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Ballot Explained

U.S. House · November 3, 2026

Who's running in Texas's 20th 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.

Candidates
2
Incumbent
Joaquin Castro
Parties
Democratic · Republican
State primary
Mar 3

Candidates appear in ballot order. We do not rank them, score them, or recommend one — here is how this is put together, and here is what the office actually does.

2 candidates · ballot order · Joaquin Castro 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.

  • Foreign policy and oversight of the intelligence community, through his committee assignments.
  • Immigration policy.
  • Federal investment in San Antonio.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • U.S. Representative for the 20th District since January 2013; re-elected unopposed in 2024.
  • Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
  • Member of the Texas House of Representatives before Congress.
  • Advanced from the March 3, 2026 Democratic primary.

Arguments in favor

  • He does casework that makes a difference to individual people: he fought for and won the release of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and others detained in immigration sweeps, and has become one of the most visible critics of the administration's immigration enforcement. The San Antonio Current named him its 2026 Critics' Pick for Best Politician.

    — San Antonio Current

  • He testified at the Texas Capitol against the state's mid-decade gerrymandering, opposing the redistricting that reshaped seats across Texas including his own region.

    — Office of Rep. Joaquin Castro

Arguments against

  • He misses far more votes than his colleagues: 337 of 7,577 roll calls between January 2013 and July 2026 — 4.4%, described as much worse than the 2.0% median for sitting members.

    — GovTrack

  • He spent this cycle looking for a different job, weighing a run for the U.S. Senate before telling others he would "slot down" to the Attorney General race instead, and has raised only about $172,000 this year with about $168,000 on hand.

    — The Texas Tribune and the San Antonio Report

What we couldn’t verify

  • Castro's own explanation for his missed-vote record was not established from the sources found.
  • Whether he pursued either statewide race in the end was not established from the sources found.
  • No National Republican Congressional Committee page about him by name was found, and no criticism of him from his general election opponent.
Their campaign site ↗Sources:castroforcongress.comsos.state.tx.uspolitics1.comen.wikipedia.orgcommunity.sacurrent.comgovtrack.ustexastribune.orgsanantonioreport.org

What they say they stand for

Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.

  • Public safety, addressing crime and homelessness.
  • Economic reform aimed at the district's 18.4% poverty rate and business closures.
  • Second Amendment rights.
  • Patient-centred health care reform, drawing on his nursing background.
  • Support for service members and veterans; accountability in the school district.
  • Preventing what he describes as misuse of benefits intended for citizens by non-citizens, and expanding affordable housing.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • Attorney in practice for more than twenty years; also a critical care nurse and a soldier.
  • Endorsed by the San Antonio Police Officers Association.
  • Has not held elected office.
  • Won the March 3, 2026 Republican primary.

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 Baez by name could be found: not from Joaquin Castro or his campaign, not from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and not from San Antonio news coverage. Because no case against him exists on the record, none is presented for him either, rather than showing his own campaign's case unanswered.
  • His positions and record were not stated in material available beyond his campaign site.
  • His fundraising totals were not reported in material available.
Their campaign site ↗Sources:drbaezforcongress.comsos.state.tx.uspolitics1.com

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. Democratic incumbent Joaquin Castro and Republican Edgardo Baez are the two candidates on the November ballot. The district was redrawn in Texas's 2025 mid-decade redistricting and covers downtown San Antonio, the historically Black east side and parts of the west side. Kamala Harris carried it with 63.5% in 2024. Roster confirmed against the Texas Secretary of State's certified ballot. 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.

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