State · November 3, 2026 General Election
One of 31 state senators. Votes on state laws and the state budget, and confirms the governor's appointees.
What this office does
The Texas Senate is one of the two chambers of the Texas Legislature (the other is the Texas House). Its 31 senators each represent a state senate district. With the House, the Senate writes Texas state law and passes the state budget; the Senate alone confirms the Governor's appointees to state boards and agencies. The Lieutenant Governor presides over the Senate. The Legislature meets in regular session every two years.
| What we compare | Erica Gillum | Lois KolkhorstHolds this office |
|---|---|---|
| Now | — | Texas State Senator, District 18, 2014 – presentTexas Senate – Member Page, District 18 ↗ |
| Before | — | Texas House of Representatives Member, 2001 – 2014Texas Senate – Member Page, District 18 ↗ |
| Work | — | Business OwnerTexas Senate – Member Page, District 18 ↗ |
| Raised | ||
| Their words | “I'm Erica Gillum, a lifelong Texan, businesswoman, and former Mayor of Hempstead, and I'm running to represent District 18 in the Texas Senate.”Gillum for Texas (campaign site) ↗ | — |
| Full profile | Everything we hold → | Everything we hold → |
| We searched the same 4 official registries for every candidate in this race on 28 July 2026 and found no adverse findings for any of them. | ||
We searched the same 4 official registries for every candidate in this race on 28 July 2026 and found no adverse findings for any of them.
Swipe the table sideways to see every candidate →