Texas State Senator, District 11

Mayes Middleton is a Republican state senator from Galveston who has represented Senate District 11 since 2023, after serving in the Texas House from 2019 to 2023¹. He is an attorney, president of Middleton Oil Company, and runs ranching and farming operations². He won the Republican nomination for attorney general by defeating U.S. Rep. Chip Roy in the May 26, 2026 runoff¹.

Where they stand

• School choice: Yes, universal school choice for every family Voted · high confidence
  • Voted yes on final Senate passage of SB 2, which created a state education savings account program to help pay for private school; it passed 19 to 12. (2025-02-05) source
  • Voted yes on SB 8, an earlier education savings account bill that passed the Senate 18 to 13. (2023-04-06) source
  • Said he joint-authored and helped pass what he called the largest school choice program in the nation. (2026) source
• Abortion: Illegal in all cases Voted · medium confidence
  • As a state representative, voted yes on House passage of SB 8, the Texas Heartbeat Act; it passed the House 83 to 64. (2021-05-06) source
  • As a state representative, voted yes on House passage of HB 1280, the law banning abortion if Roe v. Wade was overturned; it passed 81 to 61. (2021-05-06) source
  • Voted yes on SB 33, which bars local governments from funding travel or logistical support for abortions; it passed the Senate 22 to 9. (2025-04-16) source
  • Voted yes on HB 7, which restricts the manufacture and provision of abortion-inducing drugs; it passed the Senate 17 to 8. (2025-09-03) source
  • Said elective abortion should not be allowed under any circumstances and that unborn life should be protected from conception. (2026) source
• Guns: Remove most restrictions; bearing arms is a right Said · high confidence
  • Said there should be no restrictions at all on gun ownership for law-abiding citizens, while felons and people here illegally should still be barred. (2026) source
  • His campaign website says he co-authored the constitutional carry bill and that law-abiding citizens should not have to ask government permission to carry. (2026) source
  • As a state representative, voted yes on HB 1927, permitless (constitutional) carry; it passed the House 87 to 58. (2021-04-16) source
• Immigration: Deport everyone here illegally, as quickly as possible Said · high confidence
  • Said "We have to deport all illegal immigrants. Not some. All." (2026-02-01) source
  • Listed supporting Trump administration efforts to deport illegal immigrants as a top priority in a candidate questionnaire. (2026-08-31) source
  • Voted yes on SB 8, which requires certain sheriffs to seek agreements with ICE to enforce federal immigration law; it passed the Senate 20 to 11. (2025-05-31) source
  • Voted yes on SB 4, which made illegal entry into Texas a state crime; it passed the Senate 17 to 11. (2023-11-09) source
• Energy and climate: Maximize oil and gas; climate rules hurt the economy Said · medium confidence
  • Strongly disagreed that man-made climate change requires urgent action and called spending on green energy subsidies a waste. (2026) source
  • Said oil, gas and nuclear power will meet growing electricity demand. (2026) source
  • Voted yes on SB 819, a bill on renewable energy generation facilities that authorized new fees; it passed the Senate 22 to 9. (2025-04-15) source
  • Voted yes on SB 388, setting legislative goals for electric generation capacity; it passed the Senate 18 to 13. (2025-03-19) source
• Texas power grid: Pay for more backup natural gas plants Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted yes on SB 2627, which created state loans for new or upgraded dispatchable power plants (battery storage not eligible); it passed the Senate 27 to 4. (2023-05-04) source
  • Voted yes on SB 6, which set up a Texas Energy Insurance Program and other funding to support power plant construction; it passed 22 to 9. (2023-04-05) source
  • Said hydrocarbons and nuclear power provide the reliable, dispatchable power Texas needs. (2026) source
• Housing and growth: Allow townhomes and apartments in more places to bring prices down Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted yes on SB 15, which bars certain large cities from requiring residential lots larger than 3,000 square feet; it passed the Senate 29 to 2. (2025-03-19) source
  • Voted yes on SB 840, which limits city rules on mixed-use and multifamily housing and eases conversion of commercial buildings to housing; it passed the Senate 23 to 7. (2025-03-24) source
• Property taxes: Keep cutting them and cap how fast they can rise Voted · high confidence
  • Voted yes on SB 4, which raised the school homestead exemption; the final version passed 31 to 0. (2025-05-29) source
  • Voted yes on SB 10, which lowered the voter-approval tax rate limit for certain local taxing units; it passed the Senate 18 to 12. (2025-08-19) source
  • As a state representative, voted yes on House passage of SB 2 (2019), the property tax bill; it passed 109 to 36. (2019-05-01) source
• Policing and crime: Tougher sentences, more police funding, and stricter bail Said · medium confidence
  • His campaign website supports zero-tolerance policies for violent crime and stronger bonds for dangerous offenders. (2026) source
  • Voted yes on SB 9, which tightened bail procedures and regulated charitable bail groups; the final version passed 29 to 2. (2025-05-29) source
  • Cast himself as the "law-and-order, tough-on-crime candidate" in a CBS News interview reported by KERA. (2026-09-02) source
• Election rules: Strict photo ID, paper ballots, cleaner voter rolls and fewer mail ballots Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted yes on SB 16, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote; it passed the Senate 20 to 11. (2025-04-01) source
  • As a state representative, voted yes on the final version of SB 1 (2021), the election law overhaul; the House adopted it 80 to 41. (2021-08-31) source
  • Strongly disagreed with voting without photo ID and said he worked to extend ID requirements to absentee ballots. (2026) source
• Redistricting: State legislatures draw maps and may redraw any time, including for partisan advantage Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted yes on HB 4, which redrew Texas U.S. House districts in 2025, four years after the 2021 maps; it passed the Senate 18 to 11. (2025-08-22) source
  • As a state representative, voted yes on SB 6, the 2021 congressional map; it passed the House 79 to 56. (2021-10-17) source
• Death penalty: Keep it for the worst murders under current rules Questionnaire answer · medium confidence
  • Said "I fully support the death penalty as well." (2026) source
• Marijuana: Medical use only Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted yes on HB 46, which expanded the state medical cannabis (Compassionate-Use) program; it passed the Senate 31 to 0. (2025-05-27) source
  • Voted yes on SB 3, a bill to prohibit most consumable hemp products containing THC; the Senate approved the final version 25 to 6. (2025-05-25) source
• Gender care for minors: No, ban these treatments for minors Voted · high confidence
  • Voted yes on SB 14, which bans gender transition procedures and treatments for minors; the Senate approved the final version 19 to 12. (2023-05-17) source
  • Said physically or socially transitioning a child is child abuse and cited his support for bans on transition surgeries and drugs for minors. (2026) source
• Transgender athletes: No, teams should be based on biological sex, with open or coed options Official action · high confidence
  • Authored SB 15, which requires college athletes to compete based on biological sex. (2023) source
  • Voted yes on the final version of SB 15; the Senate concurred 19 to 12. (2023-05-26) source
  • As a state representative, voted yes on HB 25, which requires K-12 athletes to compete based on sex assigned at birth; it passed the House 76 to 54. (2021-10-14) source
  • Said one transgender athlete competing against women "is too many." (2026-02-01) source
• Religion in schools: Support Texas's laws: Ten Commandments in classrooms and optional prayer periods Official action · high confidence
  • Authored SB 11, which provides for a period of prayer and reading of the Bible or other religious text in public schools; it passed the Senate 23 to 7. (2025-03-18) source
  • Voted yes on SB 10, requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms; the Senate approved the final version 21 to 10. (2025-05-28) source
  • Said "there is no such thing as separation of church and state." (2026-02-01) source
  • Said precedents that stopped prayer in school should be defeated. (2026-04-13) source
• Curriculum and books: Parents, including the right to remove material they object to Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted yes on SB 13, which creates local school library advisory councils and expands parental rights over school library materials; it passed the Senate 23 to 8. (2025-03-19) source
  • Voted yes on HB 900, regulating library materials sold to or kept in public school libraries; it passed the Senate 19 to 12. (2023-05-23) source
  • Said parents must have the final say in their children's education, not the government. (2026) source
• DEI programs: Ban DEI offices and required training at public institutions, as Texas has Voted · high confidence
  • Voted yes on SB 17, which bars public colleges from keeping diversity, equity and inclusion offices, with some exceptions; it passed the Senate 19 to 12. (2023-04-19) source
  • Voted yes on SB 12, which bars DEI duties in public K-12 schools and expands parental rights; the Senate adopted the final version 20 to 11. (2025-05-31) source
  • His campaign website says he has led the charge against DEI, ESG and Critical Race Theory. (2026) source
• China policy: Get tougher: broad tariffs, land purchase bans like Texas SB 17, and forced app sales Voted · high confidence
  • Voted yes on SB 17, which restricts purchases of Texas real estate by certain foreign individuals and entities; it passed the Senate 24 to 7. (2025-03-19) source
  • Said he passed SB 17 to stop China and other adversaries from buying Texas land and would enforce it as attorney general. (2026) source
  • Voted yes on SB 147, an earlier land purchase restriction bill; it passed the Senate 19 to 12. (2023-04-26) source
• AI regulation: Let states like Texas write their own targeted AI rules Voted · low confidence
  • Voted yes on HB 149, the Texas law regulating the use of artificial intelligence systems with civil penalties; it passed the Senate 31 to 0. (2025-05-23) source
  • Said he joint-authored a law creating criminal penalties for AI-generated child sexual abuse material. (2026) source
• School vaccines: Keep requirements with simple personal-belief exemptions, as Texas does now Voted · low confidence
  • Voted yes on HB 1586, which requires the state to post the school vaccine exemption affidavit form online; it passed the Senate 23 to 8. (2025-05-25) source
• Nuclear power: Back new reactors with public funds, tax credits, and streamlined approvals Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted yes on HB 14, which created the Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office and a development fund with grant programs; it passed the Senate 26 to 5. (2025-05-27) source
  • Named nuclear power among the sources that will provide reliable power. (2026) source
• Healthcare: Mostly private market; roll back the government's role Questionnaire answer · medium confidence
  • Chose the view that Medicaid and Medicare should remain available but no other taxpayer-funded health programs are necessary. (2026) source
• Minimum wage: Get rid of it; let employers and workers agree on pay Questionnaire answer · medium confidence
  • Said government-mandated minimum wages hurt the people they are meant to help and reduce available jobs. (2026) source

No public position found on: Safety net programs, Business regulation, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Qualified immunity, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, E-Verify mandate, AI data centers, Kids online, Mandatory minimums.

Record

• Texas House of Representatives, District 23, 2019 to 2023¹.
• Chairman of the Texas House Freedom Caucus during his last House term².
• Texas Senate, District 11, since 2023¹.
• Authored SB 15 (2023), requiring college athletes to compete based on biological sex³¹.
• Authored SB 8 (2025, 2nd called session), requiring certain spaces and facilities to be designated and used according to sex; it passed the Senate 19 to 11²²⁴⁶.
• Won the March 3, 2026 Republican primary with 39.1% and the May 26 runoff over Chip Roy with 56.2%¹.
• Gave his campaign more than $3 million and loaned it $5 million between February and May 2026, according to state records reported by KERA⁷.