U.S. House, Texas 19th Congressional District · November 3, 2026
Who should I vote for in Texas's 19th Congressional District?
Tom Sell has the strongest record in Texas's 19th Congressional District. Tom Sell scores 63 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Kyle Rable at 50, as of October 6, 2026. Tom Sell's highest marks are roots in the constituency and relevant experience. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic
Kyle Rable
On the ballot as KYLE RABLE
50 / 100
Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
Republican
Strongest record
Tom Sell
On the ballot as TOM SELL
63 / 100
Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 70
- Performance
- NR
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Kyle Rable. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. House candidate financial disclosures for 2025 and 2026 were filed Sept. 24, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10082934, FEC administrative fines search
Tom Sell. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, and a House candidate financial disclosure was filed May 12, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10075766, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Kyle Rable. No public record found.
Tom Sell. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Kyle Rable. No public record found.
Tom Sell. Debated Abraham Enriquez in a televised Republican runoff debate in May 2026. No record found of 2026 general election debates accepted or declined.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Kyle Rable. Commissioned through Army ROTC into the Army Reserve and now a captain; former secretary of the Lubbock County Democratic Party. No conduct finding found.
Sources: Texas Observer, KCBD, May 11, 2025
Tom Sell. Deputy staff director of the House Agriculture Committee from 1999 to early 2003, then co-founded a Lubbock firm with former Rep. Larry Combest. No conduct finding found.
Sources: Texas Tribune, Feb. 26, 2026, Ballotpedia, Tom Sell
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Kyle Rable. Holds a commission as an Army Reserve officer (captain). No official finding of misuse of office.
Sources: KCBD, May 11, 2025, Texas Observer
Tom Sell. No public record found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Kyle Rable. Army Reserve captain, Texas Tech doctoral candidate and former secretary of the Lubbock County Democratic Party. Has not held public office.
Sources: KCBD, May 11, 2025, Texas Observer
Tom Sell. Deputy staff director of the House Agriculture Committee from 1999 to early 2003 after working for Rep. Larry Combest; since then co-founder of a Lubbock firm with Combest. Has not held elected office.
Sources: Texas Tribune, Feb. 26, 2026, Ballotpedia, Tom Sell
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Kyle Rable. Publishes an issues page with positions on costs, housing, child care, tariffs, immigration, data privacy and AI, some naming legislation he would introduce.
Source: Campaign site, Issues
Tom Sell. Served as House Agriculture Committee deputy staff director during the 2002 farm bill period and runs on agriculture policy; his issues page lists general positions.
Sources: Texas Tribune, Feb. 26, 2026, Campaign site, Issues
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Kyle Rable. Publishes a detailed issues page and gives interviews to local outlets. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Campaign site, Issues, Ballotpedia, Kyle Rable
Tom Sell. Publishes an issues page and took part in a televised primary runoff debate. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Campaign site, Issues, KTAB/KRBC via Yahoo News, May 13, 2026, Ballotpedia, Tom Sell
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Kyle Rable. Lives in Lubbock, where he moved for Texas Tech's doctoral program; originally from Ohio. About 95 percent of itemized individual contributions for 2025 to 2026 came from Texas.
Sources: Campaign site, About, FEC contribution totals by state
Tom Sell. Born in Lubbock and has lived there with his family since 2003; a fifth-generation West Texan. About 84 percent of itemized individual contributions for 2025 to 2026 came from Texas.
Sources: KCBD, May 21, 2026, Texas Tribune, Feb. 26, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Kyle Rable. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with no reported committee debt. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Tom Sell. Co-founded and runs a Lubbock firm with Larry Combest; campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with $7,624 in reported debts. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: Campaign site, About, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Kyle Rable. No public record found.
Tom Sell. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Kyle Rable. No public record found.
Tom Sell. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Kyle Rable. No public record found.
Tom Sell. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Kyle Rable. No public record found.
Tom Sell. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Kyle Rable. No public record found.
Tom Sell. 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 19th Congressional District?
Tom Sell has the strongest record in Texas's 19th Congressional District. Tom Sell scores 63 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Kyle Rable at 50, as of October 6, 2026. Tom Sell's highest marks are roots in the constituency and relevant experience. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Texas's 19th Congressional District in 2026?
KYLE RABLE (Democratic), TOM SELL (Republican). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Kyle Rable a good candidate for Congress?
Kyle Rable 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.
Is Tom Sell a good candidate for Congress?
Tom Sell scores 63 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 70 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.