Gaines County Sheriff, Unexpired Term
Gaines County, Texas
My vote power
Below average
Election date
November 3, 2026 · General election
How do we calculate my vote power?
What goes into the rating: Representation: how much weight one vote carries here compared with a statewide vote — the smaller the district, the more each vote counts. Decisiveness: how likely this race is to be close, based on past results or current analyst ratings, plus the number of candidates.
Representation: High · 83 out of 100
This district is a small slice of its state, so each vote here carries much more weight than a vote in a statewide race. About 22,232 people live here.
Show the representation math
score = 50 + 50 × ln(state population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(50,000) = 50 + 50 × ln(30,188,424 ÷ 22,232) ÷ ln(50,000) = 83.34, measured against a statewide vote in TX (grades: 66+ high, 55+ above average, 33+ average, otherwise low; a statewide race is the 50 baseline)
Decisiveness: None · only 1 candidate
One candidate is running unopposed, so votes can't change the outcome.
High representation + an uncontested race → My vote power: Below average.
About this office
- Running police patrols and deputies in the county
- Running the county jail
- Carrying out evictions, warrants, and other court orders
Affects: Immigration, Public Safety and Crime Control, Gun Control,
Candidates
Republican · Incumbent · declared
Joe Vest is the Gaines County Sheriff, appointed to the post on an interim basis after the previous sheriff resigned in March 2025. He leads the county's law enforcement agency.
Sources: co.gaines.tx.us · sos.state.tx.us