William Abel
William Abel (Republican Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Texas' 31st Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the Republican primary scheduled on March 3, 2026.[source]
Biography
William Abel was born in Bremerhaven, Germany. He served in the U.S. Army from 1999 to 2017. He has been affiliated with the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.[1]
Elections
2026
See also: Texas' 31st Congressional District 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.
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 31
Justin Early, Caitlin Rourk, Brian Trautner, and Stuart Whitlow are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 31 on March 3, 2026.
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 31
The following candidates are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 31 on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | John Carter | |
 | William Abel | |
| David Berry (Texas) | ||
 | Steven Dowell | |
 | Abhiram Garapati | |
 | Valentina Gomez Noriega | |
 | Raymond Hamden | |
 | Jack McConnell | |
 | Mike Williams | |
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
2024
See also: Texas' 31st Congressional District election, 2024
Texas' 31st Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 Democratic primary)
Texas' 31st Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 Republican primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House Texas District 31
Incumbent John Carter defeated Stuart Whitlow in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 31 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | John Carter (R) | 64.4 | 229,087 |
 | Stuart Whitlow (D) | 35.6 | 126,470 | |
| Total votes: 355,557 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Caleb Ferrell (L)
Democratic primary runoff election
Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 31
Stuart Whitlow defeated Brian Walbridge in the Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 31 on May 28, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Stuart Whitlow | 68.5 | 3,512 |
 | Brian Walbridge | 31.5 | 1,614 | |
| Total votes: 5,126 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 31
Stuart Whitlow and Brian Walbridge advanced to a runoff. They defeated Rick Von Pfeil in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 31 on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Stuart Whitlow | 48.4 | 10,023 |
| ✔ | | Brian Walbridge | 25.8 | 5,346 |
 | Rick Von Pfeil | 25.8 | 5,332 | |
| Total votes: 20,701 | |||
| = 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 31
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 31 on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | John Carter | 65.3 | 55,092 |
| Mike Williams | 11.1 | 9,355 | |
 | Mack Latimer | 7.8 | 6,593 | |
| Abhiram Garapati | 7.4 | 6,256 | |
| William Abel | 5.2 | 4,362 | |
 | John Anderson | 3.2 | 2,732 | |
| Total votes: 84,390 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 31
Caleb Ferrell advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 31 on March 23, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Caleb Ferrell (L) |
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| = 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 did not identify endorsements for Abel in this election.
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
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2024
William Abel completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Abel's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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- Secure the border. Currently having an open border we have people including Chinese nationals, people on the terrorist watchlist and criminals from all over the world coming to our border and coming into our country. This is the biggest security issue in the US today and needs to be dealt with immediately.
- Restructure the tax code and stop wasteful spending. We need to restructure our tax code instead of our current bracket system. I believe we should go to a 10% flat tax system taking away deductions and write-offs. Currently the federal government collects 1.7 trillion dollars from income taxes if we move to a 10% flat tax, they will collect 1.25 trillion and it would allow people to keep more of their regular and overtime pay. We also need to get our out-of-control spending under control; we could get rid of the Department of Education which has a budget of 68 billion a year, The UN whose budget is 12.5 billion a year, ATF budget of 1.5 billion and eliminate congressional earmarks which accounted for 15 billion in 2022.
- End vaccine mandates. In 2021 people were told they either take an untested vaccine or they would lose their jobs some places tried to force vaccine passports and some people were threatened with not receiving medical care if they did not take the covid vaccine. We later found out it did not prevent people from catching or transmitting covid and there are a lot of links to health problems from the vaccines nobody was told about such as cardiac issues, cancers, and blood clots to name a few.
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
Abel’s campaign website stated the following:
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Gun Control I vow, if elected to represent District 31 in the US House of Representatives, to vote against any form of gun control that infringes on any law-abiding citizen the right to keep and bear arms. Additionally, I vow to fight against any and all laws that restrict the right of the people to protect themselves, their family, and their property. Crime reaches new highs daily, and it is more important than ever that each person has the God given right to stand their ground against any threats they may face. Taxes and Tariffs Using these numbers, it is possible to lower the tax rate to a 10% flat tax rate, eliminating deductions, which would result in bringing 1.25 trillion dollars a year. Many Americans pay for a financial advisor to do their taxes, only to find out they owe the government. With my vision of implementing a 10% flat tax rate, this would simplify the tax code, making it easier for individuals to do their own taxes, eliminating the need to pay for a financial advisor. Also, I will be looking into lowering corporate taxes from the current 21% tax rate to a more reasonable 10% tax rate and fight to have tariffs raised on imported goods from the current 1.6% tax rate, which is lower than the global average of a 2.6% tax rate. This negatively affects U.S. businesses as foreign companies do not always pay the standard of U.S. business wages. Foreign countries pay a 1.6% tariff on their goods while U.S. businesses pay livable wages as well as 21% in taxes, forcing them to increase the price of goods. If we can level the playing field for domestic goods, we can see more jobs brought back to the United States, resulting in competitive pricing for goods made in the U.S. Wasteful Spending Every year, our government spends an obscene amount of tax money to push agendas instead of helping the general public and we need to put a stop to it. The following need public awareness of how our tax dollars are being spent: The Department of Education - Annual budget of $68 billion dollars. We have seen education continually decline in the U.S.; it is time for this federal agency to be defunded and return the responsibility to the state level. In defunding this government agency, states would receive funds directly for use to improve schools, school security, technical training, or school choice programs. Our children are our most important resource, and the Department of Education has been a colossal failure for them. The following are our ranks in basic subjects against 72 other countries who participated in testing:
The Department of Education's purpose to collect data and push effective teaching techniques to teachers to help improve education in the US but data has shown a steady decline since inception 43 years ago. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) - Annual budget of $1.5 billion. Similar to other government agencies, the ATF has become so politicized; harassing gun stores for violations they claimed were committed when in reality the ATF has not taken accountability for failing to do their job. The ATF will push regulations on legal gun owners, such as the recent pistol brace rule, which would require a federal license to own a pistol with a stabilizing brace. This was temporarily blocked by a federal judge in the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas. The ATF constantly pushes regulations to restrict what a law-abiding American citizen can do. The head of the ATF, Steve Dettelbach, has admitted in a congressional hearing he is not a firearms expert; however, he heads the agency that pushes out regulations that affect millions of legal gun owners. The ATF will continue to try to find ways to restrict people from practicing their Constitutional right to keep and bear arms. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Annual budget of $12.3 billion The United Nations - Annual Budget of $12.5 billion While the UN was unable to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine, they were able to condemn the Heartbeat laws, and the Supreme Court overturning Roe VS. Wade and condemn the US for enforcing US immigration laws with immigrants coming to the US illegally. The UN has become an institution that has lost its way and pushes for a global government that would override a nations right to self-govern, it is time to review if we should continue to fund and be a part of this lost organization. For Ukraine, we spent over $113 billion, just in 2022. While there is a need to help prevent countries from being invaded, the reality of the situation is we are not in a financial situation to just give $113 billion dollar's worth of equipment and money away. If we are to aid these foreign countries, we need to look at other areas in the budget to cut spending. If we remain on the current track we are on, we will not have a country if we don't start making the tough choices to reign in our spending. The federal government has expanded and constantly micromanages every aspect of our lives, inserting themselves in places they have no business in. In order to fully unlock the potential of the American spirt we need less government not more. Border Control and Immigration Our southern border control is currently in crisis. In November of 2022, the U.S. experienced 206,239 encounters with migrants at the southern border. Those who wish to bring harm to our American soil, know the southern border is weak, and use it to their advantage to get into the country. While some may actually be fleeing from harm in their home countries, a majority are migrating for nefarious reasons. We have a need to uphold the law and enforce the process of becoming an American citizen to keep America safe for those who want to keep this the Land of Opportunity. There is a real need for consequences for breaking the law. I will work with other House Representatives to hold sanctuary cities accountable and put an end to the blatant disregard for the laws enacted to keep this country safe. To secure the border, we need to make real investments in:
Veteran Affairs There is an estimated 18.5 million Veterans in the US today; the VA has been a failure for a lot of these brave men and women who put their mental and physical well-being on the line to protect and defend this country that we all love and call home. This needs change, and we need it now. We need to make the lives of these American Heroes better by giving them a voice to elect officials to run the VA in their district, and vote for their National Directors instead of allowing those placed in a position who have no understanding of Veteran affairs. Accountability must be taken by those entrusted to take care of these exceptional men and women in a timely and professional manner. Veterans must have access to outside professionals who can help them recover from the years of abuse both mentally and physically for the sake of this country. Our Veterans should never have to worry about getting the help they deserve, whether it is mental health to help to deal with the horrors of war or recovering from joint issues brought on by the performance of their jobs in the Military and everything in between. Energy Independence We have the capability to be energy independent, yet there are members of our government begging OPEC to increase their production of oil. The question we need an answer to is why are we relying on foreign countries to do what we can do here? The US has an estimated 264 billion barrels of recoverable oil, the largest than any other country. Russia has an approximate 256 billion barrels, Saudia Arabia has 212 billion barrels, there is no logical reason for the US to obtain this natural resource from other countries. We can meet the needs of the American people, on American soil while setting higher standards for oil recovery. The current administration is looking to increase our dependance on materials from China, the most notable is by attempting to mandate electric vehicles. China produces approximately 75% of the batteries for these vehicles. We have also seen a rise in the push for use of solar energy, yet China produces approximately 75% of the solar panels used to harvest this energy source. It is past time the US reevaluates the use of the resources we have available and work to improve on production of these resources in the United States instead of relying on other countries for our energy needs. Term Limits We need to ensure Congress is here to represent the people instead of becoming part of the issue. The way to ensure WE THE PEOPLE are represented is to enact term limits; many representatives have good intentions to begin with but end up looking out for the best interest of a few rather than what is best for the local communities and our country as a whole. This will force Congress to push for the issues initially presented and any issues that may arise while in office. Protect Our Children There has been a war declared on our children by current Politicians in allowing harmful acts to come across today's youth. Support for the following is becoming mainstream, and needs to come to and end for the sake of the next generation:
Biological males are now being allowed in some states to enter girls and women's lockers and restrooms. Reports have been made throughout the U.S. of males identifying as female of entering these establishments and making women uncomfortable, and in extreme cases causing mental and bodily harm by sexual harassment and in some instances, rape. These issues presented are just the beginning as the fight for children and women is just starting. We can put an end to it, and I vow to fight this head on by:
No Vaccine Mandates In 2021, we were all faced with Covid vaccine mandates and people were forced to get a vaccine that did not have proper testing with unknown side effects, both short and long term, and faced consequences such as job loss, travel bans, and treated as second class citizens. While I support the right to choose the vaccine, the American public has the right to full transparency about what is in the vaccine and determine if the potential risks are worth the benefit received from being inoculated. I do not believe in the government forcing the American public into taking a vaccine against their will, and in many instances, resorting to blackmail and imposing harsh consequences for not doing so. We are only starting to see the side effects from the vaccine, and the public needs to be made aware of what risks are involved before blindly being vaccinated. Tax Plan for New Small Business Many first-time small business owners struggle in the first 5 years of being in business. To help brand new small business owners succeed, we need to provide an opportunity for them and create a progressive tax plan that is structured in such a way that enables the business an opportunity to grow. I plan to propose the following small business tax structure:
This would allow first time small business owners the opportunity to grow their client base, upgrade equipment to better serve their clientele, and help these new business owners pay off initial business loans needed to get started. Small businesses are the heartbeat of America; most small businesses provide support for their local community. There is no logical reason to not assist these new entrepreneurs, especially in the current economy where multi-billion-dollar corporations receive tax breaks and in some instances are tax exempt. America is built upon providing new opportunities; we need to provide new small business a chance to succeed in any way we possibly can. No Taxes on Retirement Funds Most of us look forward to the day we can retire. However, a lot of people find their retirement accounts and payments are nowhere near significant enough to live on and soon find themselves looking for supplemental income. If you file your taxes as an individual and your combined income exceeds $25,000, or if you have a joint return and you and your spouse have a combined income of more than $32,000, you will be required to pay taxes on your social security checks. In the economy we live in today with the rising prices at the pump and grocery store, not to mention the steady increase of property taxes in most states, it is not reasonable to expect anyone to live on an income below $25,000 or a couple to survive on $32,000 a year. As the representative from District 31, I will fight to eliminate taxes on retirement funds or as a short-term solution, at least increase the amount of income individuals can make before being taxed on their social security benefits. In addition, any federal tax-free income should not be counted when determining the tax on those benefits. As stated above there many areas we can cut federal spending in order to make this work; it will take undue burden off the shoulders of those hard-working Americans who have already worked and made their contributions paying taxes throughout their working years. National Water Pipeline Droughts create major issues for everyday people in affected areas, but the most impacted are local farmers. Living in Texas, we have experienced this year after year. We know this all too well and the harm this causes; that is why I would look into constructing a national water pipeline, running from the east coast to the west coast with the pipeline branching off to a central point in every state along the way. Water would be distributed from states that have an abundance of water to supply states experiencing a drought and can be used for their specific needs in the affected areas. While the federal government would take on the task of providing the main pipeline, it would be the individual states responsibility to branch from the central point throughout the state. This would assist the farming community in a significant way, ensuring crops and livestock are well cared for, while negating the negative impact on those states who struggle each year with drought. [2] |
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| —William Abel’s campaign website (2024)[3] | ||
Campaign finance summary
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See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 5, 2024
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Abel4congress, “Issues,” accessed January 14, 2024
