Who is running for State Senator, District 2 in 2026?

Private citizen

Keenen Colbert is a Democrat and Marine Corps veteran who served more than eight years, rose to both noncommissioned officer and commissioned officer status, and grew up in Abilene¹. He earned a bachelor's degree in electronic media and mass communications from Texas State University and lists his priorities as fully funding public schools, healthcare you can afford, and lower costs for working Texans¹. BallotReady lists his work as a logistics manager, a director of government accounts and a project coordinator².

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.

Texas State Senator, District 2

Bob Hall is a Republican from Edgewood who was first elected to the Texas Senate in 2014 and has served since 2015¹². He is a retired Air Force captain and business owner and chairs the Senate Committee on Administration in the 89th Legislature¹. He filed for re-election in November 2025 and says his priorities include elections, border policy, parental rights and limiting federal involvement in state matters².

Where they stand 18 issues · tap any issue for the evidence

• Gender care for minorsNo, ban these treatments for minorshigh

  Said · high confidence

  • Said that gender transition surgery for children should be prohibited under age 18. (2022-09-25) source
  • Voted yes on the final version of SB 14 (2023), relating to prohibitions on providing certain children procedures and treatments for gender transitioning; it passed the Senate 19 to 12. (2023-05-17) source
• Transgender athletesNo, teams should be based on biological sex, with open or coed optionshigh

  Said · high confidence

  • Listed protecting women's sports, and keeping men out of women's locker rooms and bathrooms, among the priorities for the Legislature. (2022-09-25) source
  • Voted yes on the final version of SB 15 (2023), relating to requiring public college students in intercollegiate athletics to compete based on biological sex; it passed the Senate 19 to 12. (2023-05-26) source
  • Voted yes on HB 25 (2021, third called session), relating to requiring public school students to compete in interscholastic athletics based on biological sex; it passed the Senate 19 to 12. (2021-10-15) source
• School choiceYes, universal school choice for every familymedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 2 (2025), relating to the establishment of an education savings account program; it passed the Senate 19 to 12. (2025-02-05) source
  • Voted yes on SB 8 (2023), a bill that included the establishment of an education savings account program; the Senate passed it 18 to 13. (2023-04-06) source
• AbortionIllegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestmedium

  Said · medium confidence

  • In a 2022 interview said the biggest fight would be to stop efforts to pull back the state abortion ban and to start making exceptions like rape, incest and the health of the baby. (2022-09-25) source
  • Voted yes on the final version of SB 8 (2021); the Senate concurred 18 to 12. (2021-05-13) source
  • Voted yes on HB 1280 (2021), relating to prohibition of abortion; it passed the Senate 19 to 12. (2021-05-25) source
• GunsRemove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on HB 1927 (2021), relating to the carrying of a firearm by a person 21 or older who is not otherwise prohibited from possessing one; it passed the Senate 18 to 13. (2021-05-05) source
  • Said he was very happy with just about every Second Amendment right the Legislature passed, including a law blocking state enforcement of new federal gun laws. (2022-09-25) source
• ImmigrationSecure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steadymedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 4 (2023), relating to prohibitions on the illegal entry into or illegal presence in the state by a person who is an alien; it passed the Senate 17 to 11. (2023-11-09) source
  • Voted yes on the final version of SB 8 (2025); the Senate adopted the conference report 20 to 11. (2025-05-31) source
  • Named border policy as a continuing priority when filing for re-election. (2025-11-13) source
• Property taxesKeep cutting them and cap how fast they can risemedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Said property tax reductions would be on the list of Senate priorities. (2022-09-25) source
  • Voted yes on SB 10 (2025, second called session), relating to the calculation of the voter-approval tax rate for certain taxing units; it passed the Senate 18 to 12. (2025-08-19) source
  • Voted yes on SB 2 (2019), relating to ad valorem taxation; it passed the Senate 21 to 9. (2019-05-25) source
• Housing and growthAllow townhomes and apartments in more places to bring prices downmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 840 (2025), relating to municipal regulation of mixed-use and multifamily residential development projects and conversion of commercial buildings to those uses; it passed the Senate 23 to 7. (2025-03-24) source
• Election rulesStrict photo ID, paper ballots, cleaner voter rolls and fewer mail ballotsmedium

  Said · medium confidence

  • Called election security the top item on the list of priorities he believes the Legislature should pursue. (2022-09-25) source
  • Voted yes on SB 1 (2021, second called session), relating to election integrity and security; it passed the Senate 18 to 11. (2025-04-01) source
  • Voted yes on SB 1 (2021, second special session), the election law overhaul that added mail ballot ID rules and limited some voting options; it passed the Senate 18 to 11. (2021-08-11) source
• Religion in schoolsSupport laws requiring the Ten Commandments in classrooms and optional prayer periodsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 10 (2025); it passed the Senate 21 to 10. (2025-05-28) source
  • Voted yes on SB 11 (2025), relating to a period of prayer and reading of the Bible or other religious text in public schools; it passed the Senate 23 to 7. (2025-03-18) source
• Curriculum and booksParents, including the right to remove material they object tomedium

  Said · medium confidence

  • Said Texas needs a parents' bill of rights so it is clear that parents are responsible for the education of their children. (2022-09-25) source
  • Voted yes on SB 13 (2025), relating to school library materials, local school library advisory councils and parental rights regarding library catalogs and access; it passed the Senate 23 to 8. (2025-03-19) source
  • Voted yes on HB 900 (2023), which regulates library materials sold to or kept in public school libraries; it passed the Senate 19 to 12. (2023-05-23) source
• DEI programsBan DEI offices and required training at public institutionsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 17 (2023); it passed the Senate 19 to 12. (2023-04-19) source
  • Voted yes on the final version of SB 12 (2025); the Senate adopted the conference report 20 to 11. (2025-05-31) source
• China policyGet tougher: broad tariffs, state bans on land purchases, and forced app salesmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 17 (2025), relating to the purchase or acquisition of real property by certain aliens or foreign entities; it passed the Senate 24 to 7. (2025-03-19) source
  • Voted yes on SB 147 (2023), relating to the purchase of or acquisition of title to real property by certain aliens or foreign entities; it passed the Senate 19 to 12. (2023-04-26) source
• Nuclear powerBack new reactors with public funds, tax credits, and streamlined approvalsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on HB 14 (2025), relating to support for the development of the nuclear energy industry; it passed the Senate 26 to 5. (2025-05-27) source
• RedistrictingState legislatures draw maps and may redraw any time, including for partisan advantagemedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on HB 4 (2025, second called session), relating to the composition of the districts for the election of members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas; it passed the Senate 18 to 11. (2025-08-22) source
• Energy and climateNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 819 (2025), relating to renewable energy generation facilities and authorizing fees; it passed the Senate 22 to 9. (2025-04-15) source
  • Voted yes on SB 388 (2025), relating to the legislature's goals for electric generation capacity; it passed the Senate 18 to 13. (2025-03-19) source
• Texas power gridNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 6 (2023), relating to the establishment of the Texas Energy Insurance Program and other funding mechanisms to support construction and operation of electric generating facilities; it passed the Senate 22 to 9. (2023-04-05) source
• MarijuanaNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on the final version of SB 3 (2025), relating to the regulation of products derived from hemp, including consumable hemp products; the Senate vote was 25 to 6. (2025-05-25) source

No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, AI data centers, Policing and crime, 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, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, E-Verify mandate.