Hardin County, Texas: 2026 Voter Guide

✅ Checked against the official county sample ballot (Oct 18, 2026). Coverage confirmed: the county's signed Notice of General Election says Hardin County is holding joint elections with Lumberton ISD, Kountze ISD and the City of Kountze, and the 22 posted sample ballots cover precincts 1-19 (with separate Kountze ISD, Lumberton ISD and City of Kountze styles). Kountze ISD ballots (precincts 1, 6, 7, 8, 12) carry Trustee Places 1, 2, 3 and 7; the precinct 1 City of Kountze style adds City of Kountze Proposition A; Lumberton ISD ballots (precincts 6, 13, 16, 18, 19) carry Lumberton ISD Proposition A. See your exact ballot on Texas My Voter Portal.

Official sample ballot · Hardin County Elections Department: (409) 209-5445

Statewide races (every Texas voter)

U.S. SenateJames Talarico D Donors1% from progressive-cause donorsKen Paxton R Donors<1% from progressive-cause donorsTed Brown L Donors0% from progressive-cause donors

GovernorGina Hinojosa D Donors<1% from progressive-cause donorsGreg Abbott R Donors0% from progressive-cause donorsPat Dixon L Donors0% from progressive-cause donors

Lieutenant GovernorVikki Goodwin D Donors<1% from progressive-cause donorsDan Patrick R Donors0% from progressive-cause donorsAnthony Cristo L Donors0% from progressive-cause donorsKevin McCormick G Donors

Attorney GeneralMayes Middleton R Donors0% from progressive-cause donorsNathan Johnson D Donors<1% from progressive-cause donorsTom Oxford L Donors

Comptroller of Public AccountsDon Huffines R Donors0% from progressive-cause donorsSarah Eckhardt D Donors<1% from progressive-cause donorsVAV. Alonzo Echavarria-Garza L DonorsShehla Faizi G Donors0% from progressive-cause donors

Commissioner of the General Land OfficeDawn Buckingham R Donors2% from progressive-cause donorsBenjamin Flores D Donors0% from progressive-cause donorsNSNeill Snider L Donors

Commissioner of AgricultureNate Sheets R Donors0% from progressive-cause donorsClayton Tucker D Donors<1% from progressive-cause donorsAustin R. Kelly L Donors

Railroad CommissionerBo French R Donors0% from progressive-cause donorsJon Rosenthal D Donors<1% from progressive-cause donorsArthur DiBianca L Donors

Chief Justice, Supreme CourtJimmy Blacklock R Donors0% from progressive-cause donorsMaggie Ellis D Donors<1% from progressive-cause donors

Justice, Supreme Court, Place 2 (Unexpired Term)James P. Sullivan R Donors0% from progressive-cause donorsChari Kelly D Donors0% from progressive-cause donors

Justice, Supreme Court, Place 7Kyle Hawkins R DonorsKristen Hawkins D Donors0% from progressive-cause donors

Justice, Supreme Court, Place 8Brett Busby R DonorsGisela D. Triana D Donors0% from progressive-cause donors

Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 3Thomas Smith R Donors0% from progressive-cause donorsOkey Anyiam D DonorsMark Ash L Donors

Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 4Kevin Patrick Yeary R Donors0% from progressive-cause donorsAudra Riley D Donors

Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 9John Messinger R Donors0% from progressive-cause donorsHolly Taylor D Donors0% from progressive-cause donors

Chief Justice, 15th Court of Appeals DistrictSBScott Brister R DonorsJerry Zimmerer D Donors0% from progressive-cause donors

Justice, 15th Court of Appeals District, Place 2Scott K. Field R Donors0% from progressive-cause donorsTBTom Baker D Donors

Justice, 15th Court of Appeals District, Place 3AFApril Farris R Donors0% from progressive-cause donorsMMMarc M. Meyer D Donors0% from progressive-cause donors

Congress, Legislature & district races in Hardin County

U.S. House, District 36Brian Babin R Donors0% from progressive-cause donorsRhonda Hart D Donors

State Board of Education, District 7Julie Pickren R Donors0% from progressive-cause donorsTiffany Perkinz D Donors0% from progressive-cause donors

Texas Senate, District 3Trent Ashby R Donors0% from progressive-cause donorsBobby Tillman D Donors0% from progressive-cause donors

Texas House, District 18Janis Holt R Donors0% from progressive-cause donorsVBValorie Barton D Donors0% from progressive-cause donors

Uncontested: Chief Justice, 9th Court of Appeals District — Scott Golemon

County, school board & city races

Uncontested local: County Judge — Wayne McDaniel (Republican); District Clerk — Dana Hogg (Republican); County Clerk — Connie Becton (Republican); County Treasurer — Angie Smith (Republican); County Commissioner Precinct 2 — Chris Kirkendall (Republican); County Commissioner Precinct 4 — Ernie Koch (Republican); Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 — Robert Ward, Jr (Republican); Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 — Charles Brewer (Republican); Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 — Rod Ousley (Republican); Justice of the Peace Precinct 4 — Mark D. Ames (Republican); Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 — Melissa "Missy" Minton (Republican); Justice of the Peace Precinct 6 — Cathie Brown (Republican); Kountze Independent School District Trustee, Place 1 — Christopher Jones; Kountze Independent School District Trustee, Place 2 — Mike Wade; Kountze Independent School District Trustee, Place 3 — Brandon Laird

Ballot questions

• City of Kountze Proposition A: The Reduction of the additional sales and use tax for Economic/Industrial Dev Sec 4A within Kountze, Texas at a rate of one-half percent, and the adoption of a local sales and use tax in Kountze, Texas at the rate of one-and three-quarter percent. (Full ballot language: official sample ballot, page 2.)
• Lumberton Independent School District Proposition A: "THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE. Ratifying the ad valorem tax rate of $0.9592 per $100 taxable assessed valuation in Lumberton Independent School District for the current year, a rate that will result in an increase of 8.97 percent in maintenance and operations tax revenue for the district for the current year as compared to the preceding year, which is an additional $0.06." (Full ballot language: official sample ballot, page 2.)

Sources: Hardin County Elections Department official sample ballots, Nov 3, 2026 General Election (22 precinct ballot styles) · Texas Secretary of State 2026 Ballot Certification (Hardin County section)