State Rep. Gary Gates and Democrat Sandy Ibáñez are competing for Texas House District 28, a Fort Bend County seat that includes Fulshear and stretches into the Katy area.

The Nov. 3 general election will decide whether Gates, a Republican first elected in 2020, keeps the seat or Ibáñez, a former Fort Bend ISD teacher making her first run for office, flips it. Voter registration closes Oct. 5. Early voting runs Oct. 19 through Oct. 30.

Both candidates answered policy questions in a Community Impact Q&A published Sept. 29. They also appeared together at a Sept. 9 candidate forum hosted by the Katy Area Retired Educators at Legacy Stadium, 1830 Katyland Drive.

Gates, founder of property management company Gatesco Inc., chairs the House Land and Resource Management Committee, according to the Houston Chronicle's primary voter guide. He said his top priority is expanding workforce education in Texas high schools so graduates can start careers without taking on debt.

Gates told Community Impact that Fort Bend County's rapid growth is the district's biggest challenge and that infrastructure and services must keep pace. On housing, he said the Legislature should encourage more housing supply. He called secure borders important but said immigration has been an economic benefit to Houston that the state should not shut off. He said he has knocked on more than 17,000 doors across the district.

Ibáñez taught in Fort Bend ISD before moving into commercial real estate, according to the Chronicle. Her campaign describes her as a fifth-generation Fort Bend County resident. She won a contested Democratic primary on March 3, taking 53.5% of the vote over Kristyna Loundy, according to Ballotpedia.

Her stated priorities include fully funding public education, expanding healthcare and mental health access, improving affordability and investing in roads, water systems and infrastructure.

"Fort Bend County is expected to surpass one million residents by the end of 2026," Ibáñez said in the Q&A. "We must ensure schools, roads, water systems and other infrastructure keep pace while protecting affordability and quality of life."

Ibáñez is a member of Fort Bend AFT, the local teachers' union affiliate, and received the Texas AFL-CIO endorsement. At a July 30 LULAC meeting in Sugar Land, she highlighted gaps in Hispanic college enrollment, telling Houston Public Media that increasing the number of Hispanic students attending college "is a huge goal."

Gates ran unopposed in the March 3 Republican primary, drawing 14,815 votes.

Fort Bend County voters can find polling locations at fortbendcountytx.gov. The registration deadline is Oct. 5.