Polling Average
60%50%40%30%20%10%0%
9.7%
52.1%
Democrat
Chris Bell
Democrat
Chris Bell
Texas Democratic Governor nominee?
$14.3K
MAR 4, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleFormer U.S. Representative
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyLiberal Democrat
Age66 years old (Nov 23, 1959)
GenderMale
Show moreShow less
LocationTexas
BackgroundAttorney
EducationUniversity of Texas at Austin (B.J., 1982)
Notable personal detailsRobert Christopher "Chris" Bell is an American attorney, former journalist, and Democratic politician from Texas. He served on the Houston City Council (at-large) from 1997 to 2001 and represented Texas's 25th Congressional District in the U.S. House from 2003 to 2005. Bell was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Texas in 2006 and later ran in the 2020 Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Texas. He announced another campaign for Texas governor in the 2026 election cycle.
SourcesShowHide
history.house.goven.wikipedia.orgwikidata.orgtexastribune.orgdallasnews.comcbsnews.comkwtx.comhoustonvotersguide.orggcdptx.orgcommons.wikimedia.orgen-academic.comksat.compoliticiancompare.comcongress.govnewtools.cira.state.tx.usvanzandtcountydemocrats.coms3.documentcloud.orgbexardemocrat.orgwheelercounty.texas.govchron.comchrisbellforgovernor.commrt.comchrisbelltexas.commyplainview.comcleanfundtx.orghoustonchronicle.comontheissues.orgkellysearch.comuniversitysurgical.comusacs.comjsg.utexas.edunpiprofile.comkalterra.comstatic.votesmart.orgcdn.ballotpedia.orgcontext-cdn.washingtonpost.comnewscms.nbcnews.comnga.orghouse.govballotready.orgjustfacts.votesmart.orggovinfo.govvanhollen.senate.govclerk.house.govfec.gov
Positions
LiberalConservative
Economy & Taxes
The candidate has advocated increasing revenue to expand public education funding, including proposals to expand business taxes to raise several billion dollars for schools. He supports increased state spending on K–12 and higher education affordability measures rather than revenue-neutral tax shifts.
Healthcare
Supports expanding access to care including Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, strengthening community and neighborhood health clinics, and treating healthcare as a right. Proposes policies to enroll more Texans in coverage, keep rural hospitals open, and reduce reliance on emergency rooms for primary care.
Show moreShow less
Immigration & Border
Supports an earned pathway to citizenship and opposes mass deportation and construction of a border fence, while endorsing some limited enforcement measures such as National Guard support (with caution about militarizing the border).
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
The candidate supports reproductive rights and opposes government interference between a woman and her doctor. He has said he would veto laws that would preemptively outlaw abortion and has a pro-choice voting record.
Climate & Energy
Supports clean energy investment and clean-energy programs for Texas, advocates stronger enforcement of environmental regulations, and has worked with organizations to expand access to clean energy and federal clean-energy funding. Positions emphasize clean energy jobs, pollution reduction, and environmental justice while not explicitly calling for immediate fossil fuel phase-out or Green New Deal–style language in available sources.
Public Safety & Guns
Supports an assault-weapons ban with a mandatory buyback, endorses expanded background checks, and has called for removing military-style weapons from civilian circulation to improve public safety.
News
AINews Summary
Last updatedJun 12, 2026
Chris Bell is in the news as a Democratic candidate in the Texas 2026 primary cycle, with the election now underway and early voting drawing strong turnout. Recent coverage also points to Texas data center growth and power demand as a political issue that some Democratic candidates are using to attack. The broader race is being shaped by the Republican field, including Trump’s endorsement of Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate primary, which Democrats think could help them in the general election.
history.house.gov+44
Articles
CNCBS News3 months ago
Texas sample ballot for the 2026 primary elections shows every race to vote on this year
Neutral
F4FOX 4 News3 months ago
LIVE UPDATES: Texas Primary 2026
Neutral
F4FOX 4 News3 months ago
Everything Texans should know about voting in the primary
Neutral
AGAmarillo Globe-News3 months ago
2026 March primary election day is Tuesday
Neutral
Polls
Texas Democratic Governor nominee?
Aggregation source: FiftyPlusOne
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Endorsements
- Fundraising