Local Election Recommendations For Texas’ 10 Largest Counties

Research-backed recommendations for local elections in Texas’ largest counties.

I spent hours researching candidates in local elections across the ten most populous counties in Texas. I combed through campaign websites, public statements, news archives, and campaign finance reports. I cross-referenced everything with endorsements (or anti-endorsements) from local Democratic clubs, progressive organizations, unions, and issue-based advocacy groups. What you’ll find below is the result of all that digging: a curated list of recommendations for city council, mayor, and school board races in counties like Harris, Dallas, Bexar, Travis, Tarrant, and beyond.

I didn’t make a recommendation in every race. In some contests, there wasn’t a solid progressive option, or the information available was too limited to assess a candidate’s values or track record confidently. These local races are officially non-partisan, but that’s a label, not a reality. Most candidates have clear partisan leanings, and their positions reflect that. The challenge is that without party IDs on the ballot, voters are left guessing, or worse, unintentionally backing someone who’s running a quiet MAGA campaign in a purple district.

Here’s why it matters: Democratic city council members and mayors typically push for expanded public transit, climate resilience planning, police oversight, renters’ rights, and inclusive city budgets. Republican city leaders, even in so-called “non-partisan” seats, often oppose affordable housing projects, roll back protections for LGBTQ+ residents, and push for carceral solutions over social investments.

On school boards, Democratic or progressive trustees tend to support inclusive curricula, mental health supports, teacher pay raises, and stronger protections for marginalized students. Their Republican counterparts often back book bans, anti-LGBTQ+ policies, and privatization efforts like vouchers and charter school expansion.

This year, I saw something new: local Democratic groups publishing anti-endorsement lists. Because they’re often barred from officially endorsing in non-partisan races, these groups are calling out candidates by name who are aligned with extremist views, MAGA rhetoric, or far-right organizations. It’s a warning system for voters who want to avoid electing people who might quietly usher in regressive policies at the local level. I genuinely hope these anti-endorsement lists become a trend and more local clubs and parties publish them for local elections.

One last thing, these are recommendations, not formal endorsements. I’m just someone who did the work, sifted through the noise, and tried to figure out who the best options are for moving Texas communities forward. Use this list as a starting point. Share it. Talk with your neighbors. And most importantly—vote.

• 🤠 HARRIS COUNTY:

  • 🏫 Katy ISD Board of Trustees:

    • Position 1: James Cross

    • Position 2: Lance Redmon

  • 🏫 Humble ISD Board of Trustees:

    • Position Five: Judy Castillo

  • 🏫 Pasadena ISD Board of Trustees:

    • Position 2: Crystal Davila

    • Position 3: Fina Govea

    • Position 4: Yen Rabe

  • 🏫 Spring Branch ISD Board of Trustees:

    • Position 5: Diana Martinez Alexander

    • Position 6: David Lopez

    • Position 7: Patricia Caberera

• 🤠 DALLAS COUNTY:

  • 🏫 Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD Board of Trustees:

    • Member: Ileana Garza-Rojas

  • 🏛️ City of Dallas:

    • Place 1: Chad West

    • Place 2: Jesse Moreno

    • Place 3: Jessica Lightbourne

    • Place 4: Maxie Johnson

    • Place 5: Jamie Resendez

    • Place 6: Laura Cadena

    • Place 7: Adam Bazaldua

    • Place 8: Lorie Blair

    • Place 9: Paula Blackmon

    • Place 11: Mona Elshenawy

    • Place 12: Marc Rossouw

    • Place 13: Gay Donnell Willis

    • Place 14: Paul Ridley

  • 🏛️ City of DeSoto:

    • Place 5: Wil Adams JR

  • 🏛️ City of Garland:

    • Mayor: Koni Ramoa-Kaiwi

    • District 3: Douglas Huff

  • 🏫 Dallas ISD Board of Trustees:

    • District 4: Prisma Garcia

    • District 5: Byron Sanders

  • 🏫 Grand Prairie ISD Board of Trustees:

    • Place 6: Veronica Lopez

  • 🏫 Richardson ISD Board of Trustees:

    • District 2: Vanessa Pacheco

    • District 5: Rachel McGowan

• 🤠 TARRANT COUNTY:

  • 🏛️ City of Fort Worth:

    • Mayor: Josh Lucas

    • Place 2: Carlos Flores

    • Place 3: Jason Ballmann

    • Place 5: Deborah Peoples

    • Place 6: Daryl Davis

    • Place 8: Chris Nettles

    • Place 9: Elizabeth Beck

    • Place 11: Jeanette Martinez

  • 🏫 Arlington ISD Board of Trustees:

    • Place 4: David Wilbanks

  • 🏫 Crowley ISD Board of Trustees:

    • Place 5: Melondy Doddy-Munoz

  • 🏫 HEB ISD Board of Trustees:

    • Place 2: John Biggan

  • 🏫 Keller ISD Board of Trustees:

    • Place 1: Randy Campbell

    • Place 2: Jennifer Erickson

  • 🏫 Mansfield ISD Board of Trustees:

    • Place 3: Jason Thomas

• 🤠 BEXAR COUNTY:

  • 🏛️ City of San Antonio:

    • Mayor: Gina Ortiz Jones

    • District 1: Sukh Kaur

    • District 2: Jalen McKee-Rodriguez

    • District 4: Edward Mungia

    • District 5: Teri Castillo

    • District 6: Ric Galvan

    • District 7: Marina Alderete Gavito

    • District 8: Sakib Shaikh

    • District 9: Angi Aramburu

  • 🏫 Northside ISD Board of Trustees:

    • District 1: Sarah Sorensen

    • District 2: Sonia Jasso

    • District 5: Laura Zapata

    • District 6: Nicolette Ardiente

    • District 7: Larissa Martinez

  • 🏫 San Antonio ISD Board of Trustees:

    • District 2: Stephanie Jones

    • District 3: Jacob Ramos

• 🤠 TRAVIS COUNTY:

  • 🏛️ City of Leander:

    • District 1: Natomi Blair

    • District 5: Andrew Naudin

  • 🏫 Lake Travis ISD Board of Trustees:

    • Place 4: Jonathan Bove

    • Place 5: Kris Woodcock

• 🤠 COLLIN COUNTY:

  • 🏛️ City of Frisco:

    • Place 2: Tammy Meinershagen

    • Place 4: Gopal Ponangi

  • 🏛️ City of McKinney:

    • At-Large Position 1: Derrick Tarver

  • 🏛️ City of Plano:

    • Place 8: Vidal Quintanilla

  • 🏫 Frisco ISD Board of Trustees:

    • Place 1: Suresh Manduva

    • Place 2: Renee Sample

    • Place 3: Stuart Shulman

  • 🏫 Plano ISD Board of Trustees:

    • Place 3: Sam Johnson

    • Place 3: Nancy Humphrey

    • Place 6: Elisa Klein

• 🤠 DENTON COUNTY:

  • 🏛️ City of Denton:

    • Place 2: Brian Beck

    • Place 3: Karen Devinney

  • 🏛️ City of Little Elm:

    • Place 4: Idalia Amaya

  • 🏛️ City of Northlake:

    • Place 6: Argel Flores

  • 🏛️ City of Providence Village:

    • Place 5: David Vartian

  • 🏫 Denston ISD Board of Trustees:

    • Place 3: Tanya Wright

    • Place 5: Phylicia Anderson

  • 🏫Lewisville ISD Board of Trustees:

    • Place 7: Sheila Taylor

  • 🏫 Northwest ISD Board of Trustees:

    • Place 3: Joe Washam

• 🤠 FORT BEND COUNTY:

  • 🏫 Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees:

    • Position 3: Afshi Charania

    • Position 7: Angie Wierzbicki

• 🤠 HIDALGO COUNTY:

  • 🏫 McAllen ISD Board of Trustees:

    • District 7: Rogelio Aleman

• 🤠 EL PASO COUNTY:

  • 🏫 El Paso ISD Board of Trustees:

    • District 1: Leah Hanany

    • District 3: Jack Loveridge

    • District 4: Mindy Sutton

    • District 5: Robert Osterland

  • 🏫 Socorro ISD Board of Trustees:

    • District 2: Philip Ollis

    • District 3: Joshua Carter Guerra

    • District 4: Paul Guerra

    • District 5: Manuel Rodriguez

Local elections shape our everyday lives. So, vote in every single one.

Whether it’s the school board, the city council, or the mayor, these races matter more than most people realize.

If you have questions about any of the recommendations above or live outside the top ten counties and need help researching your local ballot, reach out. I’m more than happy to help however I can.

Let’s build power from the ground up. And let’s start by showing up.

• April 22: Early Voting Begins

• April 29: Early Voting Ends

• May 3: Local and County Elections

• June 2: The 89th Legislative Session ends.

• June 3: The beginning of the 2026 election season.

• Click here to find out what Legislative districts you’re in.

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