2026 Texas General Election

2026 Texas General Runoff

Nonpartisan

Why are you running for school board? I’m the father of four Keller ISD students and I want all kids to have access to great public schools. I feel a moral responsibility to help rebuild our school district and I believe that I have the analytical and leadership skills to do it as a trustee.

Q&A: Meet the candidates running for Keller ISD Place 5

Andrew Walsh is the father of four Keller Independent School District students.

Q&A: Meet the candidates running for Keller ISD, Place 5

As an engineer and program manager, I’ve led large teams, managed millions of dollars and solved a lot of tough problems. I’m ready to use my leadership and analytical skills to give back to the entire Keller ISD community.

About — Andrew Walsh For Keller ISD Trustee Place 5

Andrew Walsh works as an engineer and program manager.

Our schools exist to prepare the next generation for bright futures. To do this effectively, we must keep our focus squarely on academic achievement and the well-being of our students without getting caught up in partisan politics. Our community needs a school board that prioritizes educational outcomes over outside distractions.

Student-Focused Success — Andrew Walsh For Keller ISD Trustee Place 5

As an engineer and program manager, I’ve led large teams, managed millions of dollars and solved a lot of tough problems. I’m ready to use my leadership and analytical skills to give back to the entire Keller ISD community. I am committed to restoring the public trust through transparency and accountability, keeping politics out of our classrooms, supporting our outstanding KISD teachers, and using bond funds responsibly. Strong schools make a strong community. Let’s rebuild our district together!

Calls for schools to focus on academic achievement and student well-being rather than partisan politics.

- Calls for schools to focus on academic achievement and student well-being rather than partisan politics.

School Curriculum

* Smart Financial Planning: Supporting the 2026 bond package formulated by our neighbors on the Citizens Bond Advisory Committee. It addresses our backlog of projects while keeping our tax rate steady, balancing costs for taxpayers.

Responsible spending — Andrew Walsh For Keller ISD Trustee Place 5

* Addressing Urgent Needs: Prioritizing critical repairs that directly impact the daily learning environment, ensuring that schools are safe, functional, and comfortable for everyone.

* Protecting Investments: Treating preventative maintenance as a priority to avoid more costly emergency repairs down the road. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Working with other trustees, I will maintain strict oversight of these funds, ensuring that every dollar spent is an investment in Keller ISD’s future.

My approach to transparent governance includes:

* Community-Led Committees: Continuing to empower groups like the Citizens Bond Advisory Committee and the Long-Range Planning Committee. When parents, neighbors and teachers help chart the course, the outcomes are stronger.

* Proactive Adjustments: Using data-driven planning to navigate enrollment shifts, right-sizing our facilities gracefully to address community needs, and balancing costs for taxpayers without sacrificing educational quality.

Transparency & Accountability — Andrew Walsh For Keller ISD Trustee Place 5

My vision for Keller ISD includes:

* Student-Centered Policies: Ensuring that every policy we pass is evaluated purely on how it benefits our children's learning and growth.

* Fiscal Responsibility: Directing our financial resources straight into the classroom, and avoiding unnecessary partisan legal or consulting expenditures.

* A Unified Community: Keeping our district whole and united, ensuring that every neighborhood in Keller ISD benefits from our shared resources and dedication.

Supports the 2026 bond package developed by the Citizens Bond Advisory Committee to address backlogged projects while keeping the tax rate steady.

Prioritizes critical repairs that make schools safe, functional, and comfortable for students and staff.

Prioritizes preventative maintenance to avoid more costly emergency repairs.

Pledges strict oversight of bond funds to ensure spending invests in Keller Independent School District's future.

Proposes data-driven facilities planning to respond to enrollment shifts while balancing taxpayer costs and educational quality.

Advocates directing financial resources to classrooms and avoiding unnecessary partisan legal or consulting spending.

- Supports the 2026 bond package developed by the Citizens Bond Advisory Committee to address backlogged projects while keeping the tax rate steady.
- Prioritizes critical repairs that make schools safe, functional, and comfortable for students and staff.
- Prioritizes preventative maintenance to avoid more costly emergency repairs.
- Pledges strict oversight of bond funds to ensure spending invests in Keller Independent School District's future.
- Proposes data-driven facilities planning to respond to enrollment shifts while balancing taxpayer costs and educational quality.
- Advocates directing financial resources to classrooms and avoiding unnecessary partisan legal or consulting spending.

School Facilities & Resources

To achieve this, I am committed to:

* Competitive Compensation: We must offer salaries and benefits that respect the professionalism of our educators, while carefully balancing costs for taxpayers.

* Supportive Environments: Ensuring classrooms have reliable infrastructure—such as working air conditioning—so teachers can teach comfortably and effectively.

* Vital Campus Resources: Maintaining essential support roles, like librarians, special education aides, and counselors, who are critical to a holistic educational experience.

Supporting Our Teachers — Andrew Walsh For Keller ISD Trustee Place 5

Supports maintaining librarians, special education aides, and counselors as essential campus support roles.

- Supports maintaining librarians, special education aides, and counselors as essential campus support roles.

Student Wellbeing

How do you plan to address these issues? Declining student population—utilize community-led committees to help chart a path forward as one unified KISD. Teacher retention—address pay and culture issues. Listen, work together and defend educators. Crumbling facilities—support the bond and make sure that projects are prioritized and on budget.

As your Place 5 Trustee, I will prioritize consulting with teachers to understand their day-to-day challenges. By remaining relentlessly focused on students, we can cultivate a culture of respect and professional trust.

Supports competitive teacher salaries and benefits while addressing pay and workplace culture issues to improve retention.

Supports reliable classroom infrastructure, including working air conditioning, so teachers can work comfortably and effectively.

Plans to consult teachers about their day-to-day challenges.

- Supports competitive teacher salaries and benefits while addressing pay and workplace culture issues to improve retention.
- Supports reliable classroom infrastructure, including working air conditioning, so teachers can work comfortably and effectively.
- Plans to consult teachers about their day-to-day challenges.

Teachers

As of September 29, 2026, Andrew Walsh’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Access to Education

Andrew Walsh

Buket Urgen

Edward Krutsch

The 2026 candidate Q&A identifies Chris Coker as an incumbent and lists his occupation as: “Self employed, I own several businesses and I am currently on the board.”

Chris Coker is self-employed and owns several businesses.

Tarrant County's May 6, 2023 election report lists the contest as “Keller Independent School District - Trustee, Place 5 - Three-Year Term.” It reports 7,705 votes (53.95%) for Chris Coker and 6,578 votes (46.05%) for Bev Dixon.

Count_CumulativeReport

Chris was elected as a trustee for Keller Independent School District, Place 5, in 2023 for a three-year term.

Asked who should have authority to set curriculum and determine instructional resources, Coker responded: “The teachers should set the curriculum; however, it must be based around reading, writing and arithmetic. Political ideologies belong at home and have no place in the classroom.”

Voter Guide Profile for TX Keller ISD Board of Trustees - Place 5 candidate - Chris Coker

In his May 2023 candidate Q&A, Coker wrote: “I want to expand learning opportunities and strengthen parent-teacher relationships while strengthening the parents’ voice. I want to keep politics out of the classroom and focus our education system on the things that matter.”

Meet the candidates running for Keller ISD board of trustees, Place 5

Asked to prioritize K-12 subjects, Coker wrote: “Math, Info Tech, Science, History, and ELA are the basis of what should be taught in schools. Phys Education, Art, Music, and Foreign Languages are fantastic extra curriculars. Personal Finance is a class that is incredibly overlooked and should be more aggressively promoted in schools. Everything else on this list is strongly opinion based and those conversations are for the home.”

In the questionnaire's sexual-education section, Coker wrote: “I believe Sex Ed belongs at home.” The prior question asked who should teach sexual education and at what age; Coker answered, “It's the parent's responsibility and it's really up to them.”

Said teachers should set a curriculum centered on reading, writing, and arithmetic, without political ideologies in classrooms.

Advocates for schools to more aggressively promote personal-finance classes.

Believes sexual education should be taught at home by parents.

- Said teachers should set a curriculum centered on reading, writing, and arithmetic, without political ideologies in classrooms.
- Advocates for schools to more aggressively promote personal-finance classes.
- Believes sexual education should be taught at home by parents.

Asked his position on government funding of public education from prekindergarten through college, Coker wrote: “Government funding comes from the tax payers, with this in mind, it is tax payer funded. Public education is a staple of a strong society, and therefore, must be protected and strengthened for the betterment of our country. I believe that tax revenues routed into public education are an absolute must.”

Asked how he planned to address Keller ISD's declining enrollment, long-term debt, financial pressures, and educator recruitment and retention, Coker wrote: “I will ask tough questions; demand transparency and accountability; prioritize classroom resources and educator compensation; and scrutinize spending to ensure taxpayers receive value for every dollar. I’ll listen to parents, educators and taxpayers across every feeder pattern and work toward practical solutions that strengthen our entire district.”

Asked for his top priorities if elected, Coker wrote: “My priorities are improving student outcomes, increasing teacher compensation, reducing unnecessary administrative spending, restoring fiscal discipline and strengthening transparency. I want Keller ISD to attract and retain exceptional educators while ensuring taxpayer dollars are directed toward classrooms, students and the long-term financial stability of our district.”

Supports directing tax revenue to public education.

Plans to prioritize classroom resources, scrutinize district spending, and increase transparency and accountability.

- Supports directing tax revenue to public education.
- Plans to prioritize classroom resources, scrutinize district spending, and increase transparency and accountability.

Asked for his top priorities in the May 2023 trustee election, Coker answered: “Keeping politics out of the classroom, making sure parents have a voice, working with the budget to increase teacher pay and continuing to improve school safety.”

Prioritizes continued improvements to school safety.

- Prioritizes continued improvements to school safety.

Asked about Keller ISD's biggest challenges, Coker wrote: “Keller ISD faces declining enrollment, significant long-term debt, financial pressures, challenges recruiting and retaining great educators. Addressing these challenges requires responsible financial planning, greater transparency, competitive teacher compensation, strong academics and leadership that is willing to make the hard decisions.”

Prioritizes increasing teacher compensation to help attract and retain educators.

- Prioritizes increasing teacher compensation to help attract and retain educators.

In response to why he was running for office in the May 2023 Keller ISD trustee election, Coker wrote: “As a member of KISD, I have seen firsthand the positive impact that education can have on the lives of our students and our community. I want to expand learning opportunities and strengthen parent-teacher relationships while strengthening the parents’ voice.”

Wants to expand learning opportunities and strengthen parents' voice in schools.

- Wants to expand learning opportunities and strengthen parents' voice in schools.

Facebook

Chris Coker

Colin Hodges
Aerospace sales, KISD SHAC chair, community volunteer, elected Republican precinct chair
Website: https://www.facebook.com/HodgesforKISD

Colin is currently North Fort Worth’s Precinct Chair.

How do you plan to address these issues?
I will work for transparent governance, measurable academic goals, disciplined budgeting and clear accountability from district leadership. I’ll engage parents, educators, administrators and taxpayers before major decisions while working with local and state leaders to advocate for responsible funding, local priorities and policies that strengthen Keller ISD.

Plans to pursue measurable academic goals and clear accountability from district leadership.

- Plans to pursue measurable academic goals and clear accountability from district leadership.

Plans to engage district stakeholders before major decisions and advocate for responsible funding and local priorities.

- Plans to engage district stakeholders before major decisions and advocate for responsible funding and local priorities.

As of September 29, 2026, Colin Hodges did not have a website or any information online.

What are the biggest challenges facing the Keller ISD?
Keller ISD’s greatest challenges are rebuilding public trust, restoring stability, improving transparency and keeping the focus on students instead of political conflict. We must strengthen academic outcomes, support teachers, respect parents and make responsible financial decisions that protect classrooms while earning back the confidence of our community.

Calls for supporting teachers and making responsible financial decisions to protect classrooms.

- Calls for supporting teachers and making responsible financial decisions to protect classrooms.

Colin Hodges

As of September 29, 2026, Colin Hodges’s website did not contain information on this issue.

- A trustee is an elected member of a local school board who helps govern a public school district.

- Trustees represent community interests and are responsible for setting policies that guide how the school district operates.

- The board of trustees hires and evaluates the superintendent, who manages the day-to-day operations of the district.

- Trustees approve the district’s budget, monitor spending, and may set the local tax rate or call for bond elections to fund schools.

- The board also oversees educational programs, district goals, and overall performance.

- In Texas, trustees are elected to four-year terms, often on a rotating basis, so not all seats are elected at the same time.

- Trustees serve without financial compensation.

An official who sets policy for a local school district. 

Texas Trustee, Keller ISD, Position 5

Election results

Runoff election

Candidates (3)

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School Curriculum

School Facilities & Resources

Student Wellbeing

Teachers

Access to Education