Who is running for State Representative District 116 in 2026?

Works in security

Rhett Rosenquest Smith is a Republican who works in security¹. He has run for office several times before, including for San Antonio mayor and Bexar County judge¹. He faces Democratic incumbent Trey Martinez Fischer on Nov. 3, 2026².

No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Abortion, Guns, Immigration, Energy and climate, Texas power grid, AI data centers, School choice, Curriculum and books, Property taxes, Housing and growth, Policing and crime, Election rules, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Gender care for minors, Redistricting, 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, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, Religion in schools, China policy.

State Representative, Texas House District 116

Trey Martinez Fischer is a San Antonio Democrat who was first elected to the Texas Legislature in 2000 and regained his House seat in 2018¹. He is a lawyer, the dean of the Bexar County delegation, a former chair of the House Democratic Caucus and vice chair of the House Ways and Means Committee²¹. He faces Republican Rhett Rosenquest Smith on Nov. 3, 2026³.

Where they stand 21 issues · tap any issue for the evidence

• Mandatory minimumsAdd or lengthen them for serious crimes like fentanyl traffickingmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on HB 6, which created new offenses and increased criminal penalties for certain fentanyl-related offenses; it passed the House 124 to 21. (2023-04-28) source
• Property taxesKeep cutting them and cap how fast they can risemedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Authored HB 2303 (2023), relating to an increase in the amount of the residence homestead exemption from school district property taxes. (2023-03) source
  • Authored HB 2467 (2023), relating to an increase in the amount of the residence homestead exemption from school district property taxes. (2023-03) source
  • Authored HJR 115 (2023), proposing a constitutional amendment to increase the school district residence homestead exemption. (2023-03) source
  • Voted no on SB 10 in the 2025 second special session, which lowered the voter-approval tax rate limit for certain local governments; it passed the House 78 to 52 but did not become law. (2025-08-25) source
• MarijuanaDecriminalize small amounts (fines, not jail)medium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on HB 218 (2023), which reduced criminal penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana; it passed the House 87 to 59 but not the Senate. (2023-04-27) source
  • Voted yes on HB 46 (2025), which expanded the state's medical low-THC cannabis program; it passed the House 122 to 21. (2025-05-13) source
  • Voted yes on SB 3, which would have banned most consumable hemp-derived THC products; it passed the House 87 to 54 and was later vetoed by the governor. (2025-05-22) source
• Minimum wageRaise it to around $15medium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Authored HB 1827 (2021), relating to the minimum wage; as introduced it required employers to pay at least the greater of $15 an hour or the federal minimum wage, with a lower phase-in schedule in the first years. (2021-03) source
  • Authored HB 1126 (2023), relating to the minimum wage, with the same $15 an hour floor as introduced. (2023-03) source
• Childcare and pre-KOffer free pre-K to every 4-year-old, and expand childcare aidmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Authored HB 4112 (2023), relating to the availability of free prekindergarten programs in public schools; as introduced it required a district to offer prekindergarten when it identifies 15 or more children at least four years old, not only eligible children. (2023-03) source
• Housing and growthAllow townhomes and apartments in more places to bring prices downlow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 15 (2025), which bars certain large cities from requiring large minimum lot sizes for new homes; it passed the House 86 to 43. (2025-05-28) source
  • Voted yes on the final version of SB 15 (2025), which bars certain large cities from requiring large minimum lot sizes for new homes; the House approved it 78 to 57. (2025-06-01) source
• HealthcareKeep the Affordable Care Act and fix what is brokenlow

  Official action · low confidence

  • Authored HB 2903 (2023), relating to the expansion of eligibility for Medicaid under the federal Affordable Care Act; as introduced it required the state to cover everyone who applies and for whom federal matching money is available. (2023-03) source
• School choiceNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on the Raney amendment, which removed the education savings account (voucher) program from HB 1; the House adopted it 84 to 63. (2023-11-17) source
  • Voted no on SB 2, which created a state education savings account program that can pay for private school; the House passed it 86 to 61. (2025-04-17) source
• AbortionNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on SB 8, the Texas Heartbeat Act, which bans most abortions after cardiac activity is detected and is enforced through private lawsuits; it passed the House 83 to 64. (2021-05-06) source
  • Voted no on HB 1280, the law banning abortion if Roe v. Wade was overturned, with an exception only to save the life or a major bodily function of the mother; it passed the House 81 to 61. (2021-05-06) source
  • Authored HB 1254 (2025), relating to expanding the exemptions of abortions and Texas women's access to reproductive healthcare, including in vitro fertilization; as introduced it adds exceptions for IVF pregnancies and for patients 35 or older or with a high-risk condition. (2025-03) source
• GunsNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on the final version of HB 1927, which allows adults to carry handguns without a license; the House adopted it 82 to 62. (2021-05-23) source
• Transgender athletesNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on HB 25, which requires K-12 athletes to compete based on biological sex; it passed the House 76 to 54. (2021-10-14) source
  • Voted no on SB 15, which requires college athletes at public universities to compete based on biological sex; it passed the House 95 to 50. (2023-05-18) source
• Gender care for minorsNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on SB 14, which banned gender transition procedures and treatments for minors; the House passed it 87 to 56. (2023-05-15) source
• DEI programsNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on SB 17, which banned diversity, equity and inclusion offices and related practices at public colleges; it passed the House 83 to 62. (2023-05-22) source
• China policyNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on SB 17, which restricts purchases of Texas real property by certain foreign governments, entities and people, including from China; it passed the House 86 to 59. (2025-05-09) source
• ImmigrationNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on SB 4, which made illegal entry into Texas a state crime and allowed state judges to order people to leave the country; it passed the House 83 to 61. (2023-11-14) source
• AI data centersNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 6, which set rules for how very large electricity users such as data centers connect to the grid and share related costs; it passed the House 103 to 25. (2025-05-27) source
• Texas power gridNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on SB 2627, which created state loans for new or upgraded dispatchable power plants; it passed the House 118 to 23. (2023-05-23) source
• RedistrictingNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on HB 4, the 2025 mid-decade redrawing of Texas congressional districts; it passed the House 88 to 52. (2025-08-20) source
• Policing and crimeNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on HB 1900, which penalizes large cities that cut police budgets; it passed the House 90 to 49. (2021-05-07) source
  • Voted no on SB 9, which tightened bail procedures and regulated charitable bail groups; it passed the House 118 to 25. (2025-05-20) source
• Kids onlineNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on the final version of HB 18 (2023), which requires digital services to verify users' ages, give parents tools and limit harmful content for minors; the House approved it 120 to 21. (2023-05-28) source
  • Voted yes on HB 186, which would have prohibited minors from using social media platforms; it passed the House 116 to 25 but did not become law. (2025-04-30) source
• Curriculum and booksNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on HB 900, which regulated library materials sold to or kept in public school libraries; it passed the House 95 to 52. (2023-04-20) source
  • Voted no on SB 13, which set up local school library advisory councils and parental rights over school library materials; it passed the House 86 to 55. (2025-05-28) source
  • Voted no on the final version of SB 13 (2025), which set up local school library advisory councils and gave parents more say over school library materials; the House approved it 81 to 48. (2025-05-31) source

No public position found on: Safety net programs, Business regulation, Energy and climate, Election rules, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Drug prices, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, School vaccines, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate, Religion in schools.