U.S. House, Texas 13th Congressional District · November 3, 2026
Who should I vote for in Texas's 13th Congressional District?
Mark Nair has the strongest record in Texas's 13th Congressional District. Mark Nair scores 64 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Ronny Jackson at 62, as of October 6, 2026. Mark Nair's highest marks are roots in the constituency and relevant experience. Ronny Jackson's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Republican · incumbent
Ronny Jackson
On the ballot as RONNY JACKSON
62 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 44
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- 63
Democratic
Strongest record
Mark Nair
On the ballot as MARK NAIR
64 / 100
Public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 75
- 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.
Ronny Jackson
- Mark against2023-07-29
Deputies briefly detained him at a rodeo near Amarillo while he tried to help a teen having a seizure; a sheriff's report and released video show him cursing at and threatening officers.
- Mark against2021-03-03
A Defense Department inspector general report found that as White House physician he bullied subordinates, made sexual comments about a female subordinate and violated alcohol policy on a presidential trip. He disputed it.
- On the record2025-09-03
The Navy reduced his retired rank from rear admiral to captain in July 2022 after the inspector general report; the Navy Secretary restored the rear admiral rank in June 2025.
Sources: Texas Tribune, March 7, 2024, CBS News, Sept. 3, 2025
- On the record2025-07-02
Joined President Trump as a co-plaintiff in his suit against CBS over a 60 Minutes interview in Feb. 2025; Paramount settled in July 2025 for $16 million, with no direct payment to him.
Sources: KFDA NewsChannel 10, Feb. 10, 2025, CBS News, July 2, 2025
- On the record2025-11-03
Sued with Rep. Darrell Issa in federal court in Texas to block California's new congressional map; a federal judge dismissed the suit before the Nov. 2025 vote.
Source: NBC 7 San Diego, Nov. 3, 2025
- On the record2024-12-30
The Office of Congressional Ethics referred his campaign's Amarillo Club membership spending to the House Ethics Committee in Dec. 2021 and March 2024; the committee closed the matters Dec. 30, 2024 with no further action.
Sources: House Committee on Ethics statement, May 23, 2022, House Committee on Ethics statement, June 24, 2024, Office of Congressional Ethics report, Review No. 21-4513, House Committee on Ethics statement, Dec. 30, 2024, Texas Tribune, Dec. 30, 2024
- On the record2021-01
Voted Yea on both objections to state electoral votes on Jan. 6 and 7, 2021, days after taking office.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
- Credit2025-08-19
Sponsored H.R. 1316, an export control transparency bill, which was signed into law Aug. 19, 2025.
Mark Nair
- Credit2015 to 2017
Served on the Amarillo City Council in Place 4.
Sources: Amarillo Globe-News, 2017 election guide, Amarillo Globe-News, Aug. 27, 2025
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Ronny Jackson. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 filed Aug. 12, 2026 after an extension. The House Ethics Committee closed two OCE referrals on his campaign's club dues in Dec. 2024 with no further action. No FEC fine found.
Sources: House Clerk annual financial disclosure, Filing ID 10075233, House Committee on Ethics statement, Dec. 30, 2024, FEC administrative fines search
Mark Nair. House candidate financial disclosures are on file (latest filed Sept. 23, 2026) and FEC reports are on file through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine or Texas Ethics Commission order found.
Sources: House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10082928, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Ronny Jackson. Voted against the Fiscal Responsibility Act (2023), the March 2024 appropriations package and the April 2024 Ukraine supplemental, and against retaining a 2026 appropriations division, each time opposing Republican leaders' votes.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 243, May 31, 2023, House Clerk Roll Call 102, March 22, 2024, House Clerk Roll Call 151, April 20, 2024, House Clerk Roll Call 5, Jan. 8, 2026
Mark Nair. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Ronny Jackson. No public record found.
Mark Nair. Spoke at an Aug. 2026 public forum on data centers in Wichita Falls and holds public campaign events across the district. No 2026 general election debate with the incumbent was found.
Sources: Times Record News, Aug. 20, 2026, KAUZ News Channel 6, Aug. 6, 2026
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Ronny Jackson. A 2021 Defense Department inspector general report found that as White House physician he belittled and bullied subordinates and violated alcohol policy on a presidential trip. He called it a political hit job.
Mark Nair. Served on the Amarillo City Council and worked more than 20 years as head of innovation at an Amarillo employer. No formal conduct finding found.
Sources: Amarillo Globe-News, 2017 election guide, Campaign site, About Mark
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Ronny Jackson. Voted Yea on both objections to state electors on Jan. 6 and 7, 2021 (Roll Calls 10 and 11), days after taking office. Not on the Dec. 2020 Texas v. Pennsylvania House amicus brief.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
Mark Nair. Held sworn local office as an Amarillo City Council member (Place 4). No official finding of misuse of office found.
Sources: Amarillo Globe-News, 2017 election guide, Amarillo Globe-News, Aug. 27, 2025
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Ronny Jackson. In the U.S. House since Jan. 3, 2021, seeking a fourth term; previously physician to Presidents Obama and Trump in the White House Medical Unit.
Sources: GovTrack, Texas 13th District, Ballotpedia, Ronny Jackson
Mark Nair. Former Amarillo City Council member (Place 4), technology entrepreneur and inventor, and college instructor.
Sources: Amarillo Globe-News, 2017 election guide, Amarillo Globe-News, Aug. 27, 2025, KAUZ News Channel 6, Aug. 6, 2026
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Ronny Jackson. Chairs the Armed Services Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations and the Intelligence Committee's Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee; primary sponsor of five enacted bills per GovTrack.
Source: GovTrack, committee membership
Mark Nair. Publishes a platform with specific proposals that fall within Congress's powers, including legislation on government use of AI and returning tariff authority to Congress.
Source: Campaign site, Platform
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Ronny Jackson. Offers an e-newsletter and issue pages, held an open town hall in Amarillo in 2023, and his office runs mobile office hours. Has not completed Ballotpedia's survey.
Sources: Office site, home page, KAUZ News Channel 6, Aug. 16, 2023, Ballotpedia, Ronny Jackson
Mark Nair. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey, publishes a detailed platform page and spoke at a public forum in Aug. 2026.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Mark Nair, Campaign site, Platform, Times Record News, Aug. 20, 2026
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Ronny Jackson. Lives in Amarillo, in the district; born in Levelland. FEC by-state totals show about 27 percent of itemized individual contributions from Texas.
Sources: Texas Tribune, Dec. 30, 2024, KFDA NewsChannel 10, Feb. 10, 2025, FEC contribution totals by state
Mark Nair. Has lived in Amarillo for more than 30 years. FEC by-state totals show about 98 percent of itemized individual contributions from Texas.
Sources: Amarillo Globe-News, Aug. 27, 2025, Ballotpedia, Mark Nair, survey answers, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Ronny Jackson. FEC reports on file through June 30, 2026, each filed by its due date, and no FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Mark Nair. FEC reports on file through June 30, 2026, each original filed by its due date, and no FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Ronny Jackson. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 0.409 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 1.194, below expectations. Raised to 2 under E14: his H.R. 1316 on export control transparency was signed into law Aug. 19, 2025.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, H.R. 1316 (119th Congress), GovTrack, enacted legislation
Mark Nair. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Ronny Jackson. Missed 104 of 2,915 roll call votes, 3.6 percent, from January 2021 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Mark Nair. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Ronny Jackson. Lists district offices in Amarillo and Wichita Falls, reports 4,784 cases solved and 95 mobile offices hosted, and local TV reports his staff's regular mobile office hours in rural counties.
Sources: Office site, Offices, Office site, home page, KFDA NewsChannel 10, May 11, 2026
Mark Nair. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Ronny Jackson. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -0.87014 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 304 of 436.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Mark Nair. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Ronny Jackson. No public record found.
Mark Nair. 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 6, 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 13th Congressional District?
Mark Nair has the strongest record in Texas's 13th Congressional District. Mark Nair scores 64 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Ronny Jackson at 62, as of October 6, 2026. Mark Nair's highest marks are roots in the constituency and relevant experience. Ronny Jackson's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Texas's 13th Congressional District in 2026?
RONNY JACKSON (Republican, incumbent), MARK NAIR (Democratic). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Ronny Jackson a good candidate for Congress?
Ronny Jackson scores 62 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 44 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 63 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Mark Nair a good candidate for Congress?
Mark Nair scores 64 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 75 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.