Who is running for County Judge (Hays County, Texas) in 2026?

Hays County Commissioner, Precinct 2

Michelle Gutierrez Cohen is the Democratic nominee for Hays County Judge and the sitting Precinct 2 county commissioner¹². She says she has been the Precinct 2 commissioner since 2022⁴. She defeated incumbent County Judge Ruben Becerra² in the May 26, 2026 Democratic primary runoff, 6,120 votes (58.30 percent) to 4,378 (41.70 percent), in the official county results³, so the current county judge is not on the November ballot¹. She says she has more than 30 years of public and private sector experience, including 12 years in state government⁴.

Where they stand 1 issues · tap any issue for the evidence

• AI data centersPause new approvals until the state finishes studying power and water impactsmedium

  Said · medium confidence

  • In July 2026 she said the rapid rise in data centers is too much, too fast and too unregulated for Hays County to handle right now, and that the county needs better information before major water decisions. (2026-07-15) source
  • On June 23, 2026 she said she was in complete support of the county resolution pausing discretionary approvals for data centers and other high-water-use projects for 180 days. (2026-06-23) source
  • In a Hays County Young Democrats questionnaire she said she does not support the development of AI data centers in Hays County and that the county should not subsidize them. (2026) source

No public position found on: Immigration, Property taxes, Policing and crime, Election rules, Judges, Redistricting, Death penalty.

Former Hays County Judge

Liz Sumter Gajdos is an independent candidate for Hays County Judge¹. She served as Hays County Judge from 2006 to 2010 and describes herself as the first woman to hold the office⁶³. She is a former county judge and not the current officeholder⁴.

Where they stand 1 issues · tap any issue for the evidence

• AI data centersPause new approvals until the state finishes studying power and water impactslow

  Said · low confidence

  • On June 23, 2026 she made a public comment in support of the Commissioners Court resolution establishing a temporary 180-day review period for high-water-use development applications. (2026-06-23) source
  • In June 2026 she said that if data centers are going in Texas at all, they should go in water-rich areas. (2026-06-24) source
  • Her campaign plan says to refuse tax abatements for developers and corporations that strain local resources. (2026) source

No public position found on: Immigration, Property taxes, Policing and crime, Election rules, Judges, Redistricting, Death penalty.

Dripping Springs City Council Member

Geoffrey Tahuahua is the Republican nominee for Hays County Judge and has been a member of the Dripping Springs City Council since May 2021¹². He says he has spent more than a decade as a nonprofit and association executive and previously served on the North Hays County EMS board². He was the only candidate in the March 3, 2026 Republican primary, with 15,480 votes in the official county results³.

No public position found on: Immigration, AI data centers, Property taxes, Policing and crime, Election rules, Judges, Redistricting, Death penalty.