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Chelsey Hockett

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Chelsey Hockett
Democratic Party
Candidate, U.S. House Texas District 5
Elections and appointments
Next election
March 3, 2026
Education
High school
Marcus High School
Bachelor's
Texas Woman's University, 2015
Personal
Birthplace
Frederick, MD
Religion
Christian: Methodist
Profession
Stay-at-home parent
Contact
Campaign website
Campaign Facebook
Campaign Instagram
Campaign YouTube
Campaign TikTok
Personal Facebook
Personal Instagram
Personal LinkedIn

Chelsey Hockett (Democratic Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Texas' 5th Congressional District. She is on the ballot in the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026.[source]

Hockett completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Chelsey Hockett was born in Frederick, Maryland. She earned a bachelor's degree from Texas Woman's University in 2015. Her career experience includes working in restaurants, for airlines, and as a stay-at-home parent. She has been affiliated with the Kaufman County Democratic Party.[1][2]

Elections

2026

See also: Texas' 5th Congressional District election, 2026

General election

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

The primary will occur on March 3, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.

General election for U.S. House Texas District 5

Dea Foy is running in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 5 on November 3, 2026.

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Dea Foy (Independent) Candidate Connection

There are no incumbents in this race.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 5

Chelsey Hockett, Forrest Lumpkin, and Ruth Torres are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 5 on March 3, 2026.

Candidate
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Chelsey Hockett Candidate Connection
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Forrest Lumpkin Candidate Connection
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Ruth Torres Candidate Connection

There are no incumbents in this race.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 5

Incumbent Lance Gooden is running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 5 on March 3, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Lance Gooden
Lance Gooden

Incumbents are bolded and underlined.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Endorsements

Hockett received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.

  • Asian American Democrats of Texas

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Chelsey Hockett completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hockett's responses.

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I am a progressive Texas mom who believes our communities deserve better than cruelty and corruption. I believe healthcare is a human right. I believe workers deserve power. I believe families deserve real economic stability, not lectures about personal responsibility from politicians who have never struggled a day in their lives. I believe in reproductive freedom, immigrant rights, strong unions, fully funded public schools, and a government that actually works for the people who live here. I am running because the future of this state belongs to the people, not the powerful.
  • I am running because working families deserve a government that protects them instead of protecting corporations and political donors. I will fight for fair wages, affordable healthcare, and real cost of living relief so families in our district can build stable, dignified lives.
  • I believe in reproductive freedom, well-funded public schools, safe communities, and a humane border system that values both security and human dignity. We can protect our families without cruelty, and we can build systems that work instead of systems that punish.
  • I am committed to progressive values that meet people where they are. That means expanding healthcare, supporting unions, protecting civil rights, and investing in the public institutions that keep our communities strong. I will always stand up for the people who have been ignored, dismissed, or written off by those in power.
I am passionate about building a country where every person has dignity, safety, and the freedom to live a full life. I care deeply about reproductive freedom, maternal and child health, and humane immigration policy that protects families. I believe in strong public schools, honest history, and the right to learn without censorship. I value scientific integrity, environmental protection, clean water, and strong public health systems. I support unions, fair wages, and policies that put people first. My work is grounded in truth, justice, and compassion.
I look up to the mothers and grandmothers who have spent decades fighting for a future I did not even know they were building for me. The women I have researched laid their lives on the line so I could have a life they could only imagine. Some starved themselves in protest. Some walked straight into danger. Some were erased from history for telling the truth. They pushed my existence closer to freedom while knowing they might never live to see it. I think about them every day. I am in awe of them. I do not want their work to be forgotten or their sacrifices to be wasted. I also look up to the women I stand with today, who fight for their children and their communities with a kind of courage that feels ancient. They remind me that we are carrying torches passed down by women who were never credited, never protected, and never fully seen. I want to honor them by telling the truth, protecting our daughters, and refusing to stay silent in the face of the cruelty this moment demands we confront.
The most important qualities in an elected official are integrity, accountability, and a real connection to the communities they represent. They should put people over corporate power and tell the truth even when it challenges their own party. They should respect science, protect public schools, and defend the rights and freedoms of every family. They should reject cruelty, reject corruption, and reject policies built on fear. Good leaders serve with compassion, courage, and a commitment to justice and opportunity for all.
A member of Congress must create laws that serve the people, not corporations or special interests. Their responsibilities include protecting constitutional rights, funding public education, healthcare, and social programs, and making sure federal agencies are accountable and effective. They should work to build a humane and functional immigration system, address climate and environmental threats, and support workers with fair wages and strong labor protections. Most importantly, they must listen to their district, tell the truth, and govern with integrity.
I do not care about a personal legacy. What I care about is whether we leave behind a system that is honest, fair, and impossible to weaponize against the people it is supposed to protect. I want a country where movements for justice are not crushed, where truth is not treated like a threat, and where our children do not have to fight the same battles the generations before them survived. My focus is on joining the people who are already pushing for real change and backing them with everything I have. If anything lasts, it should be the power we build together, not my name attached to it. The fire belongs to the movement, and I want to help it burn hotter.
The first historical event I remember is 9/11. I was 8 years old and living in Maryland. My aunt ran into my school cafeteria calling my name and rushed me out because so much of my family worked in or around government buildings between Washington, DC and Frederick. It was a terrifying day. Cell towers were down and no one could reach my mother. I remember walking into the house and seeing the towers being hit on repeat. Even now, as an adult, I still cry about it. The fear, the confusion, and the weight of that moment never fully leave you.
My very first job was at working at a vet clinic as a rescue technician for the rescue organization that boarded there. I was 15 and I spent about two years helping care for the animals in the shelter and another two years working in the grooming area. Most of my work was feeding, medicating, and cleaning up after cats. It was a fulfilling job and also a heartbreaking one. It taught me patience, compassion, and how much care and consistency vulnerable animals need to survive and trust again. I still have two of my cats that I adopted from them when I was 19, Chumley and Dusty.
I love dystopian and fantasy novels. My favorite is probably the Wheel of Time series. I have always been drawn to stories with a real fight in them, where right and wrong are not abstract ideas but choices people have to make over and over again. It feels like a true epic in the traditional sense. The world building, the moral struggle, and the courage of ordinary people facing impossible odds have always stayed with me. Those kinds of stories remind me that the fight for a better world is long, complicated, and worth it.
If I had to choose a fictional character, I would choose a woman whose story is built on resilience, truth telling, and refusing to shrink for anyone. I connect with characters like Nesta Archeron and Bryce Quinlan because their arcs are about surviving impossible things and choosing to rise anyway. They carry rage, grief, and love with equal force, and they turn all of it into strength. I love Donna Noble from Doctor Who for the same reason. Her entire story is about an ordinary woman who becomes extraordinary by refusing to accept cruelty as normal. And Leslie Knope is a constant reminder that relentless optimism, stubborn justice, and an unreasonable amount of determination can actually move mountains. These characters all fight hard for their people, speak up when it matters, and take no nonsense from anyone. That is the kind of character I would want to be.
One of the deepest struggles in my life has been my experience with reproductive health. I have lived through endometriosis, multiple miscarriages, and the fear that comes with knowing your own body can turn on you while politicians try to control it. Both of my children had complications when they were born and spent time in the NICU. I learned very early what it feels like to fight for your health, your dignity, and your right to make decisions about your own body. That struggle shaped everything about the way I see this moment in our country. It is why reproductive rights are not an abstract issue to me. They are personal. They are painful. They are life and death. This is the struggle that pushed me to speak up and refuse to stay quiet.
The House is unique because it is designed to reflect the voices of everyday people in real time. It holds the power to fund federal programs, conduct oversight, and write laws that affect every part of American life. Its short terms force members to stay rooted in their communities instead of in donor circles. The House can be a barrier against corruption, censorship, and corporate influence, and it has the potential to advance reproductive freedom, protect democracy, uphold scientific integrity, and center human dignity in national policy. No institution is better positioned to represent the people directly.
I think experience can help, but it should never be a gatekeeper. The House was built for regular people to serve, not just people who have spent their lives in politics. Lived experience matters. Raising a family, working tough jobs, dealing with healthcare, schools, and the cost of living gives you a kind of clarity that political experience alone never will. The people’s house works best when the people are actually in it.
One of the greatest challenges we face is breaking the grip that corporate power, extremist ideology, and manufactured cruelty have on our government. We are dealing with rising inequality, climate disruption, attacks on reproductive freedom, and an immigration system built on fear instead of humanity. Our public schools are being censored, scientific work is being undermined, and working families are expected to survive while billionaires hoard wealth. The next decade will force us to decide whether we want a democracy rooted in justice, science, and human dignity, or a system where corporations and extremists write our future. We cannot move forward until we confront greed, racism, censorship, and the deliberate destruction of the public good.
I think the two year term has value because it keeps representatives close to the people. You should not disappear into Washington and forget who you work for. At the same time, the short term forces members to spend too much of their time fundraising instead of governing. The problem is not the length of the term. The problem is the money. If we removed the financial pressure and the constant chase for donations, representatives could stay accountable to voters without being pulled away from the work they were elected to do.
I support term limits, but I do not support the loopholes written into most term limit pledges. Many include a grandfather clause that protects the same long-standing politicians who created the problem in the first place. Real reform means term limits that apply to everyone, combined with strict restrictions on lobbying, corporate PAC money, and the revolving door between Congress and industry. Term limits should strengthen democracy, not shield career politicians while leaving corruption untouched.
John Lewis is the model for me. He lived for the people, fought for the truth, and carried a kind of moral clarity that never wavered. That is the level of public service I believe in. I also admire Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for the same reason. She came into Congress with no political machine behind her and still shook the room by speaking directly for working people. The progressive movement inspires me because it is built on truth, love, and the belief that every person deserves dignity. That is the kind of representative I want to be.
I believe compromise is only useful when it protects people, not when it forces us to accept harm as the price of getting something done. Too often, “compromise” in Washington means giving corporations more power, watering down protections for families, or allowing extremists to dictate the moral direction of the country. I will work with anyone who shares a commitment to justice, dignity, science, and human rights. But I will not trade away reproductive freedom, immigrant rights, public education, or basic human dignity for the sake of political theater. Some values are non-negotiable.
I have heard so many stories that it is impossible to choose just one. I have talked with teachers who watched students disappear overnight because their families were targeted by immigration. I have met families who have taken in refugee parents and children and shared the heartbreak and confusion they faced while trying to navigate our broken system. I spoke with a mother whose son has a rare brain disease and who watched the research that might have helped him cut by the Trump administration. I have met people who spend their entire lives lifting up their communities with no recognition at all. These stories stay with me because they show the strength and love in this district, and they show how much better our government should be treating the people who carry this country every day.
The House should use its investigative powers to hold people in positions of authority accountable when there are credible claims of abuse, corruption, or violations of human rights. That includes political leaders, federal agencies, contractors, military leadership, and anyone who may have played a role in decisions that harmed civilians or violated international law. Oversight is not a suggestion. It is one of the core responsibilities of Congress. These powers should be used to uncover the truth, protect the public, expose misconduct, and ensure that no one is exempt from accountability because of their title, connections, or partisan alignment.
I have heard stories that stay with me in a way I wish they didn’t. Parents who did everything they could and still got crushed by systems that were never meant to protect them. Families who were split apart for no good reason. Kids who vanished from classrooms and no one ever gave the teachers answers. None of it feels isolated. It all follows the same pattern. People trying their hardest while their government makes life harder for them. I do not have one story that stands out. What hits me is how unnecessary the suffering is and how long people have been expected to just live with it. That is what pushes me to keep going.
One accomplishment I’m proud of is organizing a protest after my congressman voted for policies that hurt families. I showed up with my baby, told him exactly how his decisions harm women and working people, and politely turned down his handshake. He blasted me online afterward and now his staff tracks my social media. I’m proud of that because it proves advocacy matters and one person can make the powerful uncomfortable.
The government should have a strong role in regulating artificial intelligence, not to control innovation, but to protect the public from the harm that powerful corporations can cause. AI should be developed and used in ways that respect human rights, privacy, scientific integrity, and the environment. Right now, the companies driving this technology have enormous influence and almost no accountability. Some of them are polluting our air and water, exploiting workers, and ignoring the communities they affect. The federal government should set clear rules, enforce environmental and safety standards, prevent misuse, and make sure that technology serves people instead of replacing or harming them.
I would strengthen election administration by expanding access to the ballot while keeping the system secure. Much of the debate around “fraud” is driven by misinformation. Actual voter fraud in the United States is extremely rare, and the consequences for it are already severe. Non-citizens are not allowed to vote in federal elections, and cases are investigated and prosecuted when they occur. It does not make sense to restrict voting for thousands of eligible Americans because of a handful of isolated incidents. Our focus should be on making voting accessible, supporting election workers, improving transparency, modernizing systems, and ensuring every eligible voter can participate without barriers.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Note: Hockett submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on December 1, 2025.

Campaign website

Hockett's campaign website stated the following:

Working Rights & a Fair Economy

Working people deserve power, safety, and a fair share of the wealth they create. I was raised in a working-class family, and my own household depends on fair wages, union protections, and safe working conditions. If you work hard in this country, you should be able to afford housing, healthcare, food, and time with your family. That is the baseline of dignity, not a luxury. Right now, our economy is tilted toward corporations and billionaires who profit while workers fall behind. Wages haven’t kept up with the cost of living, workplaces are less safe, and corporate monopolies drive up prices while suppressing pay. 

As your representative, I will fight to strengthen unions, raise wages, enforce labor and safety laws, break up corporate monopolies, and hold the ultra-wealthy accountable. An economy that works for working people strengthens families, communities, and democracy itself. We need to pass the PRO Act to empower unions so our workers can advocate for themselves, increase Social Security benefits to protect our senior citizens, and to increase the minimum wage so that every job receives the decent wage that we all deserve as hard-working citizens. Going further, we should continue to increase the minimum wage and Social Security whenever the cost of living increases. We all should live with dignity in the workplace and be able to comfortably retire.

Dignity & Human Rights

As your representative, I will fight for housing as a human right, immigration policies rooted in humanity instead of detention and fear, full reproductive autonomy, and the safety and rights of LGBTQ+ people.

Every person deserves dignity, safety, and freedom, here and abroad. Human rights are not optional and they are not conditional. Housing, healthcare, privacy, bodily autonomy, and safety are basic needs. No one should be exploited, criminalized, or discarded to serve political convenience, profit, or power, whether through mass incarceration, detention, or violence sanctioned by the state. Our courts are clogged with immigration cases due to our broken system. This not only prevents law enforcement from doing their jobs, but it also puts hard-working people who want to come to this country in a horrible situation. I want to cut through the red tape and provide a pathway to documentation and citizenship. Enough of this legal limbo and unnecessary complexity.

I oppose U.S. funding for Israel’s genocide in Gaza, and I support a free Palestine. I will vote for legislation like the Block the Bombs Act to bring an end to the atrocities. I reject any foreign policy that fuels war, resource extraction, mass incarceration, and human rights abuses at home and abroad. I will always defend the right to protest, speak freely, and live without intimidation. No one should get thrown under the bus. Ever.

Healthcare as a Human Right

Healthcare should be based on need, not income or employment. I have lived inside a healthcare system that puts insurance rules, profit, and politics ahead of patients. People delay care because they are afraid of the cost. Families stay in jobs that harm them just to keep coverage. Doctors are forced to make decisions based on what insurance will allow instead of what patients actually need. That is not care. That is a business model. I support Medicare for All. Healthcare is a public good, and everyone deserves comprehensive care without fear of medical debt or losing coverage when life changes. 

As your representative, I will fight for Medicare for All, protect reproductive freedom, expand maternal and mental health care, strengthen rural hospitals, and end medical debt. No one should suffer or die because healthcare was treated as a profit center instead of a human right.

Our lives do not have to be this difficult. Many other countries have found ways to support government-sponsored healthcare. It is time that we catch up!

It is ridiculous that Americans have to go to other countries to get their medications and that transgender individuals have to go to other states to get surgeries. Good medical care should be a minimum requirement for our society. It is not some privilege to distribute to the few, it is a right earned by the many.

Climate, Infrastructure, & the Green New Deal

We can fight climate change while creating good union jobs and rebuilding our communities. Texas families are already living with the consequences of climate failure through extreme heat, unsafe water, grid outages, flooding, and rising utility costs. At the same time, billionaires and corporations are trying to turn basic resources into commodities by buying up land and water, abusing eminent domain, trashing rivers, and draining rural communities to protect their profits. Farmers, ranchers, and small towns are left to deal with the damage while powerful interests walk away richer.

As your representative, I will fight for a Green New Deal framework that invests in clean energy, strong infrastructure, and good union jobs while protecting our land and water from exploitation. That means defending aquifers and water rights, holding polluters accountable, strengthening and weatherizing the electric grid, expanding broadband, and rebuilding roads and public works that rural and urban communities rely on every day. Climate policy must protect people, land, and livelihoods, not corporate greed. 

Education

Strong public schools are the foundation of a healthy democracy and a strong economy. Texas children, teachers, and families are being set up to fail by chronic underfunding, overcrowded classrooms, and political interference in education. Teachers are stretched thin, students are falling behind, and communities suffer when schools are treated as a budget line instead of a public good instead of an investment in our future.

As your representative, I will fight to fully fund public education, support and respect educators, and make sure resources go where they belong, into classrooms and student support services. I oppose voucher schemes that drain money from public schools and funnel it into private hands without accountability. I also believe higher education should be free and affordable. Student loan debt has trapped an entire generation, delaying homeownership, family stability, and economic security. Education at every level should open doors, not saddle people with lifelong debt. Investing in students and teachers is how we build a stronger, more just society.

Education is a human right. Education is freedom.

Democracy & Accountability

Democracy only works when people can participate freely and trust that the system is fair. Too often, political power is distorted by voter suppression, gerrymandering, and the influence of money. When corporations and billionaires are allowed to spend unlimited money in elections, the voices of working people are drowned out and accountability disappears.

As your representative, I will fight to protect and expand voting rights, ensure fair and accessible elections, and end partisan efforts to silence voters. This would include legislation like the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. Everyone deserves a voice in our democracy. 

I support overturning Citizens United, strong ethics laws, transparent government, and real limits on money in politics so corporations and billionaires cannot buy influence. Accountability should apply to everyone, especially those in power. I will cosponsor legislation to ban insider trading as well. It is utterly ridiculous that members of congress can use their influence on government to enrich themselves. Democracy should belong to the people who live under its decisions, not the interests that profit from them.

— Chelsey Hockett's campaign website (February 19, 2026)

Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Chelsey Hockett campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2026* U.S. House Texas District 5On the Ballot primary$7,817 $-6,459
Grand total$7,817 $-6,459
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Election Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

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    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 22, 2025
    2. ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on December 1, 2025


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