Who is running for Texas House, District 137 in 2026?
Here are the candidates for Texas House, District 137 on the November 3, 2026 ballot. This race is on the ballot for voters in Texas House District 137.
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 | Gene WuDemocrat | Helen ZhouRepublican |
|---|---|---|
| AI data centers | Welcome them, but make them pay their full share of grid and water costsVoted · medium | No public position |
| School choice | No, keep public money in traditional public schoolsSaid · medium | No public position |
| Housing and growth | Allow townhomes and apartments in more places to bring prices downVoted · medium | No public position |
| Policing and crime | No single answer fits; see evidence | More police, with a focus on repeat offendersSaid · medium |
| Marijuana | Decriminalize small amounts (fines, not jail)Voted · medium | No public position |
Gene Wu
Democrat · IncumbentState Representative, Texas House District 137; chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus
Gene Wu is a Democrat who has represented Texas House District 137 in southwest Houston since 2013 and chairs the House Democratic Caucus156. He is an attorney and former felony prosecutor in the Harris County District Attorney's Office1. He faces Republican Helen Zhou on Nov. 3, 202632.
Where they stand 20 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
School choiceNo, keep public money in traditional public schoolsmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign says Texas should fully fund neighborhood public schools and stop "voucher schemes" from draining classrooms. (2026) source
- 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
- Filed a statement in the House Journal that his vote on SB 2, the 2025 education savings account bill, failed to register and that he would have voted no; it passed 86 to 61. (2025-04-17) source
MarijuanaDecriminalize small amounts (fines, not jail)medium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on HB 441, which reduced the penalty for possessing small amounts of marijuana; it passed the House 88 to 40. (2021-04-30) source
- Voted yes on HB 218, which reduced penalties and licensing consequences for possessing small amounts of marijuana; it passed the House 87 to 59. (2023-04-27) source
- Voted yes on HB 46, which expanded the state's medical low-THC cannabis program; it passed the House 122 to 21. (2025-05-13) source
- Voted no 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
AI data centersWelcome them, but make them pay their full share of grid and water costsmedium
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
Housing and growthAllow townhomes and apartments in more places to bring prices downmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on SB 15, 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, which bars certain large cities from requiring large minimum lot sizes for new homes; the House adopted it 78 to 57. (2025-06-01) source
- His campaign says he backs fair and affordable housing for the renters who make up most of his district. (2026) source
RedistrictingNo single answer fitsmedium
Official action · medium confidence- As House Democratic leader, led the August 2025 quorum break by House Democrats who left Texas to delay a vote on redrawing the state's congressional districts. (2025-08) source
- 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
- His campaign says voters should choose their leaders, not the other way around, and describes the 2025 maps as rigged. (2026) source
China policyNo single answer fitsmedium
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
- Voted no on HB 7, which set prohibitions on making and providing abortion-inducing drugs and allows private lawsuits; it passed the House 82 to 48. (2025-08-28) 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
Transgender athletesNo single answer fitsmedium
Voted · medium confidenceDEI 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
- Voted no on SB 12, which set parental rights rules and prohibited diversity, equity and inclusion duties in K-12 public schools; it passed the House 88 to 47. (2025-05-25) source
Religion in schoolsNo single answer fitsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted no on SB 10, which requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms; it passed the House 82 to 46. (2025-05-25) source
- Voted no on SB 11, which allows schools to set a period for prayer and reading of the Bible or other religious texts; it passed the House 88 to 48. (2025-05-23) source
Curriculum and booksNo single answer fitsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- 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 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
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
- Voted no on SB 8, which requires certain sheriffs to enter agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to enforce federal immigration law; it passed the House 86 to 47. (2025-05-25) 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
Election rulesNo single answer fitsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted no on the final version of SB 1 (2021), the election law overhaul that added ID requirements for mail ballots and banned drive-through and 24-hour voting; the House adopted it 80 to 41. (2021-08-31) source
Policing and crimeNo single answer fitsmedium
Kids onlineNo single answer fitsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted no 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
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
Mandatory minimumsNo single answer fitsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted no 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
School vaccinesNo single answer fitsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted no on HB 1586, which made the school vaccine exemption affidavit form easier to obtain; it passed the House 83 to 54. (2025-05-14) source
No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Energy and climate, Property taxes, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate.
Helen Zhou
RepublicanPrivate citizen (certified public accountant and real estate broker)
Helen Zhou is a Republican, a licensed Texas certified public accountant and real estate broker, and a Sharpstown homeowner since 20043. Born in Shanghai, she came to the U.S. as a high school student, earned accounting and economics degrees from Purdue University, and has served on the Sharpstown Civic Association board since 20223. She faces Democratic incumbent Gene Wu on Nov. 3, 202621.
Where they stand 1 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
Policing and crimeMore police, with a focus on repeat offendersmedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign says she will support laws that bring real consequences for repeat offenders and gang activity, along with community policing and youth diversion programs. (2026) source
- Her campaign says she will support policies, like bail reform, that keep the most convicted felons off the streets. (2026) source
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, 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.
Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Spotted something wrong? Every claim links to its source so you can check it yourself.