Who's running in Texas's 1st congressional district
2 candidates are on the ballot. Below is what each one says they stand for, what they have actually done in office or in public life, and the arguments published for and against them — each quoted from a named source rather than summarised by us.
2 candidates · ballot order · Nathaniel Moran currently holds this seat
Medium confidenceMedium confidenceThe candidate's stated positions and basic record are documented, but coverage is thin — often little independent reporting, or criticism from only one side.What would raise it: More independent reporting, a documented voting record, or published criticism from a named opponent would raise this.
What they say they stand for
Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.
Cutting taxes and federal regulation.
American energy production.
Support for farmers and ranchers across the district's seventeen counties.
Border security.
Promoting American-made products.
Strategic competition with China, through his select committee seat.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
U.S. Representative for the 1st District since January 2023; re-elected unopposed in 2024.
Smith County judge before entering Congress.
Member of the House Ways and Means Committee, the House Ethics Committee and the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.
Missed 21 of 1,830 roll call votes between January 2023 and June 2026, a rate of 1.1%, better than the 2.1% median.
Endorsed by President Donald Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Governor Greg Abbott and AIPAC.
Raised $1,138,149 as of February 11, 2026.
Arguments in favor
He still holds in-person town halls at a time when many members have stopped, drawing more than 100 people to a Tyler event and taking the room as it came: "some folks showed up tonight just wanting to scream and fight and yell."
— Nathaniel Moran, quoted by KLTV
He does not simply follow his party's line on January 6: pressed at that town hall, he said some January 6 prisoners "were treated unfairly", while criticising the heckler's tactics.
— Nathaniel Moran, quoted by KLTV
Arguments against
His town halls are not real ones: pre-submitted questions were read aloud instead of an open floor. "I would love to sit down with Congressman Moran and here are some concerns I have as your constituent. I'm not being afforded that opportunity."
— Kristen Hardin-Sigler, chair of the Smith County Democratic Party, reported by CBS19
He skipped a town hall hosted by the Tyler NAACP chapter in 2025 despite months of notice and an offer to submit written answers, and gave "excuses instead of answers" at another.
— A Democratic candidate for the seat, reported by the Longview News-Journal
What we couldn’t verify
His committee assignments and legislative record were not established from the sources found.
No Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee page about him by name was found; the case above comes from local party officials and local reporting.
This district was redrawn in Texas's 2025 mid-decade redistricting; how the new boundaries change his position was not established from the sources found.
Regulating water sources to stop East Texas water being exported to other states: "We need to vote to keep our water here."
Raising the federal minimum wage incrementally to at least $15 an hour.
Negotiating with pharmaceutical companies to bring down medicine prices.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Won the Democratic primary runoff on May 26, 2026 with about 71% against Dax Alexander.
Advanced from a four-candidate March 3, 2026 primary that also included Tracy Andrus and Masika Akilah Ray.
Has not held elected office.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
No published criticism of Prince by name could be found: not from Nathaniel Moran or his campaign, not from the National Republican Congressional Committee, not from her Democratic runoff opponent, and not from East Texas news coverage. Because no case against her exists on the record, none is presented for her either, rather than showing her own campaign's case unanswered.
She won the May 26, 2026 Democratic runoff with about 71%; no campaign website was located.
Her positions and fundraising were not reported in material available.
Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.
Texas held its primary on March 3, 2026 and runoffs on May 26. Republican incumbent Nathaniel Moran advanced without a runoff; Yolanda Prince won the Democratic runoff with about 71% against Dax Alexander. The district was redrawn in Texas's 2025 mid-decade redistricting, which the U.S. Supreme Court allowed to take effect for 2026; it covers much of East Texas including Tyler, Longview, Nacogdoches and Texarkana. Neither candidate is listed with arguments for or against here: no published criticism of either candidate by name from someone opposing them could be found, and setting out a case against one and not the other would tilt the page.
This is one contest on a longer ballot
A Texas ballot also carries state legislative districts, county offices, judicial seats and often local questions — and which of them you vote on is decided by your street address, not your city or ZIP code.