Benjamin Flores, a Democrat, is running for Texas Land Commissioner in the Nov. 3 general election. He faces Republican Dawn Buckingham and Libertarian Neill Snider.

Asked why he is seeking the office, Flores said in our candidate questionnaire, "… I believe the Texas General Land Office should work for everyday Texans, not special interests or political agendas." He added, "I am running because I want to protect the land and resources that belong to all Texans, strengthen support for our public schools and veterans, defend property owners, and make sure the General Land Office is focused on service rather than politics."

Candidate information

Party: Democrat

Family: "My wife An and my beautiful daughter Nadia," Flores said in our questionnaire.

Education: Flores said in our questionnaire, "I studied Geography at a university in Mexico before coming to the United States. My education and professional development later shifted toward technology, and I am currently continuing my studies in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance."

Occupation: Flores said in our questionnaire, "I am a cybersecurity professional with roughly 30 years of experience in information technology and security." He added, "My career began with working-class jobs, including at KFC, a car wash, and in hotel IT, before I built a long career in technology and cybersecurity."

Flores was born in Mexico City and came to the United States in 1996, according to the Texas Tribune. He has stated that if elected, he would become the first Latino land commissioner in Texas history.

Flores originally declared his candidacy for governor before switching to the land commissioner race, citing opposition to how the current land commissioner used General Land Office resources to support border and immigration enforcement, according to the Texas Tribune.

In June 2026, Flores was diagnosed with leukemia. Two weeks later, he announced he was in remission while addressing the Texas Democratic Convention in Corpus Christi, according to the Texas Tribune. He stated he would remain in the race and was receiving treatment at MD Anderson in Houston.

Experience and public service

Flores said in our questionnaire, "I previously served as a member of the Bay City City Council, where I worked on local issues affecting families, infrastructure, economic development, and city services." BallotReady lists him as a current Bay City councilmember.

He has also served on the Bay City Development Corporation board and as a representative on the Houston-Galveston Area Council.

On the issues

What sets him apart: Flores said in our questionnaire, "I am not running to use the General Land Office as a political stepping stone. I am running to manage it professionally, protect public lands, support veterans, strengthen the Permanent School Fund, improve disaster recovery, and bring greater transparency and accountability to the office."

Disaster recovery: According to the Texas Tribune, Flores would streamline disaster response by accelerating debris removal and contract approvals and would create "a roster of pre-vetted Texas contractors ready to mobilize."

Education: Flores said on his campaign website, "I'll prioritize getting money to public schools that need it and school districts to help them lower your property taxes." He strongly opposes school vouchers, arguing they undermine the constitutional mission of public lands to fund public education, according to the Texas Tribune.

Veterans: Flores said on his campaign website, "I'll improve and expand veteran home loan and support services and work to reduce the burden of traveling long distances to receive assistance or medical treatment."

Energy: Flores said on his campaign website, "I'll invite more solar and wind energy producers to join the oil and gas companies operating on state land."

Housing: Flores has proposed land swaps to incentivize building more affordable housing, according to the Texas Tribune.

Best advice: Flores said in our questionnaire, "The best advice ever shared with me came from my mother: 'No seas agachado.'" He explained, "… she taught me not to shrink myself, stay silent, or back down when something was wrong."