U.S. House, Texas 26th Congressional District · November 3, 2026
Who should I vote for in Texas's 26th Congressional District?
Brandon Gill has the strongest record in Texas's 26th Congressional District. Brandon Gill scores 60 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 6, 2026. Brandon Gill's highest marks are command of the job and courage. Phil Gray (3 of 15 criteria) and Steven Shook (6 of 15 criteria) have too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Republican · incumbent
Strongest record
Brandon Gill
On the ballot as BRANDON GILL
60 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 70
- Performance
- 58
Libertarian
Phil Gray
On the ballot as PHIL GRAY
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 3 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
Democratic
Steven Shook
On the ballot as STEVEN SHOOK
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 6 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 60
- 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.
Brandon Gill
- Mark against2025-05-30
Reported Bitcoin purchases made Jan. 29 and Feb. 27, 2025, each valued $100,001 to $250,000, on May 30, 2025, past the STOCK Act's 45-day deadline.
Sources: House Clerk periodic transaction report, Filing ID 20030417, OpenSecrets News, June 2025, Cointelegraph, June 2025
- Credit2026-02-18
Sponsored H.J.Res. 142, disapproving a D.C. Council tax conformity act; it was signed into law Feb. 18, 2026 as Pub.L. 119-78.
Phil Gray
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Steven Shook
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.
Brandon Gill. A periodic transaction report filed May 30, 2025 disclosed Bitcoin purchases made Jan. 29 and Feb. 27, 2025, past the STOCK Act's 45-day deadline, as OpenSecrets and Cointelegraph reported. No House Ethics Committee matter found.
Sources: House Clerk periodic transaction report, Filing ID 20030417, OpenSecrets News, June 2025, Cointelegraph, June 2025, House Committee on Ethics site search
Phil Gray. No public record found.
Steven Shook. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, and a House candidate financial disclosure was filed May 15, 2026. No FEC administrative fine or Texas Ethics Commission order found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10078319, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Brandon Gill. Voted against the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 when the Speaker, Majority Leader and Whip voted Yea, and for the 2026 ROTOR Act when they voted Nay.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 45, 2026, House Clerk Roll Call 72, 2026
Phil Gray. No public record found.
Steven Shook. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Brandon Gill. Held a series of neighborhood town halls in the district in summer 2025, promoted through invitations to community leaders. No record found of 2026 general election debates, accepted or declined.
Source: Texas Tribune, Sept. 5, 2025
Phil Gray. No public record found.
Steven Shook. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Brandon Gill. Worked in investment banking and at a hedge fund before founding a news outlet; in Congress since January 2025. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee matter found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Brandon Gill, House Committee on Ethics site search
Phil Gray. No public record found.
Steven Shook. No public record found.
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Brandon Gill. Sworn into the House in January 2025, after the January 2021 electoral count and the Texas v. Pennsylvania filing. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Source: Office site, home page
Phil Gray. No public record found.
Steven Shook. No public record found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Brandon Gill. In his first term in the U.S. House, since January 2025; previously worked in investment banking and founded a news outlet.
Phil Gray. A business owner and property manager. Has run for the U.S. House as a Libertarian in several Texas districts since 2016 and has not held public office.
Source: Ballotpedia, Phil Gray
Steven Shook. A critical care nurse practitioner who has treated critically ill and injured patients since 2009, with degrees from Tarrant County College, Texas Tech and UT Arlington. Has not held public office.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Steven Shook, Community Impact, Feb. 13, 2026
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Brandon Gill. Chairs the Oversight Committee's Task Force on Defending Constitutional Rights and Exposing Institutional Abuses and sits on the Oversight, Judiciary and Budget committees.
Sources: Office site, press release, Aug. 17, 2026, GovTrack, committee membership
Phil Gray. His 2024 campaign website, quoted by Ballotpedia, set out positions on national debt and immigration in general terms. No 2026 platform found.
Steven Shook. Publishes specific health care proposals within Congress's powers, including extending Medicare price negotiation to all insurance plans and capping out-of-pocket medication costs.
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Brandon Gill. Offers an e-newsletter, publishes issue pages, answered Community Impact's 2026 primary questionnaire and held neighborhood town halls. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Office site, home page, Community Impact, Feb. 13, 2026, Ballotpedia, Brandon Gill
Phil Gray. One published channel: a 2024 issues statement. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Source: Ballotpedia, Phil Gray
Steven Shook. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025, answered Community Impact's candidate questionnaire and publishes an issues page.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Steven Shook, Community Impact, Feb. 13, 2026, Campaign site
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Brandon Gill. Lives in Flower Mound in Denton County, inside the district, and keeps his district office there; grew up near Abilene. FEC by-state totals show about 48 percent of individual contributions from Texas.
Sources: Texas Tribune, Sept. 5, 2025, Office site, Office Locations, FEC contribution totals by state
Phil Gray. No public record found.
Steven Shook. Born in Arlington and raised in the Fort Worth area; his committee lists a Haslet address. Whether his home lies inside the district was not established. About 95 percent of his $10,801 in itemized individual contributions came from Texas.
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Brandon Gill. 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
Phil Gray. No public record found.
Steven Shook. 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.
Brandon Gill. No Legislative Effectiveness Score yet for his first Congress. Sponsored H.J.Res. 142, disapproving a D.C. Council tax act, which was signed into law Feb. 18, 2026.
Phil Gray. No public record found.
Steven Shook. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Brandon Gill. Missed 14 of 676 roll call votes, 2.1 percent, from January 2025 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Phil Gray. No public record found.
Steven Shook. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Brandon Gill. Lists one district office, in Flower Mound, and offers help with federal agencies. No published casework totals found.
Sources: Office site, Office Locations, Office site, home page
Phil Gray. No public record found.
Steven Shook. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Brandon Gill. No public record found.
Phil Gray. No public record found.
Steven Shook. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Brandon Gill. No public record found.
Phil Gray. No public record found.
Steven Shook. 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 26th Congressional District?
Brandon Gill has the strongest record in Texas's 26th Congressional District. Brandon Gill scores 60 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 6, 2026. Brandon Gill's highest marks are command of the job and courage. Phil Gray (3 of 15 criteria) and Steven Shook (6 of 15 criteria) have too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Texas's 26th Congressional District in 2026?
BRANDON GILL (Republican, incumbent), PHIL GRAY (Libertarian), STEVEN SHOOK (Democratic). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Brandon Gill a good candidate for Congress?
Brandon Gill scores 60 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 70 of 100, performance 58 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Phil Gray a good candidate for Congress?
Phil Gray has public evidence on 3 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Steven Shook a good candidate for Congress?
Steven Shook has public evidence on 6 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
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.