[Updated 09/15/2026]
Midterms are coming, and I plan on using my vote. With all that’s going on with the proposed wall in the Big Bend region, I wanted to sit down and see where the candidates actually stand.
I’m honestly unsure what the hell is happening out there right now with all the noise.
I’ve been following the updates, and the story keeps changing. Wall maps change, projects get described differently based on who’s talking, staging areas and construction activity show up, land gets cleared, and then we’re told work in Big Bend National Park is paused or being reconsidered. Depending on the day, the wall is coming, isn’t coming, has been stopped, whatever. I feel like distraction is created to say, “look over here while we do something over there,” like a bad magic trick.
If you care about Big Bend, it’s frustrating as hell trying to separate what’s actually happening from what’s rumored, proposed, cancelled or quietly moving forward.
I’m also not limiting this to Big Bend National Park. I love the National Park, but protecting it while tearing up Big Bend Ranch State Park or miles of country toward Presidio doesn’t make me feel better. It’s the entire Big Bend region.
So I went down a rabbit hole on what candidates have actually said or done.
These are not endorsements. There are some folks here who wouldn’t get my vote for reasons having nothing to do with Big Bend. I’m looking at this one issue, and party doesn’t buy anyone points. I’m fairly politically homeless. I’ve voted for each side depending on how crazy things are getting. Sometimes we need a shakeup before one party gets too extreme. I’ve seen it on both sides.
OK. Here are the fact-based, nonpartisan results I dug up.
The labels below are my shorthand for how clearly I think each candidate has addressed this specific issue, based on their public statements and actions.
James Talarico (D) — U.S. Senate
Talarico has been one of the loudest statewide candidates opposing the Big Bend wall project.
He’s also not saying there should never be a physical barrier anywhere along the Texas border. He’s questioned why we’re spending this kind of money putting one through Big Bend and has pushed for other approaches to border security.
I want to be careful with the word “alternative” here. Surveillance towers, cameras, new roads and whatever infrastructure comes with them can tear up the landscape too. Swapping a 30-foot wall for a bunch of cleared land and permanent infrastructure isn’t necessarily a win for Big Bend. He also faced questions over his voting address.
For this list, though, the question is specifically where candidates stand on the proposed wall.
STRONGLY AGAINST
Ken Paxton (R) — U.S. Senate
This one wasn’t necessarily on my bingo card.
Paxton is about as pro-border-enforcement as they come, but he’s spoken against unnecessary roads and barriers in Big Bend and said destroying one of Texas’ natural treasures isn’t smart border security.
I’m putting him at “against” rather than “strongly against” because I’d still like to hear something even more explicit about the entire region. But he’s clearly moved onto the right side of this particular issue. He also comes with substantial documented legal and ethics baggage.
AGAINST
Greg Abbott (R) — Governor
Abbott says DHS has assured him there won’t be a wall or fence in Big Bend National Park. He’s also said he was told there would be no construction of any type of barrier in the park.
That sounds good, but it doesn’t completely line up with what CBP itself has described. Current plans for Big Bend include vehicle barriers, roads, cameras, sensors and other infrastructure, some of which can still require substantial land clearing and permanently alter the landscape. And I still want to know about the rest of Big Bend.
Abbott has strongly supported wall construction elsewhere in Texas, and I haven’t found an equally clear statement from him opposing disruptive construction across the whole region.
If Abbott comes out and clearly says the broader Big Bend region should be protected from this kind of construction, I’ll happily update this.
For now:
PARTIAL / NOT CLEAR ENOUGH
Gina Hinojosa (D) — Governor
Hinojosa has been direct about opposing the wall in Big Bend and recently traveled to Presidio and Terlingua specifically to talk with people in the region about it.
She’s said the wall isn’t necessary in Big Bend and has criticized Abbott for focusing on protecting the National Park while questions remain about construction and land outside the park. She also voted against Texas border-wall funding in 2023.
STRONGLY AGAINST
Dan Patrick — Republican — Lieutenant Governor
Patrick has been a strong supporter of border security and border-wall construction generally. I couldn’t find a public statement from him specifically addressing the current wall, roads, vehicle barriers or other construction planned for Big Bend. The Texas Tribune reported in August that Patrick had remained quiet on the issue, and his office did not respond when asked about the plans.
I’m not going to assume his position on Big Bend based on his support for walls elsewhere. This whole article is about what candidates have actually said or done about this region.
POSITION ON BIG BEND: NOT CLEAR ENOUGH
Vikki Goodwin — Democrat — Lieutenant Governor
Goodwin has directly opposed the construction in Big Bend.
In an August interview discussing the project, she said, “We need to stop the building of the wall” in the Big Bend area and pointed to the terrain as part of why she believes the project is unnecessary.
Unlike some of the statements limited specifically to protecting Big Bend National Park, Goodwin was talking about the Big Bend area more broadly.
STRONGLY AGAINST
Michael Cloud (R) — U.S. House District 27
Cloud has a congressional vote we can look at.
An amendment came up in 2026 that would have prevented DHS money from being used for barrier construction inside Big Bend National Park and Cloud voted against it.
I’m not going to turn that into “Cloud voted to build the Big Bend wall,” but he had a chance to vote for a specific protection for Big Bend National Park and didn’t.
Make of that what you will.
DID NOT SUPPORT BIG BEND WALL PROTECTION
Tanya Lloyd (D) — U.S. House District 27
Lloyd is running against Michael Cloud in my district. She supports border security, but has called for increased personnel and modern technology rather than the kind of enforcement we’re seeing now.
Unlike Cloud, though, I couldn’t find a clear public statement from Lloyd specifically addressing the proposed wall or construction in the Big Bend region. Given what’s happening there, I’d like one.
POSITION ON BIG BEND: NOT CLEAR ENOUGH
Brandon Herrera (R) — U.S. House District 23
Herrera is running in the district that actually contains much of Big Bend, and he’s been direct about opposing construction that would tear up the landscape when less intrusive technology can do the job.
He supports strong border security. He doesn’t think that requires putting a giant physical barrier through Big Bend.
Pretty good. Although he also has documented controversies involving past public comments and financial disclosures.
STRONGLY AGAINST
Katy Padilla Stout (D) — U.S. House District 23
Padilla Stout opposes the Big Bend wall as well.
So both candidates running to represent much of Big Bend agree on this, which is probably a decent indication of how people who actually know the region feel about the idea.
STRONGLY AGAINST
Robert Garza (R) — Texas House District 74
Garza has been pretty direct. He’s for strong border security and against a wall through Big Bend.
AGAINST
Eddie Morales Jr. (D) — Texas House District 74
Morales has been actively opposing wall construction in the region and pushing for other approaches to border security.
STRONGLY AGAINST
Dawn Buckingham (R) — Land Commissioner
Buckingham actually stepped into the Big Bend fight in July after a federal contractor cleared more than a mile of state land in Presidio County without authorization. She issued cease-and-desist letters to CBP and the contractor and demanded that the damaged land be restored.
She supports strong border security and isn’t opposed to physical walls everywhere. What I haven’t found is a clear statement from her opposing destructive border infrastructure throughout the entire Big Bend region.
Still, when state land in Big Bend was being torn up without authorization, she didn’t just complain about it. She used her office to stop it.
PARTIAL / TOOK ACTION TO PROTECT STATE LAND
Benjamin Flores (D) — Land Commissioner
Flores is running against Buckingham and says the General Land Office should responsibly manage state lands and protect Texas natural resources. But I couldn’t find a public position from him specifically addressing the wall or other border infrastructure in Big Bend.
Considering the Land Commissioner directly manages millions of acres of Texas land, including property already affected by construction in Presidio County, I’d like to know where he stands.
POSITION ON BIG BEND: NOT CLEAR ENOUGH
Neill Snider (L) — Land Commissioner
Snider emphasizes private-property rights, responsible land stewardship and government accountability, all of which are relevant to what’s happening in Big Bend. But again, I couldn’t find a public statement from him specifically addressing the wall or other border infrastructure in the region.
POSITION ON BIG BEND: NOT CLEAR ENOUGH
Clayton Tucker (D) — Agriculture Commissioner
Tucker has been direct about opposing the wall in Big Bend and recently traveled to the region while campaigning. He called the project “complete and utter nonsense” and criticized both the spending and contracting behind it.
That’s particularly relevant in this race because ranchers, private property, agricultural land and water access are all part of what’s happening in Big Bend.
STRONGLY AGAINST
Nate Sheets (R) — Agriculture Commissioner
Sheets strongly supports border security and has made it part of his campaign for Agriculture Commissioner. He’s also a West Texas ranch owner who talks about land stewardship, water and government overreach.
I couldn’t find a public statement from him specifically addressing the wall or other border infrastructure in Big Bend. Given the impact this project could have on ranchers, private property and agricultural water access in the region, his position is worth knowing.
NO PUBLIC POSITION FOUND
Sheriffs
The sheriffs of Brewster, Culberson, Hudspeth, Presidio and Terrell counties have jointly opposed a continuous physical wall through the Big Bend region.
These are people responsible for law enforcement in the counties we’re talking about. Their position isn’t that we shouldn’t secure the border, they just don’t think a continuous wall is the best way to do it here.
I’m fine with securing the border how and where it makes sense. But Big Bend has some of the roughest and most remote terrain in the country. The Big Bend Sector accounted for only 1.3% of apprehensions across the entire southern border last fiscal year. Meanwhile, billions of dollars in contracts have been awarded for projects in the sector. Before we start cutting roads through this place and changing the landscape permanently, I’d like a better explanation of why this is the best use of that money.
Other Things I Consider
Because this isn’t an endorsement list, there are a few things worth mentioning.
Ken Paxton has the most baggage here by a mile. The Republican-controlled Texas House impeached him in 2023 on allegations including abuse of office, bribery and obstruction. The Texas Senate acquitted him. His securities-fraud case eventually ended without a conviction through a pretrial agreement. There have also been whistleblower lawsuits and questions about his financial disclosures and voting address.
Brandon Herrera came into politics from the internet, where he’s better known as “The AK Guy.” There’s a lot of intentionally offensive stuff in his old videos and posts. He’s defended much of it as humor, and people can decide for themselves what they think about that. Questions have also been raised about inconsistencies in his personal financial disclosures. An FEC complaint involving his campaign committees was dismissed, which is worth pointing out because you’ll find the original allegation if you start Googling him.
James Talarico has had questions raised about continuing to vote using his parents’ address after buying a nearby home. It hasn’t been established as voter fraud. What makes it a little harder to shrug off is that he’d previously gone after Paxton over Paxton’s voting address. Awkward.
None of that changes where any of them stand on Big Bend, it’s just information I’d like before somebody handed me a list like this.
Where I’m At
I’d really like some transparency about what the hell they’re actually doing in Big Bend.
Show us the current plan. Not a six-month-old map or another vague statement about what’s “being evaluated.” If roads are being cut, it looks like things are still going. If staging areas are temporary, what happens to them afterward? If sections have been cancelled, where? If something is still planned, make it fucking clear.
And please stop acting like saying “there won’t be a wall in Big Bend National Park” answers every question. Feels like a distraction for that bad magic trick.
I don’t think border security and protecting Big Bend are opposing ideas. I don’t know why we’re being asked to choose between them. Secure the border intelligently without destroying the place in the process. Our God-given land is more important than somebody’s campaign.
I also don’t think every immigration violation should be treated the same. Someone committing violent crimes or trafficking drugs is not the same problem as someone working, paying taxes, raising a family and contributing positively to a community who doesn’t have legal status. Immigration enforcement should be able to recognize the difference. That’s a whole other rabbit hole, but I don’t think you have to choose between enforcing immigration law and having some common sense about who we’re dealing with.
Take Action
1) Sign the petition
2) Contact your representatives
3) Stay informed
4) VOTE! Whatever your politics, know where your candidates stand.
Sources & Further Reading
Candidate ratings in this article are based on documented public statements, actions and votes. Campaign statements are identified as such where applicable.
- Texas Tribune — What’s happening with the border wall in Big Bend? (Sept. 14, 2026)
- Associated Press — Big Bend landowners sue over border wall construction (Sept. 14, 2026)
- Texas Tribune — Texas Republicans push back on Trump’s Big Bend border wall plans (Aug. 21, 2026)
- Texas Tribune — Trump administration pauses construction in Big Bend National Park (Aug. 17, 2026)
- Texas Tribune — Border wall plans extend into Big Bend Ranch State Park (July 2, 2026)
- Texas General Land Office — Commissioner Buckingham issues cease-and-desist over unauthorized clearing of state land in Presidio County
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection — Big Bend Sector Smart Wall projects
- Federal Register — DHS waiver covering border infrastructure construction in the Big Bend Sector (June 9, 2026)
- Texas Legislature Online — Legislative records, bills and votes
- Big Bend Sentinel — Regional reporting on the proposed Big Bend wall and Texas candidates
