Polk County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
4 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot across 2 Polk County races, led by the Texas Senate District 3 contest.
By address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Find your districts by addressTexas Senate District 3Trent Ashby (R) · Bobby Tillman (D)
Trent Ashby Republican
- Property tax relief
Per The Texan / KETK.
About Trent Ashby
Trent Ashby is the Republican nominee for Texas Senate District 3, an open seat as current Senator Robert Nichols is not seeking reelection. Ashby is the sitting State Representative for Texas House District 9 and Senior Vice President for VerraBank, according to his official House biography; he grew up on a dairy farm in Rusk County and holds a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics from Texas A&M University. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026.
Bobby Tillman Democratic
- Rural medical care
- Volunteer fire and EMS funding
- Support for veterans and small-town economies
Per the Lufkin Daily News.
About Bobby Tillman
Bobby Tillman is the Democratic nominee for Texas Senate District 3, an East Texas seat covering the Pineywoods and Sabine region. He spent 40 years in the commercial flooring business and 15 years raising beef cattle, according to the Lufkin Daily News. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026.
Trent Ashby (Republican), Bobby Tillman (Democratic) are on the November 3 ballot for Texas Senate District 3. Not on the November ballot: Robert Nichols, the sitting member per the roster. Nominees were chosen at the March 3 primary (or a May 26 runoff) or advanced unopposed; the field is the Texas Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election candidate list. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageTexas House District 9Shelley Tatum (D) · Rocky Thigpen (R)
Shelley Tatum Democratic
- Increase state funding for public school districts and oppose the state voucher program
- Protect groundwater under the rule of capture from large-scale extraction
- Support state funding for rural hospitals and physicians
Per the campaign site.
About Shelley Tatum
Shelley Tatum is the Democratic nominee for Texas House District 9 and a retired educator with 35 years of teaching experience in Texas public schools, including 19 years in Lufkin ISD, per her campaign site. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in communications and English from Stephen F. Austin State University and is a lifelong East Texan raised in Lufkin, per her campaign site.
Rocky Thigpen Republican
- Deliver property tax relief for Texas homeowners and families
Per the campaign site.
About Rocky Thigpen
Rocky Thigpen is the Republican nominee for the open Texas House District 9 seat. He is a lifelong East Texan and retired sergeant with the Texas Department of Public Safety, having patrolled all six counties of House District 9, per his campaign site. He now serves as vice president of Overseas Hardwoods Company and lives in Lufkin, per his campaign site.
Shelley Tatum (Democratic), Rocky Thigpen (Republican) are on the November 3 ballot for Texas House District 9. Not on the November ballot: Trent Ashby, the sitting member per the roster. Nominees were chosen at the March 3 primary (or a May 26 runoff) or advanced unopposed; the field is the Texas Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election candidate list. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageSee your full ballot
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Verify your ballot with the official election office.
Cross-check every race and candidate with the official election office. Official sources are the final word.
Texas nominees were set by the March 3 primary and May 26 runoffs; unopposed nominees still print on the November 3 ballot, a plurality wins, and declared write-in votes count but write-in names do not print, per the Secretary of State.
Who is on the ballot in Polk County, Texas on November 3, 2026?
Polk County sample ballot 2026: see where the texas senate and texas house candidates stand on taxes and agriculture. Every candidate profile on this page names the official filing or campaign source it came from.
When is the 2026 general election in Texas?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Texas are listed on the Texas election hub. Texas election hub →
How do I see my exact Polk County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup for the statewide and congressional races on every ballot in the county, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location. Look up your ballot →
Texas statewide racesEvery Texas race on this county's ballot.