Who is running for State Representative District 96 in 2026?
Here are the candidates for State Representative District 96 on the November 3, 2026 ballot. This race is on the ballot for voters in Texas House District 96.
Positions come only from each candidate's own votes, official actions, statements and questionnaire answers, never from party labels. Every item links to its source.
Side by side
Each candidate's position on the issues this office handles, from their own record. Details and sources are in each profile below.
| Issue | Ellen FleischmannRepublican | Ebony M. TurnerDemocrat |
|---|---|---|
| Safety net programs | No public position | Expand help for childcare, housing and paid family leaveQuestionnaire answer · medium |
| Business regulation | Cut red tape, but keep core safety and environmental rulesSaid · medium | No public position |
| Healthcare | No public position | Government-run coverage for everyone (Medicare for All)Said · medium |
| Abortion | Illegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestSaid · low | No public position |
| Guns | Remove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightSaid · low | No public position |
| Immigration | Secure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steadySaid · low | No public position |
| AI data centers | No public position | Allow them case by case, with strict local rules on siting, noise and waterQuestionnaire answer · medium |
| School choice | No public position | No, keep public money in traditional public schoolsQuestionnaire answer · medium |
| Property taxes | Keep cutting them and cap how fast they can riseSaid · medium | Keep cutting them and cap how fast they can riseQuestionnaire answer · medium |
| Election rules | No public position | Photo ID, but with free IDs and more early votingSaid · low |
| DEI programs | Ban DEI offices and required training at public institutionsSaid · medium | No public position |
Ellen Fleischmann
RepublicanAttorney and small business owner
Ellen Fleischmann is a Republican attorney who owns a law practice in Mansfield and a yoga studio in Lubbock; this is her first campaign2. She is the daughter of Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells2. Her stated priorities are public safety, deregulating small business and lowering insurance costs2.
Where they stand 6 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
DEI programsBan DEI offices and required training at public institutionsmedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign website says she will shut down DEI policies. (2026) source
Property taxesKeep cutting them and cap how fast they can risemedium
Business regulationCut red tape, but keep core safety and environmental rulesmedium
AbortionIllegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestlow
Said · low confidence- Her campaign website says she is strongly pro-life and will protect innocent life. (2026) source
GunsRemove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightlow
Said · low confidence- Her campaign website says she is strongly pro-Second Amendment. (2026) source
ImmigrationSecure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steadylow
Said · low confidence- Her campaign website says Texas must secure the border. (2026) source
No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Healthcare, Energy and climate, Texas power grid, AI data centers, School choice, Curriculum and books, 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, Religion in schools, China policy.
Ebony M. Turner
DemocratCriminal defense attorney
Ebony M. Turner is a Democrat and a criminal defense attorney in her 25th year of practice, and a former legislative attorney who says she drafted hundreds of bills for both houses of the Legislature1. She ran for Texas House District 96 in 2024 and lost with roughly 42 percent of the vote2, and was a 2022 candidate for Tarrant County Criminal Court 61. Her top priorities are fully funding public education, expanding access to health care and lowering property taxes1.
Where they stand 7 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
School choiceNo, keep public money in traditional public schoolsmedium
HealthcareGovernment-run coverage for everyone (Medicare for All)medium
Safety net programsExpand help for childcare, housing and paid family leavemedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- Listed expanding Medicaid as a top priority and said she wants to see health care access extended to a million more Texans. (2026-02-16) source
Property taxesKeep cutting them and cap how fast they can risemedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- Listed lowering property taxes by increasing exemptions and reining in appraisals as a top priority. (2026-02-16) source
AI data centersAllow them case by case, with strict local rules on siting, noise and watermedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- Said Texas needs to stabilize its grid and ensure adequate water infrastructure for data centers, and that residents of communities where they are built should have input. (2026-02-16) source
Election rulesPhoto ID, but with free IDs and more early votinglow
Said · low confidence- In a September 4, 2026 campaign press release she spoke out against the closure of 92 polling locations in Tarrant County, saying every eligible voter deserves reasonable access to the ballot box. (2026-09-04) source
Minimum wageNo single answer fitsmedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- Said she wants to fight for an increased minimum wage. (2026-02-16) source
No public position found on: Business regulation, Abortion, Guns, Immigration, Energy and climate, Texas power grid, Curriculum and books, Housing and growth, Policing and crime, 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.
Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Spotted something wrong? Every claim links to its source so you can check it yourself.