Biography
Erica Gillum is the Democratic candidate for the Texas State Senate, District 18, in the November 3, 2026 general election, challenging Republican incumbent Lois Kolkhorst.[1][3] She is a real estate agent and a former mayor of Hempstead.[1][2]
Erica Gillum graduated from Hempstead High School and attended Prairie View A&M University.[1] Her career experience includes working as a real estate agent, and in a 2026 Ballotpedia survey she described herself as a Realtor, real estate coach, investor and developer with more than two decades of experience.[1][2] She said she served on the Hempstead City Council from 2020 to 2022 and as mayor of Hempstead from 2022 to 2024.[2]
Gillum advanced from the March 3, 2026 Democratic primary for District 18.[1] In her survey, she said her key messages include fully funding neighborhood schools and paying teachers more, along with creating jobs, supporting small businesses and offering workforce training for young adults.[2]
- 1.Erica Gillum · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.Erica Gillum - Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey (2026) · Ballotpedia Candidate's own words
- 3.Texas State Senate elections, 2026 · Ballotpedia Reference
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.
Texas Senate District 18
Erica Gillum is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for Texas Senate District 18 as D. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.
