Texas State Senator, District 5

Charles Schwertner is a Republican orthopedic surgeon from Georgetown who served in the Texas House from 2011 to 2013 and has served in the Texas Senate since 2013⁴⁰. He chairs the Senate Business and Commerce Committee, which oversees electric utilities, insurance, banking and technology⁴⁰. His campaign highlights property tax relief, border enforcement, gun rights, school choice and grid reliability⁴.

Where they stand 22 issues · tap any issue for the evidence

• School choiceYes, universal school choice for every familyhigh

  Voted · high confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 2 (2025), which created a state education savings account program that can pay for private school. (2025-02-05) source
  • Was listed as a Senate coauthor of SB 2 (2025), the education savings account bill. (2025) source
  • Voted yes on SB 8 (2023), an earlier education savings account bill. (2023-04-06) source
  • His campaign says he co-authored landmark legislation to establish school choice so families can pick the school that fits their children. (2026) source
• GunsRemove most restrictions; bearing arms is a righthigh

  Official action · high confidence

  • Was the Senate sponsor of HB 1927 (2021), which lets adults 21 and older carry a handgun without a license. (2021) source
  • Voted yes on HB 1927 in the Senate. (2021-05-05) source
  • His campaign calls him the author of the state constitutional carry law and a staunch defender of the Second Amendment. (2026) source
• Property taxesKeep cutting them and cap how fast they can risehigh

  Said · high confidence

  • His campaign says he has fought to lower and eliminate taxes and joint-authored legislation that would raise the homestead exemption to 200,000 dollars for seniors and 140,000 dollars for non-seniors. (2026) source
  • His campaign says he helped pass laws that compress the school maintenance and operations tax rate and cap how much cities and counties can raise tax rates without voter approval. (2026) source
  • In his 2026 Ballotpedia survey he called enhancing the permanent property tax relief already passed, and continuing to reduce property taxes, a high priority. (2026) source
  • Voted yes on SB 10 (2025), which lowered the voter-approval tax rate limit for certain local taxing units. (2025-08-19) source
  • Voted yes on the final version of SB 2 (2019), which limited how fast local property tax revenue can grow without voter approval. (2019-05-25) source
• Gender care for minorsNo, ban these treatments for minorshigh

  Said · high confidence

  • His campaign says he banned gender modification surgeries on minors. (2026) source
  • Voted yes on the final version of SB 14 (2023), which bans gender transition procedures and treatments for minors. (2023-05-17) source
• Transgender athletesNo, teams should be based on biological sex, with open or coed optionshigh

  Said · high confidence

  • His campaign says he co-authored legislation to keep biological males out of girls sports. (2026) source
  • Voted yes on the final version of SB 15 (2023), which requires college athletes to compete based on biological sex. (2023-05-26) source
  • Voted yes on HB 25 (2021), which requires K-12 athletes to compete based on sex assigned at birth. (2021-10-15) source
• Religion in schoolsSupport laws requiring the Ten Commandments in classrooms and optional prayer periodshigh

  Said · high confidence

  • His campaign says he voted to restore the Ten Commandments in classrooms and to protect students right to pray. (2026) source
  • Voted yes on SB 10 (2025), which requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms. (2025-05-28) source
  • Voted yes on SB 11 (2025), which lets school boards set a period for prayer and reading of the Bible or other religious texts. (2025-03-18) source
• DEI programsBan DEI offices and required training at public institutionshigh

  Said · high confidence

  • His campaign says he passed legislation banning DEI programs in public schools and universities. (2026) source
  • Voted yes on SB 17 (2023), which bars public colleges from keeping diversity, equity and inclusion offices. (2023-04-19) source
  • Voted yes on the final version of SB 12 (2025), which bars DEI duties in public K-12 schools. (2025-05-31) source
• China policyGet tougher: broad tariffs, state bans on land purchases, and forced app saleshigh

  Official action · high confidence

  • Was a joint Senate author of SB 17 (2025), which bars governments, companies and people from countries named in federal threat assessments, including China, from buying Texas land. (2025) source
  • Voted yes on SB 17 (2025) on final Senate passage. (2025-03-19) source
  • Voted yes on SB 147 (2023), an earlier land purchase restriction bill that did not pass the House. (2023-04-26) source
  • His campaign says he joint-authored legislation to stop foreign adversaries like China from buying farmland and land near military bases. (2026) source
• Nuclear powerBack new reactors with public funds, tax credits, and streamlined approvalshigh

  Official action · high confidence

  • Was the Senate sponsor of HB 14 (2025), relating to support for the development of the nuclear energy industry. (2025) source
  • Voted yes on HB 14 (2025) on final Senate passage. (2025-05-27) source
  • His campaign says he sponsored legislation to encourage development and construction of nuclear energy. (2026) source
• AbortionIllegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • His campaign calls him a pro-life champion and says he joint-authored the heartbeat bill, which outlaws abortion when a heartbeat is detected, and passed bans on dismemberment abortions and the sale of fetal tissue. (2026) source
  • Voted yes on the final version of SB 8 (2021), the Texas Heartbeat Act. (2021-05-13) source
  • Voted yes on HB 1280 (2021), the law banning abortion if Roe v. Wade was overturned, which allows an exception for a medical emergency. (2021-05-25) source
  • Was a Senate cosponsor of HB 7 (2025), which restricts the manufacture and provision of abortion-inducing drugs. (2025) source
• ImmigrationSecure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steadymedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Was the lead Senate author of SB 8 (2025), which requires certain sheriffs to seek agreements with ICE to enforce federal immigration law. (2025) source
  • Voted yes on the final version of SB 8 (2025). (2025-05-31) source
  • Voted yes on SB 4 (2023), which made illegal entry into Texas a state crime. (2023-11-09) source
  • His campaign says his 287(g) bill helps identify, detain and deport criminal illegal aliens, and that he helped secure over 6 billion dollars for border defense. (2026) source
• Texas power gridPay for more backup natural gas plantsmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Was the lead Senate author of SB 6 (2023), which would have created the Texas Energy Insurance Program to fund loans for building new power plants that can run on demand; it passed the Senate but did not become law. (2023) source
  • Voted yes on SB 6 (2023) in the Senate. (2023-04-05) source
  • His campaign says that as Business and Commerce chairman he led grid reform after Winter Storm Uri, including legislation to encourage construction of new reliable power generation. (2026) source
• AI data centersWelcome them, but make them pay their full share of grid and water costsmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Was a joint Senate author of SB 6 (2025), which sets grid interconnection rules, fees and curtailment authority for very large electricity users such as data centers. (2025) source
• Housing and growthAllow townhomes and apartments in more places to bring prices downmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 840 (2025), which limits city rules that block mixed-use and multifamily housing in commercial areas. (2025-03-24) source
• Policing and crimeTougher sentences, more police funding, and stricter bailmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Was listed as a Senate coauthor of SB 9 (2025), which tightened bail rules for high-risk defendants and regulated charitable bail groups. (2025) source
• Election rulesStrict photo ID, paper ballots, cleaner voter rolls and fewer mail ballotsmedium

  Said · medium confidence

  • His campaign says he helped pass the strongest election integrity legislation in the nation, preventing ballot harvesting. (2026) source
  • Voted yes on SB 16 (2025), which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote. (2025-04-01) source
  • Voted yes on SB 1 (2021), the election law overhaul that added mail ballot ID rules and limited some voting options. (2021-08-11) source
• Curriculum and booksParents, including the right to remove material they object tomedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • His campaign says he co-authored legislation to keep sexually explicit books out of school libraries and let parents review and restrict their child access to certain materials. (2026) source
  • Voted yes on SB 13 (2025), which creates local school library advisory councils and expands parental rights over library materials. (2025-03-19) source
  • Voted yes on HB 900 (2023), which regulates library materials sold to or kept in public school libraries. (2023-05-23) source
• E-Verify mandateRequire it only for government and state contractorsmedium

  Said · medium confidence

  • His campaign says he passed legislation requiring all state agencies to participate in E-Verify. (2026) source
• AI regulationLet each state write its own targeted AI rulesmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Was the Senate sponsor of HB 149 (2025), a Texas law regulating the use of artificial intelligence systems in the state. (2025) source
• RedistrictingState legislatures draw maps and may redraw any time, including for partisan advantagemedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on HB 4 (2025), which changed the composition of Texas U.S. House districts in 2025. (2025-08-22) source
  • Was a Senate cosponsor of HB 4 (2025). (2025) source
• Energy and climateNo single answer fitsmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 819 (2025), which added permit rules and fees for renewable energy generation facilities such as wind and solar. (2025-04-15) source
  • Voted yes on SB 388 (2025), which set goals for new electric generation capacity to come from dispatchable sources such as natural gas. (2025-03-19) source
  • His campaign says he led efforts to encourage new, reliable power generation and sponsored legislation to encourage nuclear development. (2026) source
• MarijuanaNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on the final version of SB 3 (2025), which would have banned most consumable hemp products containing THC; the governor later vetoed it. (2025-05-25) source
  • Was listed as a Senate coauthor of SB 3 (2025). (2025) source

No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, Kids online, School vaccines.