What they say they stand for
Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.
- Strong border and immigration control.
- Energy dominance.
- Second Amendment rights.
- Opposition to abortion.
- Agriculture, which he names as a core commitment in a district dominated by cotton and cattle.
- A strong national defence, and opposition to what he calls Sharia law.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
- Won the March 3, 2026 Republican primary for the open seat.
- Has not held elected office.
Arguments in favor
He knows this district's industry from the inside: a top aide to Rep. Larry Combest before more than twenty years working on agricultural policy in Washington, in a district defined by farming.
— Tom Sell's campaign, reported by the Almanac of American Politics and USA Rice
He won the runoff comfortably and was one of the few Texas Republicans to win a 2026 primary without Donald Trump's endorsement. He answers the attacks by saying "my opponent only has one option left and that is to attack me."
— Tom Sell, reported by Lubbock Lights; runoff result reported by The Texan
Arguments against
He "has been a part of the political machine for a couple of decades now, as a lobbyist" and "understands how to navigate what is the swamp" — the opposite of what the district voted for.
— Abraham Enriquez, his Republican runoff opponent
"Sixty percent of voters in West Texas wanted anything but Tom Sell" in the first round, and his donation records show who he answers to.
— Abraham Enriquez, reported by Lubbock Lights
What we couldn’t verify
- He has held no elected office, so there is no voting record to set against his campaign's positions.
- His response to the donation-records criticism was not established from the sources found.
- No criticism of him by name from Kyle Rable's campaign or from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee was found.