Who is running for U.S. House, Texas District 21 in 2026?
Here are the candidates for U.S. House, Texas District 21 on the November 3, 2026 ballot. This race is on the ballot for voters in U.S. House District 21.
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 | Mark TeixeiraRepublican | Kristin HookDemocrat |
|---|---|---|
| Income taxes | No public position | Raise taxes on the highest earners and corporations to pay for programsQuestionnaire answer · medium |
| Social Security | No public position | Expand benefits and fund it with higher taxes on the wealthySaid · medium |
| Business regulation | No public position | Stronger rules on big corporations, banks and tech companiesQuestionnaire answer · medium |
| Healthcare | No single answer fits; see evidence | Add a government plan anyone can buy into (a public option)Questionnaire answer · medium |
| Abortion | Illegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestSaid · low | Legal in most cases up to viability (about 24 weeks)Said · low |
| Guns | Remove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightSaid · low | No public position |
| Immigration | Deport everyone here illegally, as quickly as possibleSaid · low | A path to citizenship for most, and more legal immigrationQuestionnaire answer · medium |
| Foreign policy | Pull back from foreign conflicts and aid (often called America First)Said · medium | No public position |
| Redistricting | No public position | Independent commissions draw maps, with a national ban on partisan gerrymanderingSaid · medium |
| Drug prices | No public position | Negotiate more drugs and extend the insulin and yearly cost caps to private insuranceSaid · medium |
| Childcare and pre-K | No public position | Offer free pre-K to every 4-year-old, and expand childcare aidSaid · medium |
| Paid leave | No public position | Create a national paid family and medical leave program plus paid sick daysSaid · medium |
| Transgender athletes | No, and Congress should set a biological sex rule nationwideSaid · medium | No public position |
| DEI programs | Ban DEI offices and required training at public institutionsSaid · medium | No public position |
Mark Teixeira
RepublicanPrivate citizen
Mark Teixeira is a former Major League Baseball player who played for the Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees and won the 2009 World Series with the Yankees23. He earned a business degree from Georgia Tech and has worked with the Texas Public Policy Foundation on school choice34. He is a first-time candidate who won the 2026 Republican primary for the open 21st District seat without a runoff56.
Where they stand 10 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
Transgender athletesNo, and Congress should set a biological sex rule nationwidemedium
Said · medium confidence- Told a Young Republicans meeting that banning biological men from playing in women's sports is an issue he could not believe the Republican-controlled House had not yet tackled, and that he would be pressing it every day if he were in Congress. (2026-02-19) source
Foreign policyPull back from foreign conflicts and aid (often called America First)medium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign website calls for an America First foreign policy that ends forever wars and puts America's interests first at home and abroad. (2025-11) source
DEI programsBan DEI offices and required training at public institutionsmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign website lists ending radical woke indoctrination and killing DEI among his education priorities. (2025-11) source
ImmigrationDeport everyone here illegally, as quickly as possiblelow
Said · low confidenceGunsRemove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightlow
Said · low confidence- His campaign website says he will protect the right to keep and bear arms from any infringement, federal or otherwise. (2025-11) source
AbortionIllegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestlow
HealthcareNo single answer fitsmedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidenceEnergy and climateNo single answer fitsmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign website says he will unleash Texas oil, gas, and nuclear energy to restore U.S. energy dominance. (2025-11) source
National debtNo single answer fitsmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign website says he will expand DOGE to cut wasteful federal spending. (2025-11) source
Term limitsNo single answer fitsmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign website says he will work to end the era of career politicians by enacting term limits. (2025-11) source
No public position found on: Income taxes, Social Security, Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Trade and tariffs, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Redistricting, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Supreme Court reform, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, Birthright citizenship, E-Verify mandate, Religion in schools, Aid to Israel, Aid to Ukraine, China policy.
Kristin Hook
DemocratPrivate citizen
Kristin Hook is a biologist from Corpus Christi who earned degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and a Ph.D. from Cornell University and taught middle school science through Teach for America12. She worked as a biologist at the U.S. Government Accountability Office, at the National Institutes of Health, and as a policy fellow for Sen. Elizabeth Warren13. She was the 2024 Democratic nominee for this seat and won the 2026 Democratic primary23.
Where they stand 12 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
HealthcareAdd a government plan anyone can buy into (a public option)medium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- Said healthcare is a human right and that Congress should protect and expand the ACA, CHIP, Medicare and Medicaid and use negotiation, competition, regulation and public options to lower costs. (2026) source
- Her campaign website says she will defend and strengthen the Affordable Care Act and protect Medicaid funding and access. (2026) source
ImmigrationA path to citizenship for most, and more legal immigrationmedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- Listed providing a path to citizenship or legal status for undocumented immigrants, particularly Dreamers and TPS holders, and making legal immigration more efficient among her top immigration priorities. (2026) source
- Her campaign website says she supports comprehensive immigration reform that curbs illegal crossings and creates new legal pathways to citizenship. (2026) source
RedistrictingIndependent commissions draw maps, with a national ban on partisan gerrymanderingmedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign website says she will fight to get rid of gerrymandering by establishing independent redistricting commissions. (2026) source
Income taxesRaise taxes on the highest earners and corporations to pay for programsmedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidenceSocial SecurityExpand benefits and fund it with higher taxes on the wealthymedium
Childcare and pre-KOffer free pre-K to every 4-year-old, and expand childcare aidmedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign website lists universal pre-K and improving access to affordable child care among the education measures she supports. (2026) source
Paid leaveCreate a national paid family and medical leave program plus paid sick daysmedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign website says she will support legislation that provides access to paid family and sick leave. (2026) source
Drug pricesNegotiate more drugs and extend the insulin and yearly cost caps to private insurancemedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign website says she will fight excessive prescription drug costs and protect and expand Medicare drug price negotiations. (2026) source
Business regulationStronger rules on big corporations, banks and tech companiesmedium
AbortionLegal in most cases up to viability (about 24 weeks)low
Said · low confidence- Her campaign website says her first priority would be legislation restoring the right to an abortion nationwide and that family planning decisions should be made by patients and providers, not politicians. (2026) source
Minimum wageNo single answer fitsmedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- Said she supports raising the federal minimum wage. (2026) source
Energy and climateNo single answer fitsmedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign website says climate change requires bold action and that she will fight for advancing clean energy technologies, investments and incentives. (2026) source
No public position found on: National debt, Safety net programs, Guns, Trade and tariffs, Foreign policy, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Supreme Court reform, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, Birthright citizenship, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, Religion in schools, Aid to Israel, Aid to Ukraine, China policy.
Last reviewed 2026-10-19. Spotted something wrong? Every claim links to its source so you can check it yourself.