resigns, dies, or leaves the state.
Why does it matter?
Decides which bills — from school funding to property taxes to abortion rules — ever reach the Senate floor.
Sits on the Legislative Budget Board that drafts Texas’s $300+ billion two-year budget.
Appoints the senators who chair every major committee, shaping every policy area.
Runs Senate rules and can fast-track or stall legislation indefinitely.
Term4 years
Compensation$7,200/year + per diem
Next general electionNov. 3, 2026
March 3 primary result
Three candidates ran. Goodwin led with 48% (1,008,384 votes) but fell just short of the 50% needed to win outright. Vélez finished second with 31% (661,362 votes). Courtney Head was eliminated with 20%.
Candidates on the runoff ballot
Vikki Goodwin
48% in March primary (1st place)
Texas State Representative, House District 47 (Austin area). Realtor and former Travis County school board candidate; has focused on housing, public education, and election law reform in the Legislature. Founded the city’s Earthwise Living Committee.
Houston labor leader, educator, and grassroots political organizer from the Rio Grande Valley. Running on a platform centered on public schools, healthcare access, and border-community priorities.
The Attorney General is Texas’s top lawyer. The office defends state laws in court, gives legal advice to state agencies, enforces consumer-protection and open-records laws, prosecutes Medicaid fraud, and collects child support on behalf of Texas families.
Why does it matter?
Decides whether Texas joins or files lawsuits — including high-stakes cases on voting, immigration, healthcare, and environmental rules.
Runs the Child Support Division, which processes payments for more than 1.5 million Texas families.
Enforces the Texas Public Information Act, the law that lets journalists and citizens see government records.
Represents Texas in every federal court case the state is part of.
Term4 years
Compensation$153,750/year
Next general electionNov. 3, 2026
March 3 primary result
Three candidates ran. Johnson led with 48% (1,000,608 votes), Jaworski finished second with 26% (549,676), and Anthony “Tony” Box was eliminated with 25% (529,426). A tight race between second and third — fewer than 21,000 votes separated them.
Candidates on the runoff ballot
Nathan Johnson
48% in March primary (1st place)
Texas State Senator, Senate District 16 (Dallas). Attorney in private practice for 25+ years; known for bipartisan work on criminal justice and consumer-protection bills in the Legislature.
Former Mayor of Galveston (2010–2014); Houston-area attorney and mediator. Was the 2022 Democratic nominee for Attorney General; running again on a good-government and anti-corruption platform.
Austin to San Antonio corridor (parts of Travis, Hays, Comal, Guadalupe, and Bexar counties) · Democratic nominee
What is the position?
One of 435 members of the US House of Representatives. Members vote on federal laws, approve the federal budget, declare war, and oversee federal agencies. CD-35 stretches along the I-35 corridor from Austin down through New Braunfels into northern and eastern Bexar County. This is an open seat — no incumbent is running.
Why does it matter?
Votes on every federal law — from healthcare and immigration to defense and infrastructure funding.
Directs federal dollars to local projects: highways, housing, flood control, veterans’ hospitals, and more.
Sits on committees that oversee federal agencies, giving the district a voice in how agencies treat constituents.
Handles constituent casework — passport issues, VA benefits, Social Security disputes — for hundreds of thousands of residents.
Term2 years
Compensation$174,000/year
Next general electionNov. 3, 2026
March 3 primary result
Four candidates ran in a tight race. Galindo led with 29% (15,931 votes), Garcia finished second with 27% (14,743). Whitney Masterson-Moyes (23%) and John Lira (20%) were eliminated. Only 1,188 votes separated first from second.
Candidates on the runoff ballot
Maureen Galindo
29% in March primary (1st place)
Marriage and family therapist and housing-justice activist (age 38). Single mother of three with a master’s in community psychology from Concordia University. Led efforts to design San Antonio’s rent relief program after residents at SoapWorks Apartments faced displacement. Former 2025 San Antonio City Council candidate. Priorities include lowering the cost of living, affordable healthcare, and strengthening workers’ power.
Deputy and public information officer for the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office (age 38). Born and raised on San Antonio’s west side; attended Memorial High School (Edgewood ISD) and St. Philip’s College. Nearly two decades in law enforcement, progressing from jail guard to patrol officer to SWAT. Self-described “old-school Democrat” focused on lowering costs for working families, public safety, and fully funding public schools.
Northwest Bexar County (parts of San Antonio and Leon Valley) · Democratic nominee
What is the position?
One of 150 members of the Texas House. State representatives write and vote on state law — setting policy on public schools, property taxes, criminal justice, abortion, firearms, healthcare, and the state budget. This is an open seat — Rep. Ray Lopez (D) is retiring.
Why does it matter?
Writes the state laws that shape daily life — from what’s in your kid’s textbook to what your property-tax bill looks like.
Helps draft and approve the $300+ billion state budget every two years.
Decides school finance, healthcare spending, and transportation funding for the San Antonio region.
Can call for constitutional amendments that voters see on statewide ballots.
Term2 years
Compensation$7,200/year + per diem
Next general electionNov. 3, 2026
March 3 primary result
Four candidates ran to replace retiring Rep. Ray Lopez. Reyna led with 39% (7,227 votes), Barrientes Vela finished second with 34% (6,371). Donovan Rodriguez (15%) and Carlos Antonio Raymond (11%) were eliminated.
Candidates on the runoff ballot
Adrian Reyna
39% in March primary (1st place)
SAISD teachers’ union leader and middle school history teacher. Son of a former state representative who held the seat in the early 2000s. Currently on special assignment implementing the district’s rightsizing effort. Represents organized labor on the VIA Metropolitan Transit board. Argues the Legislature needs educators making policy during attacks on public schools; also focused on property taxes and workforce development.
Former Bexar County Precinct 4 Constable with a law enforcement and business ownership background. Faced charges of tampering with records but was fully exonerated through the appellate process, with records expunged. Positions herself as bringing law enforcement experience and understanding of abuse of power. Priorities include public safety, integrity, and neighborhood-level advocacy.
The District Attorney is Bexar County’s top prosecutor. The office decides which criminal cases are filed, what charges are brought, whether to offer plea deals, and how the county treats everything from low-level drug offenses to capital murder. The DA manages a staff of more than 300 attorneys and investigators.
Why does it matter?
Sets charging and sentencing priorities — the single biggest driver of who ends up in jail and who doesn’t in Bexar County.
Decides how the office handles drug possession, low-level theft, and diversion programs for people with mental illness or substance-use issues.
Chooses whether to seek the death penalty, pursue cash bail, or prioritize violent-crime cases.
Runs the civil division that represents Bexar County in lawsuits and advises the Commissioners Court on legal matters.
Term4 years
Compensation~$211,000/year
Next general electionNov. 3, 2026
March 3 primary result
Eight candidates ran in a crowded field. Chapa led with 24% (37,623 votes) and Davis finished second with 18% (28,670). Six other candidates — including several career prosecutors and a former Managed Assigned Counsel Office director — were eliminated. Neither runoff candidate cleared even 25% of the primary vote, making this a genuinely open contest.
Candidates on the runoff ballot
Luz Elena Chapa
24% in March primary (1st place, 8-candidate field)
Former Justice on the Fourth Court of Appeals (Texas intermediate appellate court, 2012–2024). Previously served as a state district judge in Bexar County and as a civil litigator. Brings the most political experience and judicial connections of the two finalists but has never worked in a DA’s office or tried a criminal case as a prosecutor — a point of distinction that came up during the primary debate.
18% in March primary (2nd place, 8-candidate field)
Chief of the Juvenile Division at the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office. Career prosecutor with 40 years of experience working under seven different district attorneys, with exposure to every division in the office. Running on a platform of continuity, institutional knowledge, and reform from the inside.
The County Clerk is the county’s chief record keeper. The office files and safeguards deeds, marriage licenses, birth/death certificates, DBAs (small-business “doing-business-as” filings), and county-court records. In Bexar County, the Clerk also serves as the clerk of the Commissioners Court and the 15 County Courts at Law.
Why does it matter?
Issues every marriage license and records every property deed in Bexar County — roughly 700,000+ documents a year.
Handles the filing and records for every misdemeanor and probate case in county court.
Maintains birth and death records going back to the 1800s.
Operates the Commissioners Court agenda, minutes, and official records — including public open-records responses.
Term4 years
Compensation~$143,000/year
Next general electionNov. 3, 2026
March 3 primary result
Three candidates ran. Adame-Clark nearly won outright with 46% (72,349 votes) — just short of the 50% threshold. Castro finished second with 39% (60,280). Mari Sanchez Belew was eliminated with 15% (23,073).
Candidates on the runoff ballot
Lucy Adame-Clark
Incumbent
46% in March primary (1st place)
Current Bexar County Clerk (elected 2018, reelected 2022). Former Deputy Chief Clerk with deep institutional knowledge of the office. Has focused on modernizing records systems and expanding online access to county documents.
Bexar County administrative official and longtime public-sector manager. Running on customer-service improvements, technology upgrades, and broader community outreach from the Clerk’s office.
The District Clerk is the record keeper for every state district court in Bexar County — that’s all felony criminal cases, major civil lawsuits, and most family-law matters (including divorces and custody). The office also manages jury pools, collects court fees and child-support payments, and issues passports.
Why does it matter?
Runs jury summons for the dozens of district courts that handle felony cases and high-stakes civil lawsuits.
Processes tens of thousands of divorce, custody, and protective-order filings every year.
Issues and tracks court passports — a major service point for thousands of Bexar County families.
Determines how easy it is for people to access court records online, including for self-represented litigants.
Term4 years
Compensation~$143,000/year
Next general electionNov. 3, 2026
March 3 primary result
Martinez led a multi-candidate field with 33% (51,253 votes). Castillo finished second with 24% (36,813). Several other candidates were eliminated. Neither runoff candidate won more than a third of the primary vote.
Candidates on the runoff ballot
Gloria Martinez
Incumbent
33% in March primary (1st place)
Current Bexar County District Clerk. Long-tenured county office leader who has overseen records-digitization progress and jury-service improvements. Running on operations continuity and institutional knowledge.
Attorney and longtime Bexar County court-system veteran. Campaigning on modernization, reduced wait times for records, and expanded language access in the District Clerk’s office.
Bexar County Courts at Law are mid-level trial courts. They handle Class A and Class B misdemeanors (including DWI, domestic violence, theft under $2,500), civil lawsuits up to $250,000, probate, guardianship, and mental-health commitments. There are 15 County Courts at Law in Bexar County, each with its own elected judge.
Why does it matter?
Sets bond amounts and conditions of release — a major decision point in most misdemeanor cases.
Hears tens of thousands of cases a year: DWIs, assaults, theft, trespass, and small civil disputes.
Presides over mental-health and guardianship hearings that affect family members with disabilities.
Sentences defendants in misdemeanor cases — including whether to order treatment, probation, or jail time.
Term4 years
Compensation~$180,000/year
Next general electionNov. 3, 2026
March 3 primary result
Three candidates ran. Garcia led with 43% (64,471 votes), Salmón finished second with 38% (57,532). Adam Flores was eliminated with 19% (27,694). A relatively close race between the top two, with fewer than 7,000 votes separating them.
Candidates on the runoff ballot
Cesar Garcia
Incumbent
43% in March primary (1st place)
Current Judge, Bexar County Court at Law No. 10. Attorney with experience in both prosecution and criminal defense. Running on a platform of fair-minded case management and reducing misdemeanor docket backlogs.
Former assistant district attorney and longtime San Antonio litigator. Campaign focus on efficient courtroom operations, victims’ services, and access to pretrial diversion programs.
Even if you voted in March, confirm your info is current — moves, name changes, and signature updates matter. Registration deadline for this runoff was April 27.
These nonpartisan and media voter guides can help you research the candidates and issues before you vote. We link to them as resources — PlanYourVoteSA does not endorse candidates.
