Starr County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
11 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot across 5 Starr County races, led by the Texas Court of Appeals, 4th District, Chief Justice contest.
County offices
JudgeJoel Villarreal (R) · Rose Benavidez (D) · Letty Garza-Galvan (D)
Joel Villarreal (Republican), Rose Benavidez (Democratic) and Letty Garza-Galvan (Democratic) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Starr County Judge.
Joel Villarreal Republican
About Joel Villarreal
Listed from official election filings. The Ballot Brief has not yet researched a profile for this candidate; confirm the race and candidate with the official election office linked at the bottom of this page.
Rose Benavidez Democratic
About Rose Benavidez
Listed from official election filings. The Ballot Brief has not yet researched a profile for this candidate; confirm the race and candidate with the official election office linked at the bottom of this page.
Letty Garza-Galvan Democratic
About Letty Garza-Galvan
Listed from official election filings. The Ballot Brief has not yet researched a profile for this candidate; confirm the race and candidate with the official election office linked at the bottom of this page.
Judges
Texas Court of Appeals, 4th District, Chief JusticeAntonia "Toni" Arteaga (D) · Bert Richardson (R)
Antonia "Toni" Arteaga (D) and Bert Richardson (R) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Texas Court of Appeals, 4th District, Chief Justice.
Antonia "Toni" Arteaga Democrat
Antonia "Toni" Arteaga is a sitting judge of the 57th District Court in Bexar County, first elected in 2008 and now serving her fifth term, per her campaign site. She is running for Chief Justice of the Texas 4th Court of Appeals, which covers 32 counties in South and Central Texas, per the campaign site. She has served as Past President of the Texas Association of District Judges and as a founding member of Texas Latinx Judges, per the campaign site.
Bert Richardson Republican
Bert Richardson is the Republican candidate for Chief Justice of the Fourth Court of Appeals. He has served as a judge on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals since 2015 and previously spent ten years as judge of the 379th District Court after appointment by Governor Bush, following earlier service as an assistant U.S. attorney and assistant district attorney in Bexar County, per his campaign site. He has 37 years of experience as a trial and appellate lawyer and judge and is board certified in criminal law.
Elected by the voters of the 4th Court of Appeals District, which covers 32 counties, so this race is on every November 3, 2026 ballot there. District lines are set by Texas Government Code section 22.201.
Full race pageDistricts and boards
Hospital District Board At-largeNonpartisan race · Maria Flores · Emily Diaz
Maria Flores and Emily Diaz are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Starr County Hospital District Board At-large.
Maria Flores Nonpartisan
About Maria Flores
Listed from official election filings. The Ballot Brief has not yet researched a profile for this candidate; confirm the race and candidate with the official election office linked at the bottom of this page.
Emily Diaz Nonpartisan
About Emily Diaz
Listed from official election filings. The Ballot Brief has not yet researched a profile for this candidate; confirm the race and candidate with the official election office linked at the bottom of this page.
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 21Julie Dahlberg (R) · Judith Zaffirini (D)
Julie Dahlberg Republican
- Eliminate property taxes and reduce government waste
- Water security and election integrity
- Increase teacher compensation while reducing administrative spending
Per the campaign site.
About Julie Dahlberg
Julie Dahlberg is a U.S. Army veteran who owns MYCO Glass & Mirror, a glass company in La Vernia, according to her campaign website. She previously served as executive director of a San Antonio sober-living nonprofit and is the Republican nominee for Texas Senate District 21, challenging Democratic incumbent Judith Zaffirini.
Judith Zaffirini Democratic Incumbent
- Healthcare access, including Medicaid and pre-existing condition coverage
- Education and educator compensation
- Property tax reduction
Per the campaign site.
About Judith Zaffirini
Judith Zaffirini is the Democratic incumbent for Texas Senate District 21, which stretches from the Rio Grande to the Colorado River and the Valley. A former communications specialist and 13-year teacher with BS, MA, and PhD degrees from the University of Texas at Austin, she became the first woman Dean of the Senate on December 31, 2023, and has passed 1,524 bills since 1987, the most in Texas legislative history, according to her official Senate biography.
Julie Dahlberg (Republican), Judith Zaffirini (Democratic) are on the November 3 ballot for Texas Senate District 21; Judith Zaffirini is the sitting member, per the Texas Senate' official 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 31Ryan Guillen (R) · Jennifer "Jj" Dominguez (D)
Ryan Guillen Republican Incumbent
Ryan Guillen represents Texas House District 31 in South Texas. He worked as a high school agriculture teacher and on his family's feed store and ranch before entering the Legislature, per his campaign site, and holds an agriculture degree from Texas A&M University. He currently chairs the House Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety, per his campaign site.
Jennifer "Jj" Dominguez Democratic
Jennifer "JJ" Dominguez is the Democratic nominee for Texas House District 31 and chairs the Wilson County Democratic Party, per the Wilson County News. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Ryan Guillen (Republican), Jennifer "Jj" Dominguez (Democratic) are on the November 3 ballot for Texas House District 31; Ryan Guillen is the sitting member, per the Texas House of Representatives' official 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
Voting info and more
Voting info and more
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 Starr County, Texas on November 3, 2026?
Starr County sample ballot 2026: who is running for texas court of appeals, texas senate and texas house, with bios, priorities and campaign sites. 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 Starr 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.