VOTE411.org - League of Women Voters personalized ballot lookup: vote411.org
Hays County Democratic Party - local candidate info, volunteering: haysdems.org
VoteTexas.gov - official statewide registration/ID source: votetexas.gov
Hays County is vote-center countywide - you can vote at any location, not just one assigned to you. Acceptable photo ID: TX driver's license/ID (valid or up to 4 yrs expired), U.S. passport, military ID, handgun license, or citizenship certificate with photo. No ID? Sign a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and show an alternative (utility bill, bank statement, paycheck).
🛡️ Your Rights at the Polls
Every polling place has a marked 100-foot "no electioneering" zone around each entrance.
Not allowed within 100 ft of any entrance: campaign clothing/buttons/hats/stickers for any candidate or measure, handing out literature, gathering petition signatures, amplified campaign sound within 1,000 ft.
Not allowed anywhere inside: recording video/audio near voting stations, using a wireless device in the voting room, carrying a firearm (only on-duty peace officers exempt).
Illegal, period: voter intimidation - telling you how to vote, threatening or crowding you. Poll watchers may only observe - no talking to voters, no standing at your booth.
Always allowed: bringing written notes; help from a person of your choice; a provisional ballot if your name is missing due to an error.
Something feels wrong? Tell the election judge on-site, or call 1-800-252-VOTE / 866-OUR-VOTE.
📝 Registering - Especially If You Just Moved
Texas has no online voter registration. You must mail a paper form or hand it to the county registrar in person. Deadline for Nov. 3 is October 5 (postmark counts).
2. Enter ONE ID number - your TX driver's license/state ID number or the last 4 digits of your SSN, not both.
3. Sign it by hand - a typed signature doesn't count.
4. Mail or deliver it by Oct. 5.
Just moved within Texas? Registration doesn't follow you - update your address or re-register at your new address.
📍 Am I in Precinct 110?
Not sure what precinct you're in - totally normal. Precinct 110 covers San Marcos generally east/southeast of I-35 along S Old Bastrop Hwy, TX-123, Redwood Rd & Rattler Rd, including Cottonwood Creek. Recognize these apartment communities?
The Lodges at Parker's Pond - 5024 S Old Bastrop Hwy
La Vista Retirement Community - 1615 Redwood Rd
Centro 35 Apartments - 1800 Center Point Rd
The Lantana - 1041 Vervain Rd
The Reserve at San Marcos - 4210 TX-123
Legacy Square Apartments - 117 Joyful Ln
Redwood Apartments - 129 Pavonia Ct
FLATZ 512 / Heritage at Cottonwood Creek - TX-123 / Cottonwood Pkwy
🏙 San Marcos City Council & Mayor
These are nonpartisan, at-large races - no party labels on the ballot. Filing runs July 20–Aug 17, 2026. Confirmed against San Marcos Record reporting, July 28. Once the field is final, San Marcos People's PAC publishes an independent candidate questionnaire on growth/development, data centers & water, public safety tech, and governance.
Mayor
2-year term. Incumbent Jane Hughson (elected 2018, re-elected '20/'22/'24) is not seeking reelection.
Ryan Thomason
Filed July 20, 2026
Former council member (Place 5, elected 2009; later Place 3), rose to Mayor Pro Tem
Self-employed real estate broker and contractor; Texas A&M grad; longtime San Marcos resident
Amanda Rodriguez
Filed to run for Mayor
Sitting City Council member, Place 6 (elected 2024, term runs through 2027) - her run triggers a special election for that seat (see Place 6 below)
Community-garden volunteer at Centro; campaigned in 2024 on affordable housing and community-centered growth
City Council, Place 3
3-year term. Incumbent Alyssa Garza (elected 2020, re-elected 2023 unopposed) has filed for a third term.
Alyssa Garza (incumbent)
Filed for reelection - unopposed as of this update
Sociology graduate, Texas State; works for local advocacy group Mano Amiga
Former Mayor Pro Tem; council priorities have included affordable housing and government transparency
City Council, Place 4
3-year term. Incumbent Shane Scott (multiple non-consecutive terms since 2010) has filed for reelection.
Shane Scott (incumbent)
Filed July 20, 2026
On council since 2010 across non-consecutive terms, continuously since 2020
Owns German Elite Autos; Texas State alum
Re-elected 2023 with about 64% of the vote
Heather Hunter
Filed July 20, 2026
New to San Marcos politics; prior campaign experience includes a 2020 run for Florida State Senate District 7 as the Democratic nominee
City Council, Place 6 (Special Election - New)
Unexpired term through Nov. 2027. Added to the ballot because Amanda Rodriguez's run for Mayor triggers Texas's "resign-to-run" rule for home-rule cities - her candidacy for another office automatically vacates her Place 6 seat, so the seat is contested at the same election.
Bill Miller
Originally filed for Mayor, switched to Place 6
No public record found yet in San Marcos city politics
Juan Miguel Arredondo
Filed for Place 6
Current San Marcos CISD Trustee (9 years); one of the first openly LGBTQ elected officials in Hays County
Former chief of staff for state Rep. Erin Zwiener (D)
Ran for Mayor in 2024 against Jane Hughson, lost 58.98% to 41.02%
Lisa Prewitt
Filed July 28, 2026
Same Lisa Prewitt who served on City Council Place 1 (2013-2020): co-chaired the San Marcos Watershed Protection Initiative, served as Mayor Pro Tem under Hughson, ran for Hays County Commissioner Precinct 3 in 2020
Council Place 5 (Lorenzo Gonzalez) is not up until 2027.
🏫 School Board - Not on This Ballot
San Marcos CISD and Hays CISD trustee elections happen in May, not November. SMCISD's May 2026 election was canceled outright - every seat but one drew only a single candidate, and District 2 drew none; the board may fill that vacancy by a November 2026 special election - worth watching. Hays CISD's contested May 2026 races are already decided.
📍 Your Precinct-Level Race
✓ Confirmed against Hays County's official precinct-by-office records. Precinct 110 falls under Commissioner Pct. 1, JP Pct. 1, and Constable Pct. 1 - only the JP seat is on this ballot.
Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1, Place 2
Class C misdemeanors, small civil claims to $20,000, landlord-tenant/eviction, truancy, magistrate duties.
Maggie Hernandez Moreno
Incumbent, Democrat · won primary 75.5%, unopposed in November
🏛️ Countywide Hays County Races
Hays County Judge
Chief administrative officer - presides over Commissioners Court, oversees the budget, directs emergency management.
Michelle Gutierrez Cohen
Democratic Nominee · Precinct 2 Commissioner since 2022 · Born Austin, raised in Hays County
Doctorate in Organizational Leadership; 30 years in public/private sector supply and contract management
Founded Hays Latinos United during COVID; created the county's Procurement Office and first Animal Welfare Division
Won the runoff decisively, 58.3%, over incumbent Ruben Becerra
Water & data centers: voted with the full Commissioners Court (unanimous, 5–0) in June 2026 to pause data center/high-water-use development approvals through year's end and create a review board. Quote: "I am not a fan of data centers... it is not lost on me where they are being built - marginalized communities - and I'm very concerned about that."
Geoffrey Tahuahua
Republican Nominee · Dripping Springs City Council · ran unopposed for the nomination
President, Associated Builders and Contractors of Texas; also VP of policy for the Real Estate Council of Austin - both growth/development-industry roles
Previously chaired the North Hays EMS board through a financial turnaround
Water & data centers: as a Dripping Springs council member in 2022, abstained on extending that city's development moratorium, doubting it was effective. He wasn't on Hays County's Commissioners Court for the June 2026 data center vote, so there's no direct county-level vote to compare to Cohen's yet.
County Court at Law #2
Chris Johnson (D) - won runoff over Thomas Just vs Charmaine Wilde (R), unopposed in primary
County Court at Law #1
Jimmy Alan Hall (D) - unopposed in both primary and general
428th District Court
Cassie Benoist-Templeton (D) - won primary outright 66.5% over incumbent Joe Pool; decade-plus prosecutor, priorities are drug court expansion & civil case backlog vs Paul Still (R), former Harris County prosecutor
County Clerk
Cynthia A. Millonzi (D) - unopposed
District Clerk
Amanda K. Calvert (D) - unopposed in both primary and general
County Treasurer
Daphne Sanchez Tenorio (D) - unopposed in both primary and general
Criminal District Attorney
Alfonso Salazar (D) - born San Antonio, 12 yrs military service (Air Nat'l Guard/active-duty Air Force); open seat, unopposed in November
🏛 Your State Legislature
Texas Senate - District 21
Judith Zaffirini
Incumbent, unopposed · Born Laredo · Senate Dean since 1986
First Mexican American woman elected to the Texas Senate; record for consecutive votes cast & bills passed
Texas House - District 45
Erin Zwiener
Incumbent · Born Irving, TX · Seeking 4th term
Co-founded the Legislature's first LGBTQ Caucus and the bipartisan Energy & Climate Caucus
Voted against mandatory Ten Commandments classroom displays; helped protect prior teacher pay raises
Tennyson Moreno
Republican nominee
⭐ Statewide Executive Races
Governor
Gina Hinojosa
State Rep., HD-49 (Austin), 5th term
Sits on House Public Education Committee; centers school funding/teacher pay, taxing corporations more, reevaluating Operation Lone Star spending
Greg Abbott
Incumbent · Governor since 2015, seeking 4th term
Would become longest-serving governor in TX history if re-elected; $100M+ cash on hand
See the companion fact sheet for Abbott's record on Operation Lone Star, the "Death Star" preemption law, tolls, and vouchers.
Lieutenant Governor
Vikki Goodwin
State Rep., HD-47 (Austin) · won runoff 68% over Marcos Vélez · Sierra Club-endorsed
Authored & passed Cati's Act (2023) - requires life jackets for non-swimming children at supervised pools, after a TX family's daughter drowned
Opposed the 2025 THC/hemp ban, favoring regulation instead
Vocal critic of state preemption bills limiting city authority, incl. HB 2127
Dan Patrick
Incumbent · Lt. Governor since 2015
Made a full THC/hemp ban his top 2025 priority; Abbott vetoed it (SB3) - public split, see fact sheet
Attorney General
Nathan Johnson
State Senator, SD-16 (Dallas), attorney · 8 yrs in Senate
Would rebuild the AG's office post-Paxton; challenge the voucher program & Ten Commandments law as unconstitutional
Mayes Middleton
State Senator, SD-11 (Galveston) · beat Chip Roy in the runoff
Born Wallisville, TX; oil company president, cattle/ranching
Former House Freedom Caucus chair; Trump-endorsed; among the most conservative legislators; centers border security and "election integrity"
Comptroller of Public Accounts
Sarah Eckhardt
State Senator, SD-14 · won primary outright, 64%
Career spans county prosecutor, two terms as Travis Co. Commissioner, five years as Travis Co. Judge - describes elective office as "a temporary trust," not a career; known for hard questions of people in power, including her own party
Don Huffines
Former State Senator, Dallas · Trump-endorsed
Worth knowing: his family bought Epstein's former Zorro Ranch (NM) at auction in 2023, four years after Epstein's death - no allegation Huffines had any connection to Epstein, and proceeds benefited Epstein's victims per his campaign. New Mexico opened an inquiry in 2026 into the ranch's history predating his purchase.
Land Commissioner
Benjamin Flores
Bay City council member, Marine Corps Iraq veteran, refinery worker/USW rep
Dawn Buckingham
Incumbent · seeking 2nd term, unopposed in primary
Agriculture Commissioner
Clayton Tucker
Lampasas rancher, Secretary of the Texas Farmers Union
Explicitly campaigns against AI data centers draining farmland water - directly relevant to the San Marcos fight
Nate Sheets
Former senior adviser to Gov. Abbott · beat 3-term incumbent Sid Miller in primary (53%)
Railroad Commissioner
Regulates oil/gas drilling and pipeline safety - does not regulate railroads.
Jon Rosenthal
State Rep. (Houston), mechanical engineer, 30+ yrs in oil & gas
Cross-party endorsement: Hawk Dunlap, a 4th-generation oil worker who ran against Wright/French in the GOP primary, endorsed Rosenthal at the June 2026 state Democratic convention
Bo French
Former Tarrant County GOP chairman
Worth knowing: Lt. Gov. Patrick, Sen. Cornyn, and Fort Worth's mayor (all Republicans) called on him to resign after a post asking whether Muslims or Jews were "a bigger threat," and remarks calling Native Americans "third world savages."
State Board of Education, District 5
Allison Bush
Won the Democratic runoff over Stephanie Limon Bazan
25+ years as a teacher, counselor, and school administrator; B.A. from Stephen F. Austin State University; led education foundations in Bastrop and Pflugerville ISDs
Mica Arellano
Republican nominee
Worth knowing: the current SBOE Republican majority has advanced curriculum revisions centered on Christianity and Texas exceptionalism.
⚖️ Statewide Judicial Races
These races appear on every Texas ballot. Six-year terms, staggered.
Supreme Court, Chief Justice
Maggie Ellis (D) vs Jimmy Blacklock (R, inc.)
Supreme Court, Place 2
Chari Kelly (D) vs James Sullivan (R, inc.)
Supreme Court, Place 7
Kristen Hawkins (D) vs Kyle Hawkins (R, inc.)
Supreme Court, Place 8
Gisela Triana (D) vs Brett Busby (R, inc.)
Crim. Appeals, Place 3 (open)
Okey Anyiam (D) vs Thomas Smith (R)
Crim. Appeals, Place 4
Audra Riley (D) vs Kevin Yeary (R, inc.)
Crim. Appeals, Place 9 (open)
Holly Taylor (D) vs John Messinger (R)
Holly Taylor: Rice University, JD/MPA from UT Austin; Board Certified in Criminal Appellate Law; over a decade in the Travis County DA's Public Integrity Unit prosecuting corruption; led the office's Conviction Integrity Unit. (A specific "environmental crimes" statement of hers could not be confirmed - flagged as unverified.)
15th Ct. of App., Chief Justice
Jerry Zimmerer (D) vs Scott Brister (R, inc.)
15th Ct. of App., Place 2
Thomas Baker (D) vs Scott Field (R, inc.)
15th Ct. of App., Place 3
Marc Meyer (D) vs April Farris (R, inc.)
🇺🇸 Federal Races
U.S. Senator
Open seat - incumbent John Cornyn lost the GOP primary.
James Talarico
State Rep., HD-52 (Round Rock area) · Born Round Rock, TX
Eighth-generation Texan; former public school teacher, San Antonio westside, before the Legislature in 2018
Record-setting grassroots fundraiser; says he doesn't take corporate PAC money
Notable cross-over support: Dan Cogdell - the attorney who led Paxton's own impeachment defense for nearly a decade - endorsed Talarico in June 2026, saying Paxton has "lost sight of his core mission"
Ken Paxton
Texas Attorney General (2015–present)
See companion fact sheet for his full record: taxpayer-funded settlement, Ten Commandments/divorce, San Marcos marijuana lawsuit.
U.S. House - District 21
Why your district changed: before 2025 mid-decade redistricting (TX HB4, pushed by Abbott at Trump's request), San Marcos was split between CD-21 (Roy, R) and CD-35 (Casar, D) - Precinct 110 was on the CD-35 side. The new map moved all of San Marcos into CD-21 and Kyle/Buda into CD-27. Critics (Rep. Zwiener, Rep. Castro) say it dilutes minority voting power in what had been a Voting Rights Act "opportunity" district; still faces legal challenges but applies this November regardless.
Kristin Hook
Scientist, former teacher · Born Corpus Christi · lives in San Marcos · hookthecrooks.com
Raised by a single mom; Pell Grants to UT Austin (2007), PhD animal behavior, Cornell (2016)
Taught middle school science, then oversight investigator for Sen. Elizabeth Warren, NIH policy fellow, then GAO biologist protecting tax dollars from waste/fraud
Moved to San Marcos in 2025 - a Precinct 110 neighbor. Second run at this seat, got 36% vs. Roy in 2024
Mark Teixeira
Former MLB first baseman (Rangers, Yankees)
First-time political candidate; endorsed by Trump and Abbott in the primary
📣 Why This Matters
Precinct 110 showed up above the county average in the May 2026 primary runoff - roughly 9% turnout, ahead of the countywide pace. Real, hard-won progress, and it's growing. But it's still disproportionately older voters and working parents doing the showing up. Gen X - and especially millennials - are the missing piece; Gen Z is starting to turn out but needs the same push. If you're in either group: bring a friend, a roommate, a coworker. The generational gap in who actually votes here is the single biggest lever left to pull.