Texas general election: November 3, 2026
Who is running for Texas House, District 146 in 2026?
Here are the candidates for Texas House, District 146 on the November 3, 2026 ballot. This race is on the ballot for voters in Texas House District 146.
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 | Lauren Ashley SimmonsDemocrat | Alexandria Nicole ButlerRepublican |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage | Raise it higher and tie it to the cost of livingSaid · medium | No public position |
| Business regulation | No public position | Cut regulations broadly and let the market sort it outSaid · low |
| Healthcare | Keep the Affordable Care Act and fix what is brokenSaid · low | No public position |
| Abortion | Legal in most cases up to viability (about 24 weeks)Said · medium | Illegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestSaid · low |
| Guns | All of that, plus ban assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazinesSaid · medium | No single answer fits; see evidence |
| Immigration | A path to citizenship for most, and more legal immigrationSaid · medium | Tighter border security plus a path to legal status for long-time residentsSaid · medium |
| Energy and climate | A gradual shift to cleaner energy, driven by incentivesSaid · medium | No public position |
| AI data centers | Welcome them, but make them pay their full share of grid and water costsSaid · low | No public position |
| School choice | No, keep public money in traditional public schoolsSaid · medium | Yes, universal school choice for every familyQuestionnaire answer · low |
| Curriculum and books | Keep access broad; removals should be rareSaid · medium | Parents, including the right to remove material they object toSaid · low |
| Election rules | Easier access: automatic registration and mail voting for anyoneSaid · medium | No public position |
| Marijuana | Legalize and regulate it like alcoholSaid · high | No public position |
| Gender care for minors | Leave it to parents and doctorsSaid · medium | No single answer fits; see evidence |
| Redistricting | Independent commissions draw maps, with a national ban on partisan gerrymanderingSaid · medium | No public position |
| Term limits | No public position | Yes, strict limits, such as three House terms and two Senate termsQuestionnaire answer · medium |
| Qualified immunity | No, end it for police so officers or departments can be sued for rights violationsSaid · medium | No public position |
| Mandatory minimums | Cut them back, especially for drug crimes, and give judges more discretionSaid · medium | No public position |
| Paid leave | Create a national paid family and medical leave program plus paid sick daysSaid · medium | No public position |
| Transgender athletes | No public position | No, teams should be based on biological sex, with open or coed optionsSaid · medium |
| DEI programs | Keep them and let each school or agency decideSaid · medium | No public position |
Lauren Ashley Simmons
Democrat · IncumbentState Representative, Texas House District 146
Lauren Ashley Simmons has represented Texas House District 146 in Houston since January 2025 and is seeking a second term14. She is a union organizer and a member of the Communications Workers of America who has advocated for Texas state employees and Houston teachers4. She faces Republican Alexandria Nicole Butler on Nov. 3, 202623.
Where they stand 23 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
MarijuanaLegalize and regulate it like alcoholhigh
Said · high confidenceSchool choiceNo, keep public money in traditional public schoolsmedium
Said · medium confidenceCurriculum and booksKeep access broad; removals should be raremedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign calls for repealing laws and policies it describes as government-sanctioned censorship, including the recently passed book ban. (2026-09) source
- 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
DEI programsKeep them and let each school or agency decidemedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign calls for repealing the law that dismantled diversity, equity and inclusion offices at Texas colleges and universities. (2026-09) 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
AbortionLegal in most cases up to viability (about 24 weeks)medium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign calls for repealing the Texas abortion ban and removing all medically unnecessary restrictions on abortion access, saying health care decisions should be made by patients and doctors without government interference. (2026-09) source
- Voted no on HB 7, which set prohibitions on making and providing abortion-inducing drugs; it passed the House 82 to 48. (2025-08-28) source
Gender care for minorsLeave it to parents and doctorsmedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign calls for repealing the Texas ban on gender-affirming care for minors and protecting the rights of parents to make health care decisions for their children with their doctors. (2026-09) source
Minimum wageRaise it higher and tie it to the cost of livingmedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign calls for raising the Texas minimum wage to $15 an hour and indexing it to inflation. (2026-09) source
Paid leaveCreate a national paid family and medical leave program plus paid sick daysmedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign calls for passing paid sick leave and paid family and medical leave for Texas workers. (2026-09) source
GunsAll of that, plus ban assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazinesmedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign calls for an assault weapons ban, universal background checks, red flag laws, a higher minimum age to buy a gun and safe storage requirements. (2026-09) source
Election rulesEasier access: automatic registration and mail voting for anyonemedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign calls for repealing the 2021 election law SB 1 and passing same-day voter registration and universal mail-ballot voting. (2026-09) source
RedistrictingIndependent commissions draw maps, with a national ban on partisan gerrymanderingmedium
Mandatory minimumsCut them back, especially for drug crimes, and give judges more discretionmedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign calls for relaxing mandatory minimum sentences, expanding diversion programs and emphasizing treatment over incarceration. (2026-09) source
Qualified immunityNo, end it for police so officers or departments can be sued for rights violationsmedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign calls for ending qualified immunity and appointing independent investigators for police shootings that cause death or serious injury. (2026-09) source
Energy and climateA gradual shift to cleaner energy, driven by incentivesmedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign calls for supports and incentives to accelerate the transition to renewable energy. (2026-09) source
ImmigrationA path to citizenship for most, and more legal immigrationmedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign supports comprehensive federal immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship and opposes the border wall, razor wire and Texas National Guard deployment at the border. (2026-09) source
HealthcareKeep the Affordable Care Act and fix what is brokenlow
Said · low confidence- Her campaign calls for universal access to quality, affordable health care and for Texas to accept Medicaid expansion. (2026-09) source
AI data centersWelcome them, but make them pay their full share of grid and water costslow
Said · low confidence- Was away from her desk when SB 6 passed 103 to 25 and filed a House Journal statement that she would have voted yes on the bill, which made very large power users such as data centers share more of their grid connection costs. (2025-05-27) source
Policing and crimeNo single answer fitsmedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign calls for greater police accountability, more diversion programs, more mental health services and treatment over incarceration. (2026-09) source
AI regulationNo single answer fitsmedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign calls for protecting workers from job losses caused by AI and automation by requiring employers to provide free retraining. (2026-09) 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
China policyNo single answer fitsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted no 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
School vaccinesNo single answer fitsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted no on HB 1586, which requires the state to post the school vaccine exemption affidavit form online; it passed the House 83 to 54. (2025-05-14) source
Property taxesNo single answer fitsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted no on SB 10 in the 2025 second special session, which changed how the voter-approval tax rate is calculated for certain local governments; it passed the House 78 to 52 but did not become law. (2025-08-25) source
No public position found on: Safety net programs, Business regulation, Texas power grid, Housing and growth, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Student loans, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, Kids online.
Alexandria Nicole Butler
RepublicanPrivate citizen
Alexandria Nicole Butler is the Republican nominee for Texas House District 146, having won the March 3, 2026 Republican primary unopposed23. She is a minister who was born in Kansas City, Kansas1, and her campaign website describes her as a former small business owner and homeschooling mother5. She earlier ran for Congress in Texas's 9th District in 2025 but did not appear on the March 2026 primary ballot for that seat1.
Where they stand 9 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
ImmigrationTighter border security plus a path to legal status for long-time residentsmedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign website says she supports a pathway to citizenship for people already living here, especially second-generation immigrants, together with securing the southern border and completing the wall. (2025) source
Transgender athletesNo, teams should be based on biological sex, with open or coed optionsmedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign website says women's sports must remain protected because biological males have a physical advantage. (2025) source
Term limitsYes, strict limits, such as three House terms and two Senate termsmedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- In a 2025 Ballotpedia survey, said she signed the U.S. Term Limits pledge to support limits of three House terms and two Senate terms. (2025) source
Curriculum and booksParents, including the right to remove material they object tolow
Said · low confidenceSchool choiceYes, universal school choice for every familylow
Questionnaire answer · low confidence- In a 2025 Ballotpedia survey, said she supports school choice and homeschool liberty. (2025) source
AbortionIllegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestlow
Said · low confidence- Her campaign website lists her as pro-life, describes her own abortion as emotionally and spiritually traumatic, and calls for more support for women before and after birth and for adoption. (2025) source
Business regulationCut regulations broadly and let the market sort it outlow
Said · low confidence- Her campaign website says she champions deregulation and criticizes what it calls government overreach against small businesses. (2025) source
Gender care for minorsNo single answer fitsmedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign website says a firm line must be drawn on the medical transitioning of minors, especially without parental consent. (2025) source
GunsNo single answer fitsmedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign website says she defends the constitutional right to bear arms, emphasizes personal responsibility, and says the state must stop criminalizing self-defense. (2025) source
No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Healthcare, Energy and climate, Texas power grid, AI data centers, Property taxes, Housing and growth, Policing and crime, Election rules, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Redistricting, 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, 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.