Texas State Senator, District 13

Borris L. Miles is a Houston Democrat who has represented Senate District 13 since 2017, after serving in the Texas House from 2007 to 2009 and again from 2011 to 2017². He is unopposed on the November 2026 ballot¹.

Where they stand 20 issues · tap any issue for the evidence

• School choiceNo, keep public money in traditional public schoolsmedium

  Said · medium confidence

  • Said his vote against SB 8 was a vote to keep money in public education and that state funds should not go to private schools. (2023-04-06) source
  • Said he has always stood against private school vouchers. (2023-11-17) source
  • Voted no on SB 2, which created a state education savings account program that can pay for private school; it passed the Senate 19 to 12. (2025-02-05) source
• Property taxesAllow increases when needed for schools, police and roadsmedium

  Said · medium confidence

  • Said he voted against the 2019 SB 2 because tighter limits on local revenue hurt cities' ability to provide basic services, and that locally elected officials should decide what is best for their communities. (2019-04-16) source
  • Voted no on SB 10, which lowered the voter-approval tax rate limit for certain local taxing units; it passed the Senate 18 to 12. (2025-08-19) source
• DEI programsKeep them and let each school or agency decidemedium

  Said · medium confidence

  • Called the governor's 2023 directive against DEI policies at state agencies and universities political theater, saying DEI efforts aim to widen applicant pools within existing anti-quota laws. (2023-02-10) source
  • Said he was disappointed the University of Houston removed DEI from its hiring practices. (2023-03-05) source
  • Voted no on SB 17 (2023), which bars DEI offices at public colleges; it passed the Senate 19 to 12. (2023-04-19) source
  • Voted no on SB 12, which bars DEI duties in public K-12 schools; the Senate adopted the final version 20 to 11. (2025-05-31) source
• HealthcareKeep the Affordable Care Act and fix what is brokenmedium

  Said · medium confidence

  • Said the state should focus on expanding Medicaid, increasing wages and funding public schools. (2023-02-10) source
• Death penaltyKeep it, but add safeguards such as DNA and science review before executionsmedium

  Said · medium confidence

  • Said the death penalty is reserved for the worst crimes but some cases need closer attention, and carried a 2019 bill on how courts decide intellectual disability claims in death penalty cases. (2019-05-25) source
• Nuclear powerBack new reactors with public funds, tax credits, and streamlined approvalsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on HB 14, which created the Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office and a fund with grant programs to support new nuclear development; it passed the Senate 26 to 5. (2025-05-27) source
• AbortionNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on the final version of SB 8, the Texas Heartbeat Act; the Senate concurred 18 to 12. (2021-05-13) source
  • Voted no on HB 1280, the law banning abortion if Roe v. Wade was overturned; it passed the Senate 19 to 12. (2021-05-25) source
  • Voted no on SB 33, which bars local governments from funding travel or logistical support for abortions; it passed the Senate 22 to 9. (2025-04-16) source
  • Voted no on HB 7, which restricts the manufacture and provision of abortion-inducing drugs; it passed the Senate 17 to 8. (2025-09-03) source
• GunsNo single answer fitsmedium

  Said · medium confidence

  • After the 2019 El Paso and Dayton shootings, said state and national leaders do nothing to stop guns from getting into the wrong hands and called for action. (2019-08-04) source
  • Voted no on HB 1927, which allows adults to carry a handgun without a license; it passed the Senate 18 to 13. (2021-05-05) source
• ImmigrationNo single answer fitsmedium

  Said · medium confidence

  • Opposed large-scale ICE raids in Houston, saying the federal government can target dangerous criminals without terrorizing families. (2019-07-13) source
  • Opposed the 2017 SB 4, saying it would make local police federal immigration enforcers. (2017-02-08) source
  • Voted no on SB 4 (2023), which made illegal entry into Texas a state crime; it passed the Senate 17 to 11. (2023-11-09) source
  • Voted no on SB 8 (2025), which requires certain sheriffs to seek agreements with ICE; the Senate adopted the final version 20 to 11. (2025-05-31) source
• RedistrictingNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on HB 4, which redrew Texas U.S. House districts in 2025; it passed the Senate 18 to 11. (2025-08-22) source
  • Voted no on SB 6, the 2021 congressional map; it passed the Senate 18 to 13. (2021-10-08) source
• Election rulesNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on SB 16, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote; it passed the Senate 20 to 11. (2025-04-01) source
  • In March 2020 asked the Secretary of State to consider holding all elections by mail during the COVID-19 emergency. (2020-03-17) source
• Gender care for minorsNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on the final version of SB 14, which bans gender transition procedures and treatments for minors; the Senate approved it 19 to 12. (2023-05-17) source
• Transgender athletesNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on the final version of SB 15, which requires college athletes to compete based on biological sex; the Senate concurred 19 to 12. (2023-05-26) source
  • Voted no on HB 25, which requires K-12 athletes to compete based on sex assigned at birth; it passed the Senate 19 to 12. (2021-10-15) source
• Religion in schoolsNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on SB 10, which requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms; the Senate approved the final version 21 to 10. (2025-05-28) source
  • Voted no on SB 11, which lets school boards set a period for prayer and reading of the Bible or other religious texts; it passed the Senate 23 to 7. (2025-03-18) source
• Curriculum and booksNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on SB 13, which creates local school library advisory councils and expands parental rights over school library materials; it passed the Senate 23 to 8. (2025-03-19) source
  • Voted no on HB 900, which regulates library materials sold to or kept in public school libraries; it passed the Senate 19 to 12. (2023-05-23) source
• China policyNo single answer fitsmedium

  Said · medium confidence

  • Opposed SB 147, saying it would keep foreign citizens who are here legally from buying a home or property for a business. (2023-01-23) source
  • Voted no on SB 147, a land purchase restriction bill; it passed the Senate 19 to 12. (2023-04-26) source
  • Voted no on SB 17 (2025), which restricts Texas land purchases by people and entities from certain countries including China; it passed the Senate 24 to 7. (2025-03-19) source
• Energy and climateNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 819, which added permit rules and fees for renewable energy generation facilities; it passed the Senate 22 to 9. (2025-04-15) source
  • Voted no on SB 388, which set goals for new generation to come from dispatchable sources such as natural gas; it passed the Senate 18 to 13. (2025-03-19) source
• Texas power gridNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on SB 2627, which created state loans for dispatchable power plants; it passed the Senate 27 to 4. (2023-05-04) source
  • Voted no on SB 6, which set up a Texas Energy Insurance Program to support backup power plants; it passed the Senate 22 to 9. (2023-04-05) source
• School vaccinesNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on the final version of HB 1586, which requires the state to post the school vaccine exemption affidavit form online; it passed the Senate 23 to 8. (2025-05-25) source
  • Refused to sign a 2022 committee report that recommended banning mask and COVID-19 vaccine mandates, calling those recommendations irresponsible for public health. (2022-12-16) source
• MarijuanaNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on the final version of SB 3, which would have banned most consumable hemp products containing THC; the Senate approved it 25 to 6 and the governor later vetoed it. (2025-05-25) source

No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, AI data centers, Housing and growth, Policing and crime, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, E-Verify mandate.