About this office
There are only 31 State Senators for all of Texas, and every bill has to get past them. Who you elect as your State Senator can be the difference between a bill becoming a law that changes lives for the better — or being left to die. Yours represents Hays County and the counties around it, and once elected, sits for four years. It's a small club with a lot of quiet power, and this is one of the few times you get a say in who's in it.
Candidates
Charles SchwertnerBefore he was writing Texas laws, Charles Schwertner was setting broken bones — he's a practicing orthopedic surgeon from Georgetown.
About Charles
Schwertner has represented Senate District 5 since 2013 and chairs the powerful Senate Business & Commerce Committee, which oversees electric utilities, insurance, and banking. He calls himself a sixth-generation Texan and has authored major bills on the state's power grid and immigration enforcement. He's running for re-election in 2026.
Paul ThomassonPaul Thomasson spent over 40 years as a United Methodist pastor, including time serving patients and families at Houston's Ben Taub Hospital, before running for state Senate.
About Paul
Thomasson is a retired pastor who helped start Boys & Girls Club chapters, Habitat for Humanity affiliates, and ESL programs across Texas communities during his ministry. Nearly his whole family works in public education — his wife, son, daughter, and son-in-law are all teachers — which is part of why he's running against the state's new private-school voucher program. He's making his first run for office in 2026.