Victor Sampson
Victor Sampson (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Texas State Board of Education to represent District 5. Sampson lost in the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026.
Sampson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Victor Sampson earned a high school diploma from Lake Washington High School, a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Washington in 1997, a master's degree in education from Seattle University in 1999, and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from Arizona State University in 2007. Sampson's career experience includes serving as the Chief Innovation Officer for Argument-Driven Inquiry, an associate professor of STEM education, and a science teacher.[1][2]
Elections
2026
See also: Texas State Board of Education election, 2026
General election
The primary will occur on May 26, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
General election for Texas State Board of Education District 5
Mica Arellano (R) is running in the general election for Texas State Board of Education District 5 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Mica Arellano (R) | ||
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary runoff
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Democratic primary runoff for Texas State Board of Education District 5
Stephanie Bazan (D) and Allison Bush (D) are running in the Democratic primary runoff for Texas State Board of Education District 5 on May 26, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Stephanie Bazan | |
 | Allison Bush | |
| ||||
| = 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 Texas State Board of Education District 5
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Texas State Board of Education District 5 on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Allison Bush | 35.6 | 83,648 |
| ✔ | | Stephanie Bazan | 21.0 | 49,407 |
 | Abigail Gray | 13.8 | 32,394 | |
 | Kevin Jackson | 13.7 | 32,185 | |
 | Neto Longoria | 10.7 | 25,156 | |
 | Victor Sampson | 5.3 | 12,455 | |
| Total votes: 235,245 | |||
| = 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
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Republican primary for Texas State Board of Education District 5
Mica Arellano (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Texas State Board of Education District 5 on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Mica Arellano | 100.0 | 78,523 | |
| Total votes: 78,523 | |||
| = 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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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
Victor Sampson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Sampson's responses.
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Victor believes students are capable thinkers and teachers are trusted professionals. He rejects deficit-based thinking and supports policies that empower educators and inspire students. As a professor and learning scientist, he has worked with districts across Texas to develop curriculum and professional learning that center curiosity, belonging, and deep understanding.
Victor is running because the current direction of Texas education policy is overly political and disconnected from research. Students are pushed to memorize instead of think. Teachers are constrained instead of supported. Accountability measures test performance instead of opportunity and growth.
As an SBOE member, Victor will fight for standards that build thinkers, accountability that reflects what families value, and schools that inspire confidence, creativity, and purpose. He offers Texas a hopeful, research-driven path forward rooted in trust, learning, and belief in our students.- Texas schools should help students think, create, and solve problems rather than just memorize answers. Our standards, accountability systems, and policies must reflect what real learning looks like. I am running to ensure Texas education is built on research, critical thinking, and opportunity so every student can grow into a confident, capable problem solver.
- Teachers are professionals who deserve respect, autonomy, and meaningful support. Instead of micromanagement and political interference, we should empower educators to collaborate, innovate, and lead. Strong schools are built by strong teachers.
- Public education is a promise to every child, not a marketplace for profit. I will protect public schools from privatization, defend local communities, and fight for accountability systems that value belonging, engagement, and growth. When we invest in public schools, we invest in Texas’ future.
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
Sampson's campaign website stated the following:
My platform
1. Standards That Build Thinkers
Texas standards should help students analyze, design, create, and solve problems—not memorize disconnected facts. We must prioritize deep understanding and disciplinary thinking.
2. Learning That Students Want to Be Part Of
Motivation, relevance, and belonging matter. Schools should foster curiosity, creativity, and joy in learning—not disengagement.
3. Learning Over Compliance
Education policy should support learning, not police schools. Accountability must measure growth, opportunity, and meaningful outcomes—not just test scores.
4. Trust and Empower Teachers
Teachers are professionals. They deserve autonomy, collaboration, and meaningful support—not constant mandates and micromanagement.
5. Invest in What Works
Funding should support high-quality instructional materials, professional learning, student services, and emerging needs—guided by research and outcomes.
6. Innovation Over Tradition
We can’t prepare students for the future with outdated models. Texas should encourage innovation in teaching and learning.
7. Accountability That Reflects What We Value
High-stakes testing doesn’t tell the full story. We should listen to students and families and measure what truly matters.
— Victor Sampson's campaign website (January 16, 2026)
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
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Victor Sampson", accessed January 16, 2026
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on January 20, 2026
