U.S. House, Texas 1st Congressional District · November 3, 2026
Who should I vote for in Texas's 1st Congressional District?
Nathaniel Moran has the strongest record in Texas's 1st Congressional District. Nathaniel Moran scores 68 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Yolanda Prince at 50, as of October 5, 2026. Nathaniel Moran's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Republican · incumbent
Strongest record
Nathaniel Moran
On the ballot as NATHANIEL MORAN
68 / 100
Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 55
- Qualifications
- 80
- Performance
- 69
Democratic
Yolanda Prince
On the ballot as YOLANDA R. PRINCE
50 / 100
Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Nathaniel Moran
- Credit2026-07-23
Introduced the AI Kill Switch Act with Rep. Ted Lieu, a California Democrat, on July 23, 2026.
Source: PolitiFact, Sept. 14, 2026
- Credit2024
Sponsored the Jenna Quinn Law (H.R. 7233), enacted through its Senate companion S. 1147 on Dec. 23, 2024, and the No Technology for Terror Act (H.R. 6603), incorporated into H.R. 815, signed April 24, 2024.
Sources: GovTrack, H.R. 7233 (118th Congress), GovTrack, H.R. 6603 (118th Congress)
- Credit2023 to 2024
Voted No on the Fiscal Responsibility Act on May 31, 2023, and Nay on the H.R. 2882 appropriations package on March 22, 2024, against the votes of the House Republican leaders.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 243, May 31, 2023, House Clerk Roll Call 102, March 22, 2024
- Credit2016-07-19
Appointed acting Smith County judge by the Commissioners Court on July 19, 2016, while the elected judge was suspended, and later elected to a full four-year term in 2018.
Sources: Tyler Morning Telegraph, July 19, 2016, Office site, Biography
Yolanda Prince
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Nathaniel Moran. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 is on file with the House Clerk, filed Aug. 7, 2026 after an extension request. FEC reports are on file. No House Ethics Committee matter naming him as respondent and no FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10076305, House Committee on Ethics site search for Moran, FEC administrative fines search
Yolanda Prince. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine record and no Texas Ethics Commission sworn complaint order naming her was found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, Texas Ethics Commission, sworn complaint orders by date issued
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Nathaniel Moran. Voted No on the Fiscal Responsibility Act on May 31, 2023 (Republicans 149 to 71, leaders Aye) and Nay on the March 22, 2024 appropriations package, H.R. 2882 (Republicans 101 to 112, leaders Yea).
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 243, May 31, 2023, House Clerk Roll Call 102, March 22, 2024
Yolanda Prince. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Nathaniel Moran. His office reports reaching more than 600,000 East Texans by telephone town hall, and he gave an on-record interview on KLTV's East Texas Politics in October 2026. No 2026 general election debate was found, and none was reported declined.
Sources: Office site, home page, KLTV, Oct. 3, 2026
Yolanda Prince. Spoke at an NAACP Longview Branch candidate forum on Jan. 13, 2026 and a February 2026 candidate forum, and appeared on KLTV's East Texas Politics in September 2026. No general election debate with the incumbent was found.
Sources: Tyler Morning Telegraph, May 26, 2026, KLTV, Sept. 26, 2026
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Nathaniel Moran. Served on the Tyler City Council from 2005 to 2009, as Smith County judge from 2016 to 2022 and in Congress since 2023, where he sits on the Ethics Committee. No conduct finding against him found.
Sources: Office site, Biography, Tyler Morning Telegraph, July 19, 2016, GovTrack, Nathaniel Moran
Yolanda Prince. Works as a university project manager. No formal conduct finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Yolanda Prince
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Nathaniel Moran. Took the oath as Smith County judge in 2016 and as a U.S. representative in 2023. He was not in Congress for the January 2021 electoral count. No official finding of misuse of office found.
Sources: Tyler Morning Telegraph, July 19, 2016, GovTrack, Nathaniel Moran
Yolanda Prince. No public record found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Nathaniel Moran. U.S. representative since Jan. 3, 2023, now completing a full term and seeking a second. Previously Smith County judge from 2016 to 2022 and a Tyler City Council member from 2005 to 2009.
Sources: GovTrack, Nathaniel Moran, Ballotpedia, Nathaniel Moran, Office site, Biography
Yolanda Prince. Holds a bachelor's degree from Stephen F. Austin and a graduate degree from UT Arlington and works as a university project manager. Has not held elected office.
Source: Ballotpedia, Yolanda Prince
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Nathaniel Moran. Sits on the Ways and Means Committee and its Oversight and Social Security subcommittees, the Ethics Committee and the select committee on China. Holds no chair or ranking post.
Source: GovTrack, Nathaniel Moran
Yolanda Prince. Publishes issue positions on affordability, a $15 minimum wage, teacher pay, rural hospitals and Medicare reimbursement rates, stated as goals rather than detailed plans.
Sources: Campaign site, Issues, KLTV, May 7, 2026
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Nathaniel Moran. Publishes the Moran Minute newsletter and issue pages, holds telephone town halls and gives on-record local television interviews. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Office site, home page, KLTV, Oct. 3, 2026, Ballotpedia, Nathaniel Moran
Yolanda Prince. Publishes an issues page and has spoken at candidate forums. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.
Sources: Campaign site, Issues, Tyler Morning Telegraph, May 26, 2026, Ballotpedia, Yolanda Prince
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Nathaniel Moran. Graduated from Whitehouse ISD in Smith County in 1993 and served on the Tyler City Council and as Smith County judge. FEC by-state totals for 2025 to 2026 show about 64 percent of itemized individual contributions from Texas.
Sources: Office site, Biography, Tyler Morning Telegraph, July 19, 2016, FEC contribution totals by state
Yolanda Prince. Her FEC candidate record lists a Tyler address, in Smith County, which KLTV lists in the 1st District. Itemized individual contributions total only $212.68, all from Texas, too few to judge in-state funding.
Sources: FEC contribution totals by state, KLTV, Sept. 26, 2026
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Nathaniel Moran. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine record found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Yolanda Prince. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine record found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Nathaniel Moran. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 1.436 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 1.190, which the Center for Effective Lawmaking classes as meeting expectations. Sponsored the Jenna Quinn Law, enacted through its Senate companion on Dec. 23, 2024.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, enacted legislation, GovTrack, H.R. 7233 (118th Congress)
Yolanda Prince. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Nathaniel Moran. Missed 21 of 1,917 roll call votes, 1.1 percent, from January 2023 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Yolanda Prince. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Nathaniel Moran. Lists four district offices (Tyler, Texarkana, Longview, Marshall) and a casework service, and publishes casework figures: more than $10.5 million in benefits returned and more than 51,000 responses to constituents.
Source: Office site, home page
Yolanda Prince. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Nathaniel Moran. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -0.80294 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 290 of 436.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Yolanda Prince. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Nathaniel Moran. No public record found.
Yolanda Prince. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 5, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Texas's 1st Congressional District?
Nathaniel Moran has the strongest record in Texas's 1st Congressional District. Nathaniel Moran scores 68 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Yolanda Prince at 50, as of October 5, 2026. Nathaniel Moran's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Texas's 1st Congressional District in 2026?
NATHANIEL MORAN (Republican, incumbent), YOLANDA R. PRINCE (Democratic). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Nathaniel Moran a good candidate for Congress?
Nathaniel Moran scores 68 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 55 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 69 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Yolanda Prince a good candidate for Congress?
Yolanda Prince scores 50 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 50 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Texas race scored, the trailing candidate's path to victory, and the Texas 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.