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 running, Flores said in our candidate questionnaire: "I believe the Texas General Land Office should work for everyday Texans, not special interests or political agendas. … 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"

Education: Flores said: "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 and work history: Flores said: "I am a cybersecurity professional with roughly 30 years of experience in information technology and security. 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."

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

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, according to the candidate.

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, the Texas Tribune reported. He stayed in the race. At the time, he was receiving treatment at MD Anderson in Houston.

Experience and public service

Flores is a councilmember on the Bay City City Council, elected in 2023. He also serves on the Houston-Galveston Area Council and the Bay City Development Corporation board.

Asked about accomplishments that qualify him, Flores said in our questionnaire: "For nearly 30 years, I have worked in technology and cybersecurity, where protecting critical systems, managing risk, overseeing projects, and solving difficult problems require discipline and accountability. As a Bay City councilman, I gained direct experience with local government, budgets, infrastructure, economic development, and the responsibility elected officials have to the people they serve."

Asked what sets him apart, Flores said: "I bring nearly 30 years of experience in cybersecurity, risk management, and technology, along with service as a city councilman and firsthand experience with agriculture and small-town Texas. … 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."

On the issues

Education: Flores said he would "prioritize getting money to public schools that need it and school districts to help them lower your property taxes," according to the candidate. He strongly opposes school vouchers, according to the candidate, arguing they undermine the constitutional mission of public lands to fund public education.

Veterans: Flores said he would "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," according to the candidate.

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

Energy: Flores said he would "invite more solar and wind energy producers to join the oil and gas companies operating on state land," according to the candidate.

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

Economic development: Flores has said he would encourage data center developers to lease state-owned land, according to the candidate.