Texas general election: November 3, 2026
Who is running for Texas House, District 138 in 2026?
Here are the candidates for Texas House, District 138 on the November 3, 2026 ballot. This race is on the ballot for voters in Texas House District 138.
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 | Tyler SmithDemocrat | Lacey HullRepublican |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage | Raise it to around $15Questionnaire answer · medium | No public position |
| Abortion | No public position | Illegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestVoted · medium |
| Guns | No single answer fits; see evidence | Remove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightVoted · medium |
| Immigration | No public position | Secure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steadyVoted · medium |
| Texas power grid | No public position | Pay for more backup natural gas plantsVoted · medium |
| AI data centers | No public position | Welcome them, but make them pay their full share of grid and water costsVoted · medium |
| School choice | No, keep public money in traditional public schoolsQuestionnaire answer · medium | Yes, universal school choice for every familyVoted · medium |
| Curriculum and books | No public position | Parents, including the right to remove material they object toVoted · medium |
| Property taxes | No public position | Keep cutting them and cap how fast they can riseSaid · high |
| Housing and growth | No public position | Allow townhomes and apartments in more places to bring prices downVoted · medium |
| Policing and crime | No single answer fits; see evidence | Tougher sentences, more police funding, and stricter bailSaid · medium |
| Election rules | No public position | Strict photo ID, paper ballots, cleaner voter rolls and fewer mail ballotsVoted · medium |
| Marijuana | No public position | Decriminalize small amounts (fines, not jail)Voted · medium |
| Gender care for minors | No public position | No, ban these treatments for minorsVoted · medium |
| Redistricting | No public position | State legislatures draw maps and may redraw any time, including for partisan advantageVoted · medium |
| Mandatory minimums | No public position | Add or lengthen them for serious crimes like fentanyl traffickingVoted · medium |
| AI regulation | No public position | Let each state write its own targeted AI rulesSaid · low |
| Kids online | No public position | Ban social media accounts for minorsVoted · medium |
| School vaccines | No public position | Keep requirements with simple personal-belief exemptionsVoted · low |
| Transgender athletes | No public position | No, teams should be based on biological sex, with open or coed optionsVoted · medium |
| DEI programs | No public position | Ban DEI offices and required training at public institutionsVoted · medium |
| Religion in schools | No public position | Support laws requiring the Ten Commandments in classrooms and optional prayer periodsVoted · medium |
| China policy | No public position | Get tougher: broad tariffs, state bans on land purchases, and forced app salesVoted · medium |
Tyler Smith
DemocratPrivate citizen (nonprofit leader and community organizer)
Tyler Smith is a Democrat, nonprofit leader and community organizer from Harris County who works on reducing gun violence43. Born in Houston, he earned a political science degree from Texas Southern University and has coached youth baseball3. He faces Republican incumbent Lacey Hull on Nov. 3, 202621.
Where they stand 4 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
Minimum wageRaise it to around $15medium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- Answered yes when asked in an April 2026 candidate Q&A whether he supports raising the state minimum wage to at least $15 an hour, saying Texans should be paid a livable wage. (2026-04) source
- In his Ballotpedia candidate survey, listed fair wages so no one has to work multiple jobs among his three key campaign messages. (2025) source
School choiceNo, keep public money in traditional public schoolsmedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidencePolicing and crimeNo single answer fitsmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign says he will keep repeat violent offenders off the streets through comprehensive bipartisan bail reform. (2026) source
- Answered yes when asked in an April 2026 candidate Q&A whether he supports closing or downsizing state prisons and redirecting funds to mental health care, housing and youth programs. (2026-04) source
GunsNo single answer fitsmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign says he brought Democrats and Republicans together to pass laws that protect children from gun violence and secured $2 million to fight violence in communities. (2026) source
No public position found on: Safety net programs, Business regulation, Healthcare, Abortion, Immigration, Energy and climate, Texas power grid, AI data centers, 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.
Lacey Hull
Republican · IncumbentState Representative, Texas House District 138
Lacey Hull is a Republican who has represented Texas House District 138 in Harris County since January 202114. She chairs the House Committee on Human Services and co-founded the parents' advocacy group We the Parents before her election41. She faces Democrat Tyler Smith on Nov. 3, 202632.
Where they stand 22 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
Property taxesKeep cutting them and cap how fast they can risehigh
Said · high confidence- Her campaign says she will fight to lower property taxes by reining in the home appraisal process. (2026) source
- In her 2020 Ballotpedia candidate survey, said she would fight for a cap on property taxes and an automatic election before any property tax increase. (2020) source
- Voted yes 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
AbortionIllegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes 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 yes 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 yes 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
- In her 2020 Ballotpedia candidate survey, listed "protect life" among the issues she is passionate about. (2020) source
GunsRemove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes 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
School choiceYes, universal school choice for every familymedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes 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
- Voted no 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
Curriculum and booksParents, including the right to remove material they object tomedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes 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 yes 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
DEI programsBan DEI offices and required training at public institutionsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes 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 yes 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 schoolsSupport laws requiring the Ten Commandments in classrooms and optional prayer periodsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes 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 yes 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
Transgender athletesNo, teams should be based on biological sex, with open or coed optionsmedium
Voted · medium confidenceGender care for minorsNo, ban these treatments for minorsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on SB 14, which banned gender transition procedures and treatments for minors; the House passed it 87 to 56. (2023-05-15) source
China policyGet tougher: broad tariffs, state bans on land purchases, and forced app salesmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes 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
ImmigrationSecure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steadymedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes 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 yes 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
- In her 2020 Ballotpedia candidate survey, said she would fight to fund border security with more border patrol agents and better technology. (2020) source
RedistrictingState legislatures draw maps and may redraw any time, including for partisan advantagemedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on HB 4, the 2025 mid-decade redrawing of Texas congressional districts; it passed the House 88 to 52. (2025-08-20) source
Election rulesStrict photo ID, paper ballots, cleaner voter rolls and fewer mail ballotsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes 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 crimeTougher sentences, more police funding, and stricter bailmedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign says she voted to stop no-cash bail for violent criminals and to end parole for rapists and murderers. (2026) source
- Voted yes on SB 9, which tightened bail procedures and regulated charitable bail groups; it passed the House 118 to 25. (2025-05-20) source
- Voted yes on HB 1900, which penalizes large cities that cut police budgets; it passed the House 90 to 49. (2021-05-07) 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 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
Kids onlineBan social media accounts for minorsmedium
Texas power gridPay for more backup natural gas plantsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes 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
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 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
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
AI regulationLet each state write its own targeted AI ruleslow
Said · low confidence- Her campaign says she passed state AI regulations, including bans on behavioral manipulation, social scoring and deepfakes. (2026) source
School vaccinesKeep requirements with simple personal-belief exemptionslow
Voted · low confidence- Voted yes 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, 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, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate.
Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Spotted something wrong? Every claim links to its source so you can check it yourself.