Texas general election: November 3, 2026
Who is running for Texas Senate, District 18 in 2026?
Here are the candidates for Texas Senate, District 18 on the November 3, 2026 ballot. This race is on the ballot for voters in Texas Senate District 18.
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 | Lois W. KolkhorstRepublican | Erica GillumDemocrat |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage | No public position | Raise it to around $15Questionnaire answer · medium |
| Abortion | Illegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestVoted · medium | Legal in most cases up to viability (about 24 weeks)Questionnaire answer · low |
| Guns | Remove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightVoted · medium | No public position |
| Immigration | Secure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steadyVoted · medium | No public position |
| Texas power grid | Pay for more backup natural gas plantsVoted · medium | No public position |
| School choice | Yes, universal school choice for every familyVoted · medium | No, keep public money in traditional public schoolsQuestionnaire answer · medium |
| Curriculum and books | Parents, including the right to remove material they object toVoted · medium | No public position |
| Property taxes | Keep cutting them and cap how fast they can riseSaid · high | 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 public position | Shift some police funding to mental health and social servicesQuestionnaire answer · low |
| Election rules | Strict photo ID, paper ballots, cleaner voter rolls and fewer mail ballotsVoted · medium | No public position |
| Gender care for minors | No, ban these treatments for minorsVoted · medium | No public position |
| Redistricting | State legislatures draw maps and may redraw any time, including for partisan advantageVoted · medium | No public position |
| School vaccines | Keep requirements with simple personal-belief exemptionsOfficial action · medium | No public position |
| Nuclear power | Back new reactors with public funds, tax credits, and streamlined approvalsVoted · medium | No public position |
| Transgender athletes | No, teams should be based on biological sex, with open or coed optionsSaid · high | No public position |
| DEI programs | Ban DEI offices and required training at public institutionsVoted · medium | No public position |
| Religion in schools | Support laws requiring the Ten Commandments in classrooms and optional prayer periodsVoted · medium | No public position |
| China policy | Get tougher: broad tariffs, state bans on land purchases, and forced app salesOfficial action · high | No public position |
Lois W. Kolkhorst
Republican · IncumbentTexas State Senator, District 18
Lois W. Kolkhorst is a Republican from Brenham who has served in the Texas Senate since winning a December 2014 special election, after seven terms in the Texas House24. She chairs the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and was named chair of the Sunset Advisory Commission in March 20262. Her campaign highlights her work on health policy, property rights, water and public safety3, including her 2025 bills on foreign land purchases and food labeling2.
Where they stand 19 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
Property taxesKeep cutting them and cap how fast they can risehigh
Said · high confidence- Said she was proud to help deliver what she called the largest property tax cut in state history, which raised the school homestead exemption to 100,000 dollars and lowered school tax rates. (2023-08-09) source
- Voted yes on SB 10, which lowered the voter-approval tax rate limit for certain local taxing units; it passed the Senate 18 to 12. (2025-08-19) source
- Voted yes on the final version of SB 2 (2019), which limited how fast local property tax revenue can grow without voter approval; the Senate adopted it 21 to 9. (2019-05-25) source
Transgender athletesNo, teams should be based on biological sex, with open or coed optionshigh
Said · high confidence- Praised a June 2026 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that states may limit women's sports to biological females, calling it a victory for women and girls. (2026-06-30) source
- Voted yes on the final version of SB 15, which requires college athletes to compete based on biological sex; the Senate concurred 19 to 12. (2023-05-26) source
- Voted yes on HB 25, which requires K-12 athletes to compete based on sex assigned at birth; it passed the Senate 19 to 12. (2021-10-15) source
China policyGet tougher: broad tariffs, state bans on land purchases, and forced app saleshigh
Official action · high confidence- Authored SB 17, which bars governments, companies and people from countries named in federal threat assessments, including China, from buying Texas land; it passed the Senate 24 to 7 and was signed into law. (2025-06-20) source
- Said it is a matter of national security that hostile nations not control Texas land, food, water and natural resources. (2025-03-20) source
- Voted yes on her SB 17 on final Senate passage. (2025-03-19) source
- Authored and voted yes on SB 147, an earlier land purchase restriction bill that passed the Senate 19 to 12 but not the House. (2023-04-26) source
School choiceYes, universal school choice for every familymedium
AbortionIllegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on the final version of SB 8, the Texas Heartbeat Act; the Senate concurred 18 to 12. (2021-05-13) source
- Voted yes on HB 1280, the law banning abortion if Roe v. Wade was overturned, which allows an exception for a medical emergency; it passed the Senate 19 to 12. (2021-05-25) source
- Voted yes on SB 33, which bars local governments from funding travel or logistical support for abortions; it passed the Senate 22 to 9. (2025-04-16) source
- Voted yes on HB 7, which restricts the manufacture and provision of abortion-inducing drugs; it passed the Senate 17 to 8. (2025-09-03) source
GunsRemove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on HB 1927, which allows adults to carry a handgun without a license; it passed the Senate 18 to 13. (2021-05-05) source
ImmigrationSecure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steadymedium
Voted · medium confidence- Her campaign says it will keep fighting to secure the border. (2026-07) source
- Voted yes on SB 4, which made illegal entry into Texas a state crime; it passed the Senate 17 to 11. (2023-11-09) source
- Voted yes on SB 8, which requires certain sheriffs to seek agreements with ICE to enforce federal immigration law; the Senate adopted the final version 20 to 11. (2025-05-31) source
Texas power gridPay for more backup natural gas plantsmedium
Voted · medium confidenceHousing and growthAllow townhomes and apartments in more places to bring prices downmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on SB 840, which limits city rules that block mixed-use and multifamily housing in commercial areas; it passed the Senate 23 to 7. (2025-03-24) source
Election rulesStrict photo ID, paper ballots, cleaner voter rolls and fewer mail ballotsmedium
Voted · medium confidenceRedistrictingState legislatures draw maps and may redraw any time, including for partisan advantagemedium
Gender care for minorsNo, ban these treatments for minorsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on the final version of SB 14, which bans gender transition procedures and treatments for minors; the Senate approved it 19 to 12. (2023-05-17) 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; the Senate approved the final version 21 to 10. (2025-05-28) source
- Voted yes on SB 11, which lets school boards set a period for prayer and reading of the Bible or other religious texts; it passed the Senate 23 to 7. (2025-03-18) source
Curriculum and booksParents, including the right to remove material they object tomedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on SB 13, which creates local school library advisory councils and expands parental rights over school library materials; it passed the Senate 23 to 8. (2025-03-19) source
- Voted yes on HB 900, which regulates library materials sold to or kept in public school libraries; it passed the Senate 19 to 12. (2023-05-23) source
DEI programsBan DEI offices and required training at public institutionsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on SB 17 (2023), which bars public colleges from keeping diversity, equity and inclusion offices, with some exceptions; it passed the Senate 19 to 12. (2023-04-19) source
- Voted yes on SB 12, which bars DEI duties in public K-12 schools and expands parental rights; the Senate adopted the final version 20 to 11. (2025-05-31) source
Nuclear powerBack new reactors with public funds, tax credits, and streamlined approvalsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on HB 14, which created the Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office and a fund with grant programs to support new nuclear development; it passed the Senate 26 to 5. (2025-05-27) source
School vaccinesKeep requirements with simple personal-belief exemptionsmedium
Official action · medium confidence- Carried HB 1586 in the Senate, which requires the state to post the school vaccine exemption affidavit form online; it passed the Senate 23 to 8. (2025-05-25) source
- Filed a 2023 bill to freeze the current school vaccine schedule so that only the Legislature could add new required shots, keeping COVID-19 vaccines off the school list. (2023-02-22) source
Energy and climateNo single answer fitsmedium
Official action · medium confidence- Authored SB 819, which added permit rules and fees for renewable energy generation facilities such as wind and solar; it passed the Senate 22 to 9 but did not pass the House. (2025-04-15) source
- Voted yes on SB 819 on final Senate passage. (2025-04-15) source
- Voted yes on SB 388, which set goals for new electric generation capacity to come from dispatchable sources such as natural gas; it passed the Senate 18 to 13. (2025-03-19) source
MarijuanaNo single answer fitsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on the final version of SB 3, which would have banned most consumable hemp products containing THC; the Senate approved it 25 to 6 and the governor later vetoed it. (2025-05-25) source
No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, AI data centers, Policing and crime, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, 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, E-Verify mandate.
Erica Gillum
DemocratPrivate citizen (former Mayor of Hempstead)
Erica Gillum is a Democrat, Realtor and real estate coach from Hempstead who served on the Hempstead City Council from 2020 to 2022 and as mayor from 2022 to 20242. Her campaign says she helped secure more than 9 million dollars for drainage and infrastructure as mayor2.
Where they stand 5 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
Minimum wageRaise it to around $15medium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- Said yes to a statewide minimum wage of at least 15 dollars an hour, with a thoughtful rollout that gives small businesses time to adjust. (2026-08-01) source
School choiceNo, keep public money in traditional public schoolsmedium
Policing and crimeShift some police funding to mental health and social serviceslow
Questionnaire answer · low confidence- Said yes to downsizing prisons where it is safe and redirecting those resources to mental health care, addiction treatment, housing, youth programs and job training. (2026-08-01) source
AbortionLegal in most cases up to viability (about 24 weeks)low
Questionnaire answer · low confidence- Asked about repealing abortion bans, said decisions about pregnancy should be made by individuals, their families and their health care providers, not the government, and that prevention is the best way to reduce abortion. (2026-08-01) source
Energy and climateNo single answer fitsmedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- Said Texas should end oil and gas tax breaks that do not create jobs or investment and close loopholes on emissions reporting and waste disposal. (2026-08-01) source
No public position found on: Safety net programs, Business regulation, Healthcare, Guns, Immigration, 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.
Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Spotted something wrong? Every claim links to its source so you can check it yourself.