Stephen Samuelson (Texas)

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Stephen Samuelson

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

March 3, 2026

Education

Bachelor's

University of the Incarnate Word

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army Reserve

Personal

Profession

trauma counselor

Contact

Personal website

Personal Instagram

Stephen Samuelson (Republican Party) ran for election for Governor of Texas. Samuelson lost in the Republican primary on March 3, 2026.

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

Biography

Stephen Samuelson served in the U.S. Army Reserve. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of the Incarnate Word. His career experience includes working as a trauma counselor and community activist.

Elections

2026

See also: Texas gubernatorial election, 2026

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for Governor of Texas

Incumbent Greg Abbott (R), Gina Hinojosa (D), and Jenn Mack Raphoon (Independent) are running in the general election for Governor of Texas on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Greg Abbott (R)
		Gina Hinojosa (D)
		Jenn Mack Raphoon (Independent)

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= 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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

Democratic primary for Governor of Texas

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Governor of Texas on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Gina Hinojosa	59.9	1,012,218
		Chris Bell	9.6	163,007
		Angela Villescaz	6.5	109,308
	Submit photo	Patricia Abrego	5.5	92,840
		Andrew White	5.3	89,383
		Bobby Cole	5.2	87,284
		Jose Navarro Balbuena	2.9	48,395
	Submit photo	Carlton Hart	2.7	45,559
		Zach Vance	2.5	41,637

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. Source	Total votes: 1,689,631
= 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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Nick Pappas (D)
• Faizan Syed (D)
• Meagan Tehseldar (D)

Republican primary

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

Republican primary for Governor of Texas

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Governor of Texas on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Greg Abbott	82.4	1,457,558
		Pete Chambers	10.9	192,863
		Evelyn Brooks	2.0	35,560
	Submit photo	Arturo Espinosa	1.0	18,278
		Charles Crouch	0.7	12,185
		Kenneth Hyde	0.7	11,981
	Submit photo	Nathaniel Welch	0.5	9,562
		Stephen Samuelson	0.5	8,484
		Ronnie Tullos	0.5	8,052
		Mark Goloby	0.5	8,035
		R.F. Achgill	0.4	7,139

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Source	Total votes: 1,769,697
= 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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Davy Hobson (R)

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

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

Expand all | Collapse all

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Texas needs practical leadership focused on results, not rhetoric. I prioritize clear laws, honest budgeting, and solutions that actually work for families, workers, and local communities across the state.
• I believe Texans deserve transparency and accountability from their government. Policies should be understandable, measurable, and built around real-world impacts, not political talking points.
• Texas can lead with both strength and fairness. We can protect public safety, respect individual rights, and build long-term stability without sacrificing our values or our future.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Public safety, healthcare access, education, workforce development, infrastructure, border stability, and government transparency. I focus on policies that reduce long-term costs, strengthen communities, and give Texans clear pathways to stability and opportunity.

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.

Campaign website

Samuelson's campaign website stated the following:

Governor Campaign Initiatives for Texas

Texas is changing fast, and our state needs leadership that is ready to solve problems instead of avoiding them. As a candidate for Governor of Texas, I have developed a set of thirteen Texas-first initiatives designed to strengthen our communities, protect our freedoms, rebuild critical infrastructure, and secure our future. These initiatives are the foundation of a larger plan to make Texas stronger, safer, and more self-reliant for generations to come.

Every initiative on this page is a living document.

As I meet with Texans, subject matter experts, educators, veterans, families, and community leaders, I will continue improving and refining each plan. A Governor serves the people, and these initiatives grow stronger with input from the Texans they are designed to help. ​ Below are the first five initiatives being publicly released. The remaining initiatives will be added as each section is finalized. Together, all thirteen initiatives outline a clear path forward for the future of Texas.

Corruption or Freedom. You Decide.

1. Texans First Fuel Program
2. Texas Future-Ready Workforce Initiative
3. Texas Healthcare Independence Initiative
4. Texas Hydroponics & Food Security Initiative
5. Texas Water Scarcity & Resilience Initiative
6. Texas Affordable Housing and Construction Reform Initiative
7. Texas Family Communities Act
8. Texas Election Integrity & Public Records Transparency Initiative

— Stephen Samuelson's campaign website (January 15, 2026)

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

Campaign finance summary

Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.

See also

2026 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel Union Station

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Personal

Website

Instagram

Footnotes

2026 state executive official elections

Governor

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Florida • Georgia • Guam • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Iowa • Kansas • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Mexico • New York • Northern Mariana Islands • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • U.S. Virgin Islands • Vermont • Wisconsin • Wyoming

Lieutenant Governor

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Florida • Georgia • Guam • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Iowa • Kansas • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Nebraska • Nevada • New Mexico • New York • Northern Mariana Islands • Ohio • Oklahoma • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Texas • U.S. Virgin Islands • Vermont • Wisconsin

Attorney General

Alabama • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Guam • Idaho • Illinois • Iowa • Kansas • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Nebraska • Nevada • New Mexico • New York • North Dakota • Northern Mariana Islands • Ohio • Oklahoma • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Texas • Vermont • Wisconsin

Secretary of State

Alabama • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Georgia • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Nebraska • Nevada • New Mexico • North Dakota • Ohio • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Vermont • Wisconsin • Wyoming

Treasurer

Alabama • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Massachusetts • Nebraska • Nevada • New Mexico • Ohio • Oklahoma • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Vermont • Wisconsin • Wyoming

Auditor

Alabama • Arkansas • Delaware • Iowa • Massachusetts • Minnesota • Missouri • Nebraska • New Mexico • Ohio • Oklahoma • South Dakota • Vermont • Wyoming

Comptroller

California • Connecticut • Idaho • Illinois • Maryland • Nevada • New York • South Carolina • Texas

Education officials

Alabama (board of education) • Arizona (superintendent) • California (superintendent) • Colorado (board of education) • Colorado (board of regent) • District of Columbia (board of education) • Georgia (superintendent) • Guam (education board) • Idaho (superintendent) • Kansas (board of education) • Louisiana (board of education) • Michigan (board of education) • Michigan (board of regent) • Michigan (board of trustees) • Michigan (board of governors) • Nebraska (board of education) • Nebraska (board of regents) • Nevada (board of regents) • New Mexico (board of education) • North Dakota (superintendent) • Northern Mariana Islands (board of education) • Ohio (board of education) • Oklahoma (superintendent) • South Carolina (superintendent) • Texas (board of education) • U.S. Virgin Islands (board of education) • Utah (board of education) • Wyoming (superintendent)

Commissioners

Alabama (agriculture) • Alabama (public service) • Arizona (corporation) • Arizona (mine inspector) • Arkansas (public lands) • California (board of equalization) • California (insurance) • Florida (agriculture) • Georgia (agriculture) • Georgia (labor) • Georgia (insurance) • Georgia (public service) • Guam (utilities) • Hawaii (Hawaiian affairs) • Iowa (agriculture) • Kansas (insurance) • Louisiana (public service) • Massachusetts (governor's council) • Montana (public service) • Nebraska (public service) • New Hampshire (executive council) • New Mexico (public lands) • North Dakota (agriculture) • North Dakota (public service) • North Dakota (tax) • Oklahoma (corporation) • Oklahoma (insurance) • Oklahoma (labor) • Oregon (labor) • South Carolina (agriculture) • South Dakota (public lands) • South Dakota (public utilities) • Texas (agriculture) • Texas (public lands) • Texas (railroad) • U.S. Virgin Islands (board of elections)