Texas › Bastrop County › Texas Senate District 5
2 candidates are tracked for Texas Senate District 5, headed to a November 3, 2026 runoff: Charles Schwertner and Paul Thomasson. Candidate information follows official Bastrop County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Charles Schwertner (Republican), Paul Thomasson (Democratic) are on the November 3 ballot for Texas Senate District 5; Charles Schwertner is the sitting member, per the Texas Senate' official roster. Nominees were chosen at the March 3 primary (or a May 26 runoff) or advanced unopposed; the field is the Texas Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election candidate list. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Charles Schwertner is an orthopedic surgeon with a pharmacy degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, per his official Senate biography. He served in the Texas House from 2011 to 2013 and has represented Senate District 5 since 2013, chairing the Senate Committee on Business and Commerce. He is the incumbent seeking reelection.
2026 priorities (per the campaign site)
- Border security and immigration enforcement, including 287(g) enforcement legislation
- Second Amendment rights, including authoring the state's constitutional carry law
- Property rights and eminent domain reform for landowners
Source: candidate campaign site.
Campaign site →
Paul Thomasson, the Democratic nominee for Texas Senate District 5, is a retired United Methodist pastor with 43 years of ministry experience, according to KBTX. His wife is a retired teacher and several of his children and their spouses currently work as educators in Texas schools. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 11, 2026.
2026 priorities (per the KBTX)
- Raising the state's minimum wage
- Opposing school voucher programs that redirect public education funding
- Expanding healthcare access and affordability
