Stephen Samuelson (Texas)

Stephen Samuelson

Republican Party

Candidate, Governor of Texas

Elections and appointments

Next 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) is running for election for Governor of Texas. Samuelson is on the ballot in the Republican primary on March 3, 2026.^[source]

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

General election for Governor of Texas

Jenn Mack Raphoon (Independent) is running in the general election for Governor of Texas on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Jenn Mack Raphoon (Independent)

---

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Governor of Texas

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

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Patricia Abrego
		Chris Bell
		Bobby Cole
	Submit photo	Carlton Hart
		Gina Hinojosa
		Jose Navarro Balbuena
		Zach Vance
		Angela Villescaz
		Andrew White

---

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= 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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

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

Republican primary

Republican primary for Governor of Texas

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

		Candidate
		Greg Abbott
	Submit photo	R.F. Achgill
		Evelyn Brooks
		Pete Chambers
		Charles Crouch
	Submit photo	Arturo Espinosa
		Mark Goloby
		Kenneth Hyde
		Stephen Samuelson
		Ronnie Tullos
	Submit photo	Nathaniel Welch

---

	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.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Davy Hobson (R)

Endorsements

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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. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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

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External links

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Personal

Website

Instagram

Footnotes

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