Corpus Christi: who represents it, and who is running
U.S. general election (federal, state and county offices) and City of Corpus Christi general and special election votes on 2026-11-03. It elects u.S. Senator (Texas, Cornyn seat, open); U.S. Representatives for TX-27, TX-34 and TX-15 (TX-15 only in the small San Patricio County part of the city); Governor and other statewide offices; Texas House District 34 at city hall (Texas Senate District 20 is not on the 2026 ballot); Nueces County offices; and the City of Corpus Christi Mayor, 3 At-Large and 5 District Council Members (all nine seats, 2026-2028 term), plus city Propositions A (Crime Control and Prevention District renewal) and B (industrial water drought surcharge charter amendment). City runoff, if needed, 2026-12-12..
Holding office16
the sitting council
On the ballot59
10 sitting members running again
The official candidate list ↗ · What Corpus Christi is like — the /local page
Congressional district (city hall): Texas's 27th congressional district (city hall); the city spans TX-27, TX-34 and (a small San Patricio County part) TX-15 on the 2025 map used for the 2026 election, and TX-27 and TX-34 on the 119th Congress map of the sitting members — Michael Cloud (Republican)
1
Mayor
| Name | Office | Party / slate | Seat | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gil Hernandez ✉️ Elected | Council Member → Running for Mayor | Independent | City of Corpus Christi | |
| Kaylynn Paxson ✉️ Elected | Council Member → Running for Mayor | Independent | City of Corpus Christi | |
| Paulette M. Guajardo ✉️ Elected | Mayor → Running | Independent | City of Corpus Christi | |
| Chelise Hyatt | Mayor Running | Independent | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary | |
| Dave Heasley | Mayor Running | Independent | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary | |
| David Ainsworth Sr. ✉️ | Mayor Running | Independent | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary | |
| John Calkusic | Mayor Running | Independent | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
2
Council Member — District 1
| Name | Office | Party / slate | Seat | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Everett Roy ✉️ Elected | Council Member | Independent | District 1 | City of Corpus Christi |
| Billy Lerma ✉️ | Council Member Running | Independent | District 1 | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
| John Garcia | Council Member Running | Independent | District 1 | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
| John M. Cudd | Council Member Running | Independent | District 1 | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
| Tracy McCall | Council Member Running | Independent | District 1 | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
| Vidal "Cowboy" Conde | Council Member Running | Independent | District 1 | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
3
Council Member — District 2
| Name | Office | Party / slate | Seat | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sylvia Campos ✉️ Elected | Council Member | Independent | District 2 | City of Corpus Christi |
| Isabel Araiza ✉️ | Council Member Running | Independent | District 2 | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
| Jen Allende ✉️ | Council Member Running | Independent | District 2 | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
| Laura Flores Commons ✉️ | Council Member Running | Independent | District 2 | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
| Selena Guerra ✉️ | Council Member Running | Independent | District 2 | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
4
Council Member — District 3
| Name | Office | Party / slate | Seat | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Cantu ✉️ Elected | Council Member → Running | Independent | District 3 | City of Corpus Christi |
| Jessica Villarreal | Council Member Running | Independent | District 3 | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
| Robert Rocha | Council Member Running | Independent | District 3 | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
5
Council Member — District 4
| Name | Office | Party / slate | Seat | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Herrington | Council Member Running | Independent | District 4 | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
| Joshua Anderson | Council Member Running | Independent | District 4 | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
| Kristina Nelson | Council Member Running | Independent | District 4 | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
| Stacie Garrecht ✉️ | Council Member Running | Independent | District 4 | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
6
Council Member — District 5
| Name | Office | Party / slate | Seat | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Pena ✉️ | Council Member Running | Independent | District 5 | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
| John Hanzalik ✉️ | Council Member Running | Independent | District 5 | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
| Joseph Borkouski | Council Member Running | Independent | District 5 | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
| Kusumakar Sooda ✉️ | Council Member Running | Independent | District 5 | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
| Merida Gonzalez Forrest ✉️ | Council Member Running | Independent | District 5 | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
7
Council Member
| Name | Office | Party / slate | Seat | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roland Barrera ✉️ Elected | Council Member | Independent | At-Large | City of Corpus Christi |
| Carolyn Vaughn ✉️ Elected | Council Member → Running | Independent | At-Large | City of Corpus Christi |
| Mark Scott ✉️ Elected | Council Member → Running | Independent | At-Large | City of Corpus Christi |
| Alex Johnston | Council Member Running | Independent | At-Large | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
| Anthem Powers | Council Member Running | Independent | At-Large | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
| Dan McQueen | Council Member Running | Independent | At-Large | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
| Joshua Fraedrick ✉️ | Council Member Running | Independent | At-Large | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
| Julian Jacob Hernandez | Council Member Running | Independent | At-Large | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
| Merida Nardone Mendoza | Council Member Running | Independent | At-Large | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
| Michael Miller ✉️ | Council Member Running | Independent | At-Large | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
| Nancy Vera | Council Member Running | Independent | At-Large | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
| Richard Shelton ✉️ | Council Member Running | Independent | At-Large | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
| Sammy Gonzales | Council Member Running | Independent | At-Large | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
| Scott F. Corliss | Council Member Running | Independent | At-Large | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
| Willie Morales Jr. | Council Member Running | Independent | At-Large | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
| Zoraida Basaldu | Council Member Running | Independent | At-Large | City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary |
8
Governor
| Name | Office | Party / slate | Seat | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greg Abbott Elected | Governor → Running | Republican | Texas Secretary of State | |
| Gina Hinojosa | Governor Running | Democratic | Texas Secretary of State | |
| Pat Dixon | Governor Running | Libertarian | Texas Secretary of State |
9
State Representative — HD-34
| Name | Office | Party / slate | Seat | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denise Villalobos Elected | State Representative → Running | Republican | Texas Legislature Online | |
| Stephanie Guerrero Saenz | State Representative Running | Democratic | Texas Secretary of State |
10
State Senator — SD-20
| Name | Office | Party / slate | Seat | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa Elected | State Senator | Democratic | Texas Senate |
11
U.S. Senator
| Name | Office | Party / slate | Seat | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Cornyn Elected | U.S. Senator | Republican | Texas Legislative Council | |
| Ted Cruz Elected | U.S. Senator | Republican | Texas Legislative Council | |
| James Talarico | U.S. Senator Running | Democratic | Texas Secretary of State | |
| Ken Paxton | U.S. Senator Running | Republican | Texas Secretary of State | |
| Ted Brown | U.S. Senator Running | Libertarian | Texas Secretary of State |
12
U.S. Representative — TX-15
| Name | Office | Party / slate | Seat | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobby Pulido | U.S. Representative Running | Democratic | Texas Secretary of State | |
| Monica De La Cruz | U.S. Representative Running | Republican | Texas Secretary of State |
13
U.S. Representative — TX-27
| Name | Office | Party / slate | Seat | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Cloud Elected | U.S. Representative → Running | Republican | U.S. House of Representatives | |
| Tanya Lloyd | U.S. Representative Running | Democratic | Texas Secretary of State |
14
U.S. Representative — TX-34
| Name | Office | Party / slate | Seat | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vicente Gonzalez Elected | U.S. Representative → Running | Democratic | U.S. House of Representatives | |
| Chris Royal | U.S. Representative Running | Libertarian | Texas Secretary of State | |
| Eddie Espinoza | U.S. Representative Running | Green | Texas Secretary of State | |
| Eric Flores | U.S. Representative Running | Republican | Texas Secretary of State |
i
Notes on this record
How the lists were read, and what could not be.
- Municipal: Mayor and 8 Council Members from the City of Corpus Christi pages (corpuschristitx.gov /our-government/mayor-and-council/ and each member page), retrieved 2026-10-22; each page states a two-year term, current term 2024-2026. Official @CorpusChristiTX.gov emails are as printed on those pages. No other city-wide elected office (City Manager and City Secretary are appointed). corpuschristitx.gov robots.txt disallows only /bin, /config, /install, /umbraco, /views; the site states no reuse terms, so photos are linked only.
- City election IS on 2026-11-03: the City Secretary's 2026 Election Central says voters elect a Mayor and eight Council Members (five single-district, three at-large) for the 2026-2028 term; runoff 2026-12-12; canvass 2026-11-17. Candidates from the City Secretary's Candidate List (PDF dated October 8, 2026) cross-checked against the 21 Aug 2026 ballot-order drawing release (withdrawal deadline 24 Aug) and the 2026 Voter Resources page; the October 8 list and the Voter Resources page agree on 7 Mayor, 15 At-Large and 21 District candidates (3 at-large seats, vote for up to 3). The 25 Aug ballot-order release also lists Davian N. Gomez and Anna Marie Hernandez under Mayor; neither is on the later October 8 candidate list or the Voter Resources page, so they are not included (reason not published). Non-partisan; no party printed. The candidate list prints mailing addresses and phone numbers - none were copied. Emails kept only where the address is plainly a campaign address (vote/elect/for-district style or campaign domain); other, plainly personal-looking addresses left null. Write-in Jennifer Gracia (At-Large) skipped. Name discrepancy: the candidate list and voter page print "John Hanzalik"; the ballot-order release prints "John Hanazlik" - the list spelling is used. Next municipal election after this: November 2028.
- Incumbents on the city ballot: Guajardo (Mayor), Mark Scott and Carolyn Vaughn (At-Large), Eric Cantu (District 3); Kaylynn Paxson (District 4) and Gil Hernandez (District 5) are running for Mayor, so their District 4 and 5 seats are open. Roland Barrera (At-Large), Everett Roy (District 1) and Sylvia Campos (District 2) are not on the ballot.
- Federal/state candidates: Texas Secretary of State Election Results site for the 2026 November General Election (electionresults.sos.state.tx.us/results.html, "Updated 10/14/2026"), which lists every federal and state race with its candidates and (I) incumbent markers before the polls open; robots.txt on that host is 404 (no rules). Write-in lines skipped. Names title-cased from the all-caps listing; ballotName keeps the printed form. Texas Senate District 20 has no 2026 race on that listing, so Hinojosa is "elected", not running.
- Nueces County Elections Department (www.nuecesco.com, also the redirect target of nuecesco.com) returned an Akamai "Access Denied" 403 to robots.txt itself for this User-Agent on 2026-10-22; not retried, so the Nueces County sample ballot (linked by the City as nuecesco.com/county-services/county-clerk/sample-ballot-1126-precinct) could not be read and county races are not captured. The Texas SOS candidate site goelect.txelections.civixapps.com and house.texas.gov were not used (robots disallow Claude agents, per BRIEF-SOURCES); lrl.texas.gov robots also disallows ClaudeBot/anthropic-ai/Claude-Web and congress.gov robots names AI agents - neither used.
- U.S. Senators: www.senate.gov and cruz.senate.gov returned Akamai 403 to robots.txt for this agent (not retried). Cornyn and Cruz are sourced from the Texas Legislative Council's Who Represents Me? service (rws.capitol.texas.gov/api/GetSenators, the data behind wrm.capitol.texas.gov, linked from the SOS officeholders page; robots.txt 404 on both hosts). That service does not print party; Republican is as in the earlier merged Texas records (senate.gov). Cornyn is not on the November ballot (he is not a candidate in the U.S. Senate race; open seat: Paxton R, Talarico D, Brown L).
- U.S. Representatives from house.gov/representatives (robots allows it), retrieved 2026-10-22: TX-27 Michael Cloud (R), TX-34 Vicente Gonzalez (D). Governor Greg Abbott (R, term expires 2026) from the SOS Statewide Elected Officials page. State Senator Hinojosa from senate.texas.gov (robots allows member pages; party "Democrat" as printed; photo under the disallowed /_assets path, so none). State Representative Villalobos from Texas Legislature Online (capitol.texas.gov/Members, allowed by robots; party not printed there - Republican per the SOS listing).
- Congressional and legislative districts covering the city: Census geocoder (geocoding.geo.census.gov, robots 404) point sampling on a 0.025-degree grid (154 points inside Corpus Christi city, place 4817000). Counties: Nueces County 91%, Kleberg County 7%, San Patricio County 2%. 120th Congress map (2025 Texas map, used for 2026): 27 49%, 34 49%, 15 2%. 119th Congress map (sitting members): TX-27 93%, TX-34 7%. Texas Senate (2026 layer): SD 27 59%, 20 41%. Texas House: HD 32 62%, 34 29%, 43 9%. On the 2025 map the San Patricio County part of the city (3 sample points, around 27.90-27.92 N, 97.25-97.27 W) is TX-15, represented today by Cloud (TX-27 on the 119th map); Monica De La Cruz is the sitting TX-15 member but does not currently represent any of the city, so she is listed as running (incumbent: true) rather than incumbent-running. Only city hall's state districts (SD-20, HD-34) are listed, per the brief. City hall located by coordinates only.
s
Sources
Prepared 2026-10-22. Nomination papers are never opened: they carry home addresses. After voting day a candidate list becomes a result; these rows are reconciled, not deleted.
- City of Corpus Christi, City Secretary — Candidate List, General Election November 3, 2026 (dated October 8, 2026) 37
- Texas Secretary of State — Election Results, 2026 November General Election (pre-election race and candidate listing, updated 10/14/2026) 12
- City of Corpus Christi — Mayor and Council 9
- Texas Legislative Council — Who Represents Me? (U.S. Senators service) 2
- U.S. House of Representatives — Directory of Representatives 2
- Texas Senate — Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa: District 20 1
- Texas Legislature Online — Member Information, 89th Legislature 1
- Texas Secretary of State — Statewide Elected Officials 1