The race for Texas Land Commissioner is often overlooked in elections because other state offices carry more power, according to Texas Public Radio. The Texas General Land Office, which the commissioner leads, is the state's oldest statewide office and manages 13 million acres of state-owned land.
Republican Dawn Buckingham, the first woman to hold the office, is seeking reelection. She has been commissioner since 2023. Her Democratic challenger is Benjamin Flores, a former Bay City councilman and a newcomer to statewide politics. Buckingham's campaign did not respond to an interview request.
The GLO is the custodian of the Alamo, and Buckingham has overseen a makeover of its grounds in San Antonio valued at more than half a billion dollars, the report said. The agency also directs money from state land toward public education and oversees veterans' land programs and federal disaster funds. UTSA political science chair Jon Taylor said the office can serve as a springboard to bigger offices, such as governor.