Who is running for Texas House, District 142 in 2026?
Here are the candidates for Texas House, District 142 on the November 3, 2026 ballot. This race is on the ballot for voters in Texas House District 142.
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 | Heidi HallRepublican | Harold V. Dutton, Jr.Democrat |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes, universal school choice for every familyQuestionnaire answer · medium | No, keep public money in traditional public schoolsVoted · medium |
| Curriculum and books | No public position | State lawmakers, with clear standards schools must followVoted · 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 |
| Mandatory minimums | No public position | Add or lengthen them for serious crimes like fentanyl traffickingVoted · medium |
| Kids online | No public position | Ban social media accounts for minorsVoted · medium |
Heidi Hall
RepublicanPrivate citizen
Heidi Hall is a Republican and retired veteran making her first run for office24. She has volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children in the court system for five years and serves as secretary of the Summerwood HOA board43. Her priorities include quality education, working with police to reduce crime, and veterans' health care, housing and jobs3.
Where they stand 1 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
School choiceYes, universal school choice for every familymedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- Named school choice that returns to parents the power to pick their child's school, and continued funding for the school voucher program, as her education priorities. (2026-09) source
- Her campaign says she supports school choice so families can choose the school that best meets their child's needs. (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, 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.
Harold V. Dutton, Jr.
Democrat · IncumbentState Representative, Texas House District 142
Harold V. Dutton Jr. is a Democrat who has represented Texas House District 142 in northeast Houston since 19853. He is an attorney with a bachelor's degree from Texas Southern University and a law degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law, and he chaired the House Public Education Committee in 20213. The Houston Chronicle notes he wrote a 2015 law on state takeovers of school districts and has voted differently from most House Democrats on transgender care for minors and on the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton2.
Where they stand 20 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
School choiceNo, keep public money in traditional public schoolsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted no on SB 2 (2025), which created a state education savings account program that can pay for private school; it passed the House 86 to 61. (2025-04-17) source
- Voted yes on the Raney amendment to HB 1 (2023 fourth special session), which removed the education savings account (voucher) program from the bill; it was adopted 84 to 63. (2023-11-17) source
Gender care for minorsNo, ban these treatments for minorsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on SB 14 (2023), which banned gender transition treatments such as puberty blockers and hormones for minors; it passed the House 87 to 56. (2023-05-15) 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 (2025), 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
Texas power gridPay for more backup natural gas plantsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on SB 2627 (2023), which created state loans for new or upgraded dispatchable power plants; it passed the House 118 to 23. (2023-05-23) source
Mandatory minimumsAdd or lengthen them for serious crimes like fentanyl traffickingmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on HB 6 (2023), which allows murder charges for fentanyl poisoning deaths and increased penalties for certain drug offenses; it passed the House 124 to 21. (2023-04-28) source
MarijuanaDecriminalize small amounts (fines, not jail)medium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on HB 441 (2021), which reduced criminal penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana; it passed the House 88 to 40 but not the Senate. (2021-04-30) source
- Voted yes on HB 218 (2023), which reduced criminal penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana; it passed the House 87 to 59 but not the Senate. (2023-04-27) source
- Voted yes on HB 46 (2025), 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 (2025), 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
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on the final version of HB 18 (2023), which requires digital services to verify users' ages, give parents tools and limit harmful content for minors; the House approved it 120 to 21. (2023-05-28) source
- Voted yes on HB 186 (2025), 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
Curriculum and booksState lawmakers, with clear standards schools must followmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on HB 900 (2023), which set state standards for library materials sold to or kept in public school libraries; it passed the House 95 to 52. (2023-04-20) source
- Voted no on the final version of SB 13 (2025), which set up local school library advisory councils and gave parents more say over school library materials; the House approved it 81 to 48. (2025-05-31) source
AbortionNo single answer fitsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted no on SB 8 (2021), which banned most abortions once cardiac activity is detected and let private citizens sue people who help provide them; it passed the House 83 to 64. (2021-05-06) source
- Voted no on HB 1280 (2021), which banned abortion, with an exception for the life or serious health risk of the mother, once Roe v. Wade was overturned; it passed the House 81 to 61. (2021-05-06) source
- Voted no on HB 7 (2025 second special session), which restricted the making and distribution of abortion-inducing drugs; it passed the House 82 to 48. (2025-08-28) source
GunsNo single answer fitsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted no on HB 1927 (2021), which allows adults 21 and older to carry handguns without a license; it passed the House 82 to 62. (2021-05-23) source
Election rulesNo single answer fitsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted no on SB 1 (2021 second special session), the election law that added ID requirements for mail ballots, banned drive-through and 24-hour voting and expanded poll watcher access; it passed the House 80 to 41. (2021-08-31) source
Transgender athletesNo single answer fitsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- As chair of the House Public Education Committee in May 2021, brought back and voted to advance SB 29, which would have required K-12 athletes to compete based on biological sex, days after it had failed in his committee; he said committee Republicans told him they had the votes and that he voted for it after amendments he requested were added. (2021-05) source
- Voted no on HB 25 (2021 third special session), which requires public school athletes to compete based on biological sex; it passed the House 76 to 54. (2021-10-14) source
- Voted yes on SB 15 (2023), which requires college athletes at public universities to compete based on biological sex; it passed the House 95 to 50. (2023-05-18) source
DEI programsNo single answer fitsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted no on SB 17 (2023), 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 (2025), 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 yes on SB 10 (2025), 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 (2025), 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
China policyNo single answer fitsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted no on SB 17 (2025), which restricts purchases of Texas land by governments, companies and people from certain countries, including China; it passed the House 86 to 59. (2025-05-09) source
ImmigrationNo single answer fitsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted no on SB 4 (2023 fourth special session), 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 (2025), which requires certain sheriffs to enter agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to help enforce federal immigration law; it passed the House 86 to 47. (2025-05-25) source
RedistrictingNo single answer fitsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted no on HB 4 (2025 second special session), the mid-decade redrawing of Texas congressional districts; it passed the House 88 to 52. (2025-08-20) source
School vaccinesNo single answer fitsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted no on HB 1586 (2025), which made the school vaccine exemption affidavit form easier to obtain; it passed the House 83 to 54. (2025-05-14) source
Policing and crimeNo single answer fitsmedium
Voted · medium confidenceHousing and growthNo single answer fitsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted no on the final version of SB 15 (2025), which bars certain large cities from requiring large minimum lot sizes for new homes; the House approved it 78 to 57. (2025-06-01) 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.
Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Spotted something wrong? Every claim links to its source so you can check it yourself.