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Republican · Texas House, district 5

Serving since Jan 10, 2017TX 2025–26 session

Portrait of Cole Hefner, rendered as a two-tone print
Official portrait
4.0×
the State House Republican rate of credit claiming

51% of 226 statements claim credit (115 statements); the average for State House Republicans is 13%. Ranks 4th of 791, where 1st is the highest rate.

An AI model reads each of Hefner’s posts on X and marks whether it claims credit for an accomplishment. The rate is the share of statements marked; it is compared with the average among State House Republicans and ranked against the same group.

At a glance

6 measures against State House Republicans. 64% of Hefner’s statements discuss policy, 2.0 times the State House Republican average of 32%. Hefner reported $462.3K in the 2026 cycle, in the top 5% of State House Republicans (median $33.7K).

The measures on which Hefner sits furthest from the middle of State House Republicans, each against the same group, with the CSIP score when there is one. Every number is explained in its own section below.

Credit claiming

51%

State House Republicans average 13% · ranks 4th of 791

Policy discussion

64%

State House Republicans average 32% · ranks 39th of 791

Itemized, 2026

$462.3K

State House Republicans’ median $33.7K · ranks 86th of 2,521

CSIP ideology

+0.70

More conservative than 92% of State House Republicans · ± 0.02

From Texas, 2026

100%

Of itemized individual dollars · ranks 392nd of 2,335 State House Republicans

Extreme labels

2.6%

State House Republicans average 1.4% · ranks 144th of 791

Peer group: State House Republicans. Rank 1 is the highest value in the group; the thick bar is Hefner, the thin grey bar the peer average. The headline is the measure on which Hefner is most unusual among peers (Methods, §08).

Back to topNext: What politicians say

What Hefner says

Hefner attacks opponents personally about as often as the median State House Republican. Personal attacks in 0.4% of 226 statements, against 2.9% for the average State House Republican; 459th of 791.

An AI model reads each of Hefner’s 226 statements in the TX 2025–26 session (226 posts on X) and marks the kinds of statement it contains: a personal attack, criticism of a policy, discussion of policy, bipartisanship, credit claiming, and extreme labels. A statement can carry several. Every rate is compared with the average for State House Republicans and ranked among them.

Kinds of statement

Share of statements carrying each label, the TX 2025–26 session

0%80%
Hefner
Peers
Rank
Policy discussion145 statements
64%
32%
39th of 791
Credit claiming115 statements
51%
13%
4th of 791
Policy criticism12 statements
5%
9%
440th of 791
Bipartisanship5 statements
2%
2%
234th of 791
Personal attacks1 statements
0%
3%
459th of 791
Show the data
Hefner's share of statements in each category against the State House Republicans average.
RowHefnerPeers
Policy discussion64%32%
Credit claiming51%13%
Policy criticism5%9%
Bipartisanship2%2%
Personal attacks0%3%
226

statements classified

226 posts on X.

posts on X: 226 (100.0%)posts on X 226
Show the data
Hefner's statements by source
PartValue
posts on X226
How to read the bars

The thick bar is Hefner; the thin grey bar is the average State House Republicans. A longer thick bar means Hefner does this more than peers. Rank 1 is the highest rate in the group.

Extreme labels

Hefner used extreme labels in 2.6% of statements, 1.8 times the peer average. 6 statements, most often aimed at Beto O’Rourke; peers 1.4%.

  1. “radical”3
  2. “communist”2
  3. “extreme”1

Who gets the labels

Targets named alongside an extreme label, by number of statements

  1. Beto O’Rourke1
  2. Communist China1
  3. Gavin Newsom1
  4. liberal judges1
  5. radical progressives1
What an extreme label is

Calls a politician, a party or a policy “far left”, “far right”, “MAGA”, “extreme”, “radical”, “woke”, “fascist” or “communist”. The target is who or what the label was aimed at. The lists show the five most used labels and targets; the toggle shows the rest.

Month by month

Share of statements per month, the TX 2025–26 session

Statements2025-01: 252025-02: 112025-03: 172025-04: 262025-05: 272025-06: 172025-07: 172025-08: 262025-09: 122025-10: 182025-11: 102025-12: 32026-01: 62026-02: 42026-03: 32026-04: 02026-05: 22026-06: 12026-07: 02026-08: 02026-09: 02026-10: 1peak 27 · May ’25Personal attackspeak 3.9% · Aug ’25 · latest 0.0%Personal attacks, 2025-01: 0.0% of 25Personal attacks, 2025-02: 0.0% of 11Personal attacks, 2025-03: 0.0% of 17Personal attacks, 2025-04: 0.0% of 26Personal attacks, 2025-05: 0.0% of 27Personal attacks, 2025-06: 0.0% of 17Personal attacks, 2025-07: 0.0% of 17Personal attacks, 2025-08: 3.9% of 26Personal attacks, 2025-09: 0.0% of 12Personal attacks, 2025-10: 0.0% of 18Personal attacks, 2025-11: 0.0% of 10Personal attacks, 2025-12: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Personal attacks, 2026-01: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Personal attacks, 2026-02: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Personal attacks, 2026-03: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Personal attacks, 2026-04: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Personal attacks, 2026-05: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Personal attacks, 2026-06: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Personal attacks, 2026-07: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Personal attacks, 2026-08: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Personal attacks, 2026-09: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Personal attacks, 2026-10: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy criticismpeak 27.3% · Feb ’25 · latest 20.0%Policy criticism, 2025-01: 16.0% of 25Policy criticism, 2025-02: 27.3% of 11Policy criticism, 2025-03: 0.0% of 17Policy criticism, 2025-04: 0.0% of 26Policy criticism, 2025-05: 11.1% of 27Policy criticism, 2025-06: 0.0% of 17Policy criticism, 2025-07: 0.0% of 17Policy criticism, 2025-08: 0.0% of 26Policy criticism, 2025-09: 0.0% of 12Policy criticism, 2025-10: 0.0% of 18Policy criticism, 2025-11: 20.0% of 10Policy criticism, 2025-12: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy criticism, 2026-01: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy criticism, 2026-02: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy criticism, 2026-03: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy criticism, 2026-04: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy criticism, 2026-05: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy criticism, 2026-06: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy criticism, 2026-07: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy criticism, 2026-08: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy criticism, 2026-09: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy criticism, 2026-10: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy discussionpeak 85.2% · May ’25 · latest 70.0%Policy discussion, 2025-01: 44.0% of 25Policy discussion, 2025-02: 81.8% of 11Policy discussion, 2025-03: 82.3% of 17Policy discussion, 2025-04: 80.8% of 26Policy discussion, 2025-05: 85.2% of 27Policy discussion, 2025-06: 82.3% of 17Policy discussion, 2025-07: 58.8% of 17Policy discussion, 2025-08: 61.5% of 26Policy discussion, 2025-09: 8.3% of 12Policy discussion, 2025-10: 27.8% of 18Policy discussion, 2025-11: 70.0% of 10Policy discussion, 2025-12: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy discussion, 2026-01: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy discussion, 2026-02: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy discussion, 2026-03: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy discussion, 2026-04: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy discussion, 2026-05: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy discussion, 2026-06: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy discussion, 2026-07: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy discussion, 2026-08: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy discussion, 2026-09: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy discussion, 2026-10: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Bipartisanshippeak 5.9% · Mar ’25 · latest 0.0%Bipartisanship, 2025-01: 4.0% of 25Bipartisanship, 2025-02: 0.0% of 11Bipartisanship, 2025-03: 5.9% of 17Bipartisanship, 2025-04: 0.0% of 26Bipartisanship, 2025-05: 3.7% of 27Bipartisanship, 2025-06: 0.0% of 17Bipartisanship, 2025-07: 5.9% of 17Bipartisanship, 2025-08: 0.0% of 26Bipartisanship, 2025-09: 0.0% of 12Bipartisanship, 2025-10: 0.0% of 18Bipartisanship, 2025-11: 0.0% of 10Bipartisanship, 2025-12: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Bipartisanship, 2026-01: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Bipartisanship, 2026-02: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Bipartisanship, 2026-03: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Bipartisanship, 2026-04: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Bipartisanship, 2026-05: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Bipartisanship, 2026-06: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Bipartisanship, 2026-07: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Bipartisanship, 2026-08: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Bipartisanship, 2026-09: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Bipartisanship, 2026-10: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Credit claimingpeak 81.5% · May ’25 · latest 40.0%Credit claiming, 2025-01: 32.0% of 25Credit claiming, 2025-02: 45.5% of 11Credit claiming, 2025-03: 64.7% of 17Credit claiming, 2025-04: 69.2% of 26Credit claiming, 2025-05: 81.5% of 27Credit claiming, 2025-06: 64.7% of 17Credit claiming, 2025-07: 41.2% of 17Credit claiming, 2025-08: 61.5% of 26Credit claiming, 2025-09: 33.3% of 12Credit claiming, 2025-10: 16.7% of 18Credit claiming, 2025-11: 40.0% of 10Credit claiming, 2025-12: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Credit claiming, 2026-01: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Credit claiming, 2026-02: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Credit claiming, 2026-03: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Credit claiming, 2026-04: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Credit claiming, 2026-05: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Credit claiming, 2026-06: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Credit claiming, 2026-07: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Credit claiming, 2026-08: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Credit claiming, 2026-09: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Credit claiming, 2026-10: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Extreme labelspeak 7.4% · May ’25 · latest 0.0%Extreme labels, 2025-01: 4.0% of 25Extreme labels, 2025-02: 0.0% of 11Extreme labels, 2025-03: 0.0% of 17Extreme labels, 2025-04: 0.0% of 26Extreme labels, 2025-05: 7.4% of 27Extreme labels, 2025-06: 0.0% of 17Extreme labels, 2025-07: 0.0% of 17Extreme labels, 2025-08: 3.9% of 26Extreme labels, 2025-09: 0.0% of 12Extreme labels, 2025-10: 5.6% of 18Extreme labels, 2025-11: 0.0% of 10Extreme labels, 2025-12: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Extreme labels, 2026-01: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Extreme labels, 2026-02: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Extreme labels, 2026-03: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Extreme labels, 2026-04: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Extreme labels, 2026-05: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Extreme labels, 2026-06: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Extreme labels, 2026-07: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Extreme labels, 2026-08: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Extreme labels, 2026-09: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Extreme labels, 2026-10: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Jan ’25Jul ’25Jan ’26Jul ’26Oct ’26
Show the data
Monthly rates for Hefner, each row shaded against its own peak, with statement volume. Months with fewer than 10 statements are left blank.
ColumnStatementsPersonal attacksPolicy criticismPolicy discussionBipartisanshipCredit claimingExtreme labels
Jan ’25250.0%16.0%44.0%4.0%32.0%4.0%
Feb ’25110.0%27.3%81.8%0.0%45.5%0.0%
Mar ’25170.0%0.0%82.3%5.9%64.7%0.0%
Apr ’25260.0%0.0%80.8%0.0%69.2%0.0%
May ’25270.0%11.1%85.2%3.7%81.5%7.4%
Jun ’25170.0%0.0%82.3%0.0%64.7%0.0%
Jul ’25170.0%0.0%58.8%5.9%41.2%0.0%
Aug ’25263.9%0.0%61.5%0.0%61.5%3.9%
Sep ’25120.0%0.0%8.3%0.0%33.3%0.0%
Oct ’25180.0%0.0%27.8%0.0%16.7%5.6%
Nov ’25100.0%20.0%70.0%0.0%40.0%0.0%
Dec ’253— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)
Jan ’266— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)
Feb ’264— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)
Mar ’263— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)
Apr ’260— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)
May ’262— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)
Jun ’261— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)
Jul ’260— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)
Aug ’260— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)
Sep ’260— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)
Oct ’261— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)
How to read the strips

Each row is one kind of statement; each cell is a month, shaded against that row’s own peak (darker = closer to the peak), with the peak and the latest value written at the right. The top row counts statements. The strip covers every month of the TX 2025–26 session, the same span as the rates above, including months with no statements. A month with fewer than 10 statements is hatched, not shaded: one or two posts would swing its rate to 0% or 100%. 11 months are hatched here; 4 of them have no statements.

In Hefner’s words

Real statements from the classifier’s example set, with the labels it assigned

Credit claiming

The text of this post is on X; follow the source link to read it.

Jan 27, 2026 · Posts on X (state legislators) · policy discussion; credit claiming; Armed Forces and National Security; Science, Technology, Communications · Source

Personal attacks

The text of this post is on X; follow the source link to read it.

Aug 13, 2025 · Posts on X (state legislators) · personal attacks; target: Democrats · Source

Extreme label

The text of this post is on X; follow the source link to read it.

Mar 9, 2026 · Posts on X (state legislators) · policy discussion; credit claiming; Health; Government Operations and Politics; extreme label “communist” aimed at Communist China · Source

Examples by category

Up to five recent statements in each category

Category

Overtly questions a named person’s character, integrity or loyalty, or calls them names. Criticising a record or a policy does not count.

  1. Posts on X (state legislators)

    The text of this post is on X; follow the source link to read it.

    personal attacks · target: DemocratsSource

All 226 statements

Newest first, the TX 2025–26 session

The full feed

Five statements at a time, newest first; filters apply to the statements loaded so far. Export saves the statements that match. Sources: 226 posts on X.

Back to topNext: Policy

Policy

Armed Forces and National Security is what Hefner talks about most: 30% of policy statements, 6.1 times the peer share. Talk and legislation agree at 0.58 on a 0–1 scale (State House Republicans average 0.53; 164th of 504).

Each policy statement is tagged by the AI model with one or more of 25 policy areas from the Congressional Research Service list, so the shares say what Hefner talks about. The bills Hefner sponsors and cosponsors carry the same areas, so the two can be compared.

What Hefner talks about

Share of policy statements by area, the TX 2025–26 session

0%35%
Hefner
Peers
Armed Forces and National Security43 statements
30%
5%
Government Operations and Politics26 statements
18%
18%
Education16 statements
11%
15%
Crime and Law Enforcement15 statements
10%
11%
Public Lands and Natural Resources15 statements
10%
2%
Show the data
Policy areas Hefner talks about, as a share of policy statements, against the State House Republicans average.
RowHefnerPeers
Armed Forces and National Security30%5%
Government Operations and Politics18%18%
Education11%15%
Crime and Law Enforcement10%11%
Public Lands and Natural Resources10%2%
How to read the bars

The thick bar is the share of Hefner’s policy statements in an area; the thin grey bar is the average share for State House Republicans. A statement counts once in each of its areas, so shares can add to more than 100%. The five largest areas are shown; the toggle shows the rest.

Talks about · legislates on

Left: share of statements by policy area. Right: share of bills. Areas in order of their share of statements; both sides run from 0 to 35%. Grey ticks are the State House Republicans averages.

Talks aboutLegislates onArmed Forces and NationalSecurityArmed Forces and National Security, talks about: 30% (State House Republicans 5%)30%Armed Forces and National Security, legislates on: 7% (State House Republicans 2%)7%Government Operations andPoliticsGovernment Operations and Politics, talks about: 18% (State House Republicans 18%)18%Government Operations and Politics, legislates on: 8% (State House Republicans 12%)8%EducationEducation, talks about: 11% (State House Republicans 15%)11%Education, legislates on: 4% (State House Republicans 9%)4%Crime and Law EnforcementCrime and Law Enforcement, talks about: 10% (State House Republicans 11%)10%Crime and Law Enforcement, legislates on: 23% (State House Republicans 11%)23%Public Lands and NaturalResourcesPublic Lands and Natural Resources, talks about: 10% (State House Republicans 2%)10%Public Lands and Natural Resources, legislates on: 0% (State House Republicans 3%)0%
Show the data
Hefner's share of statements against share of bills in each policy area.
AreaTalks aboutState House Republicans, talks aboutLegislates onState House Republicans, legislates on
Armed Forces and National Security30%5%7%2%
Government Operations and Politics18%18%8%12%
Education11%15%4%9%
Crime and Law Enforcement10%11%23%11%
Public Lands and Natural Resources10%2%0%3%
0.58

talk-to-bills agreement, 0 to 1

State House Republicans average 0.53. Ranks 164th of 504.

What agreement means, and what it doesn’t

Agreement is 1 minus the distance between the two distributions (Jensen–Shannon): 1 means Hefner legislates on exactly the areas Hefner talks about, in the same proportions; 0 means no overlap. It does not say whether the bills match the positions in the statements, only the subjects. Bills Hefner sponsored count fully, cosponsored bills a quarter. Shown with at least 20 policy statements and 5 bills.

Back to topNext: Ideology

Ideology

Hefner sits at +0.70 on the CSIP scale, right of 0, more conservative than 92% of State House Republicans. Approximate range +0.68 to +0.73, which understates the uncertainty; from 592 donors and 875 roll calls.

CSIP, the lab’s Common-Space Ideal Point, places every official, federal and state, on one left–right scale, estimated from roll-call votes, who gives money to whom, and the text of statements. Negative is left of 0, positive right of it; 0 is the centre of the scale, not a definition of “moderate”.

+0.70

CSIP ideal point

Approximate range +0.68 to +0.73. From 592 donors and 875 roll calls. Run 2026-10-25T215945. Blue is left of 0, red right of 0.

← More liberalMore conservative →0Hefner +0.7State House Republicans +0.4Texas House +0.3All State House +0.1

The outlined dot is Hefner, coloured by its side of 0 (blue left, red right, deeper further out); the bar through it is the approximate range (±1.96 standard errors), which understates the uncertainty; the grey ticks below are the medians of Hefner’s groups. 0 is the centre of the scale, not “moderate” by definition.

What this means, and what it doesn’t

The score summarises how an official votes, who funds them and how they talk, relative to everyone else. It does not grade positions as good or bad, and two officials with the same score can differ on any single issue. The ± range is 1.96 standard errors, which understates the uncertainty: scores whose ranges overlap may not differ at all, and even scores whose ranges do not overlap may not differ.

Where Hefner sits

Every official in each group, on the CSIP scale

−2.0−1.00.0+1.0+2.0← More liberalMore conservative →State House Republicansmedian +0.4Hefner +0.7Texas Housemedian +0.3All State Housemedian +0.1
Show the data
Hefner's CSIP score of +0.70 placed against State House Republicans, Texas House, All State House.
GroupOfficialsMedianShare left of Hefner
State House Republicans2917+0.492%
Texas House148+0.389%
All State House5324+0.196%
How to read the strips

Every small dot is one official on the same scale, coloured by its own score (blue left of 0, red right of 0, grey at 0, deeper further out) and spread up and down only to keep dots apart; where a group is crowded the dots overlap, and darker patches mean more officials. The large outlined dot is Hefner in every row; the rule is each group’s median. The table under the figure gives the share of each group to the left of Hefner.

Back to topNext: Money

Money

Hefner reported $462.3K in the 2026 cycle, 13.7 times the State House Republicans’ median of $33.7K. State filings report no small-donation total. 100% of itemized individual money came from Texas.

Campaign money from state campaign-finance filings, as aggregates only; the lab never shows an individual donor. Campaigns must report by name every person who gives them more than $200 in a cycle (“itemized”); smaller gifts are reported only as one total (“unitemized”), so donor counts, donor states, employers and occupations describe itemized donors only. State filings report no small-gift total, so these figures add up itemized contributions only.

Election cycle
$462.3K

itemized in the 2026 cycle

From 152 itemized donors. State House Republicans’ median $33.7K.

Where the money came from

Each square is one percent of itemized contributions in the 2026 cycle.

Individuals (itemized): $117.7K (25.5%)Individuals (itemized): $117.7K (25.5%)Individuals (itemized): $117.7K (25.5%)Individuals (itemized): $117.7K (25.5%)Individuals (itemized): $117.7K (25.5%)Individuals (itemized): $117.7K (25.5%)Individuals (itemized): $117.7K (25.5%)Individuals (itemized): $117.7K (25.5%)Individuals (itemized): $117.7K (25.5%)Individuals (itemized): $117.7K (25.5%)Individuals (itemized): $117.7K (25.5%)Individuals (itemized): $117.7K (25.5%)Individuals (itemized): $117.7K (25.5%)Individuals (itemized): $117.7K (25.5%)Individuals (itemized): $117.7K (25.5%)Individuals (itemized): $117.7K (25.5%)Individuals (itemized): $117.7K (25.5%)Individuals (itemized): $117.7K (25.5%)Individuals (itemized): $117.7K (25.5%)Individuals (itemized): $117.7K (25.5%)Individuals (itemized): $117.7K (25.5%)Individuals (itemized): $117.7K (25.5%)Individuals (itemized): $117.7K (25.5%)Individuals (itemized): $117.7K (25.5%)Individuals (itemized): $117.7K (25.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)PACs and other committees: $344.6K (74.5%)
  • Individuals (itemized)25 squares$117.7K
  • PACs and other committees75 squares$344.6K
Show the data
Sources of Hefner's money, 2026 cycle, one square per percent
SourceAmountShare
Individuals (itemized)$117.7K25.5%
PACs and other committees$344.6K74.5%
What this means, and what it doesn’t

Totals say how much a campaign took in, not how it was spent, and they rise sharply when a seat is up for election; compare cycles with that in mind.

Receipts by cycle

Itemized contributions, 2020 to 2026. The grey line is the State House Republicans’ median for 2026.

2020 cycle: $219.2K$219.2K20202022 cycle: $276.4K$276.4K20222024 cycle: $614.3K$614.3K20242026 cycle: $462.3K$462.3K2026State House Republicans median $33.7K
Show the data
Hefner's receipts by cycle against the 2026 State House Republicans median.
ItemValue
2020 cycle$219.2K
2022 cycle$276.4K
2024 cycle$614.3K
2026 cycle$462.3K

Top donor states, 2026

Itemized contributions by donor state. 100% came from Texas.

  1. Texas$117.7K

Small donations

State filings report no total for small gifts.

Not reported in state filings.

Where itemized donors live

Individuals who gave more than $200, by donor state

Alaska: no dataAKMaine: no dataMEVermont: no dataVTNew Hampshire: no dataNHWashington: no dataWAIdaho: no dataIDMontana: no dataMTNorth Dakota: no dataNDMinnesota: no dataMNIllinois: no dataILWisconsin: no dataWIMichigan: no dataMINew York: no dataNYRhode Island: no dataRIMassachusetts: no dataMAOregon: no dataORNevada: no dataNVWyoming: no dataWYSouth Dakota: no dataSDIowa: no dataIAIndiana: no dataINOhio: no dataOHPennsylvania: no dataPANew Jersey: no dataNJConnecticut: no dataCTCalifornia: no dataCAUtah: no dataUTColorado: no dataCONebraska: no dataNEMissouri: no dataMOKentucky: no dataKYWest Virginia: no dataWVVirginia: no dataVAMaryland: no dataMDDelaware: no dataDEArizona: no dataAZNew Mexico: no dataNMKansas: no dataKSArkansas: no dataARTennessee: no dataTNNorth Carolina: no dataNCSouth Carolina: no dataSCDistrict of Columbia: no dataDCOklahoma: no dataOKLouisiana: no dataLAMississippi: no dataMSAlabama: no dataALGeorgia: no dataGAHawaii: no dataHITexas: $117.7KTXFlorida: no dataFL
Show the data
Hefner's itemized individual contributions by donor state, 2026 cycle
StateValue
Texas$117.7K
AlaskaNo data
MaineNo data
VermontNo data
New HampshireNo data
WashingtonNo data
IdahoNo data
MontanaNo data
North DakotaNo data
MinnesotaNo data
IllinoisNo data
WisconsinNo data
MichiganNo data
New YorkNo data
Rhode IslandNo data
MassachusettsNo data
OregonNo data
NevadaNo data
WyomingNo data
South DakotaNo data
IowaNo data
IndianaNo data
OhioNo data
PennsylvaniaNo data
New JerseyNo data
ConnecticutNo data
CaliforniaNo data
UtahNo data
ColoradoNo data
NebraskaNo data
MissouriNo data
KentuckyNo data
West VirginiaNo data
VirginiaNo data
MarylandNo data
DelawareNo data
ArizonaNo data
New MexicoNo data
KansasNo data
ArkansasNo data
TennesseeNo data
North CarolinaNo data
South CarolinaNo data
District of ColumbiaNo data
OklahomaNo data
LouisianaNo data
MississippiNo data
AlabamaNo data
GeorgiaNo data
HawaiiNo data
FloridaNo data
152

itemized donors

People who gave more than $200

100%

from Texas

Of itemized individual dollars

How to read the map

Every state the same size. Darker states gave more itemized money; hatched states had no itemized donors; the outlined state is Texas. Gifts of $200 or less carry no address and are left out.

Top donor occupations

Itemized, 2026 cycle.

  1. BUSINESS OWNER$19.0K 3 donors
  2. OWNER$6,025 3 donors
  3. RETIRED$2,850 5 donors

Top committees

PAC and committee contributions, 2026 cycle.

  1. TEXANS FOR LAWSUIT REFORM PAC$97.9K
  2. DUSTIN BURROWS CAMPAIGN$46.2K
  3. GULF STATES TOYOTA INC. STATE PAC$15.0K
  4. TREPAC TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$10.5K
  5. HILLCO PAC$8,500

Top employers

Itemized, 2026 cycle.

No employers reported.

Aggregates only. Individual donors are never named.

Back to topNext: Votes

Votes

Hefner voted with the majority of Texas House Republicans on 89% of party-line votes and missed 5.6% of 3,724 roll calls. Texas House on average: 85% party unity, 93.1% attendance. Across all roll calls, Hefner voted against the majority of Texas House Republicans 297 times.

3,724 roll calls Hefner could vote on in the TX 2025–26 session, compared with Texas House. Attendance is the share with a vote recorded. Party unity counts only party-line roll calls, where most Democrats and most Republicans voted on opposite sides, and is the share of those where Hefner voted with the majority of Texas House Republicans. The count of votes against that majority covers every roll call where the majority took a side.

297

votes against the majority of Texas House Republicans

Party unity 89%, Texas House average 85%, ranks 77th of 143. 3,724 roll calls in the TX 2025–26 session.

Attendance and party unity

The thick bar is Hefner, the thin grey bar the Texas House average. The scale runs from 80% to 100% to show the gap.

80%100%
Hefner
Peers
Rank
Attendance
94.4%
93.1%
79th of 143
Party unity
89%
85%
77th of 143
Show the data
Hefner's attendance and party unity against Texas House.
RowHefnerPeers
Attendance94.4%93.1%
Party unity89%85%
What this means, and what it doesn’t

A missed roll call has many causes, from illness to campaigning, so attendance says how often, not why. A vote against the majority can be on procedure as well as substance, and many fall on roll calls where both parties split; the key votes below show the ones that decided something.

Key votes

25 roll calls the lab flagged as key in the TX 2025–26 session

Key votes
Party split (yea–nay)Why it’s key
Sep 3, 2025
HB 1
Relating to youth camp emergency plans and preparedness; authorizing penalties.
passage
YeaWith majoritypassD 44–1 · R 46–37Democrats 44 yea, 1 nay; Republicans 46 yea, 37 naybecame law · party crossover · much discussed
Sep 3, 2025
SB 1
Relating to campground and youth camp safety.
passage
YeaWith majoritypassD 45–0 · R 76–8Democrats 45 yea, 0 nay; Republicans 76 yea, 8 naybecame law · much discussed
Sep 3, 2025
HB 8
Relating to public school accountability and transparency, including the implementation of an instructionally supportive assessment program and the adoption and administration of assessment instruments in public schools, indicators of achievement, public school performance ratings, and interventions
passage
YeaWith majoritypassD 1–40 · R 78–7Democrats 1 yea, 40 nay; Republicans 78 yea, 7 naybecame law · much discussed
Sep 3, 2025
SB 5
Relating to making supplemental appropriations for disaster relief and preparedness and giving direction and adjustment authority regarding those appropriations.
adopt the conference committee report on SB 5.
YeaWith majoritypassD 43–0 · R 86–0Democrats 43 yea, 0 nay; Republicans 86 yea, 0 naybecame law · much discussed
Sep 3, 2025
HB 8
Relating to public school accountability and transparency, including the implementation of an instructionally supportive assessment program and the adoption and administration of assessment instruments in public schools, indicators of achievement, public school performance ratings, and interventions
passage
Nay—passD 45–1 · R 41–41Democrats 45 yea, 1 nay; Republicans 41 yea, 41 naybecame law · party crossover · much discussed
How key votes are chosen

Automatically: a final-passage or override vote where the measure became law, the margin was under 10%, at least 10% of either party voted against its majority, or the bill was among the 25 most mentioned in officials’ own statements. Up to 25 per window, most recent first; five are shown. Bars show yea on the left, nay on the right, per party.

Votes most often with

The colleagues who voted the same way as Hefner most often

  1. Will MetcalfR3,391 shared votes92%
  2. Cecil BellR3,392 shared votes90%
  3. Stan GerdesR3,342 shared votes90%
  4. Cody HarrisR1,976 shared votes90%
  5. Mano DeAyalaR3,360 shared votes90%

Votes least often with

The colleagues who voted the same way as Hefner least often

  1. Ana-Maria Rodriguez RamosD3,268 shared votes69%
  2. Brian HarrisonR3,405 shared votes69%
  3. David LoweR3,415 shared votes70%
  4. Nicole CollierD3,329 shared votes70%
  5. Ron ReynoldsD3,143 shared votes70%
How to read the agreement lists

The share of roll calls both members voted on where they voted the same way, among colleagues sharing at least 50 such votes. High agreement with members of the other party is common on routine votes.

Full voting record

TX 2025–26 session, loads in batches

Back to topNext: Legislation

Legislation

Hefner sponsored 102 bills in the TX 2025–26 session; 40 became law. Cosponsored 121 others. 58% of sponsored bills got out of committee (Texas House average 49%; 44th of 145).

The bills Hefner sponsored and cosponsored in the TX 2025–26 session, from the official bill records, and how far each got: introduced, referred to or acted on in committee, passed one chamber, passed both, became law. A bill counts at every stage it has reached, so the blocks only shrink to the right.

Bills by stage

Counts for the TX 2025–26 session

Sponsored102 billsSponsored, Introduced: 102102Sponsored, In committee: 9999Sponsored, Passed one chamber: 5959Sponsored, Passed both chambers: 4444Sponsored, Became law: 4040Cosponsored121 billsCosponsored, Introduced: 121121Cosponsored, In committee: 107107Cosponsored, Passed one chamber: 6363Cosponsored, Passed both chambers: 5050Cosponsored, Became law: 4343IntroducedIncommitteePassed onechamberPassed bothchambersBecamelaw
Show the data
Bills Hefner sponsored and cosponsored, by furthest stage reached
RoleIntroducedIn committeePassed one chamberPassed both chambersBecame law
Sponsored10299594440
Cosponsored121107635043
How to read the blocks

Ink blocks are bills Hefner sponsored, ochre blocks bills Hefner cosponsored; the figure above each block is the count. Most bills in any legislature never leave committee, so a short staircase is the norm.

58%

of sponsored bills got out of committee

Texas House average 49%. Ranks 44th of 145.

Cosponsorship partners

Colleagues who most often cosponsor with Hefner, by number of shared bills in the TX 2025–26 session; the square shows their party.

  1. Cody Harris23
  2. Janie Lopez22
  3. Bryan Hughes21
  4. Greg Bonnen21
  5. Will Metcalf21
What this means, and what it doesn’t

The score is the share of sponsored bills that a committee reported out or a chamber passed, with at least 5 sponsored bills, ranked within the peer group. Members of the majority party and committee chairs move more bills, so the rank reflects position in the chamber as well as effort. Cosponsorship partners are the five colleagues who share the most of Hefner’s bills; the toggle shows more.

Bill list

Sponsored and cosponsored, with status and policy area; five are shown, the toggle shows the rest

Bills sponsored and cosponsored
HR 128Amending the House Rules of Procedure to authorize additional constitutionally compliant, proportional penalties for members absent without leave for purpose of impeding the action of the House that do not unfairly impair members' representative functions.CosponsorAug 29, 2025Passed one chamberUnassignedReported enrolled Sep 4, 2025
HB 298Relating to a vacancy in the office of senator or representative due to excessive absence.CosponsorAug 25, 2025In committeeGovernment Operations and Politics(model)Referred to State Affairs Aug 26, 2025
HB 295Relating to election procedures regarding accepting a voter with a residence address that is not current and the immediate effect of a voter's registration after the registrar's receipt of certain change of address notices.CosponsorAug 25, 2025In committeeGovernment Operations and Politics(model)Reported favorably w/o amendment(s) Aug 28, 2025
HCR 13Urging the federal government to take immediate action to curb the spread of the New World screwworm in Texas.CosponsorAug 22, 2025Became lawAgriculture and Food(model)Signed by the Governor Sep 17, 2025
HB 291Relating to medical school admissions, coursework, academic standards, and employment decisions in this state.CosponsorAug 22, 2025IntroducedEducation(model)Filed Aug 22, 2025

Back to topNext: Online

Online

A site that changed 1 time in 90 days. Hefner’s official site had 1 page when last crawled on Oct 1, 2026.

The lab crawls Hefner’s official and campaign websites (weekly for Congress, monthly for the states) and keeps every page’s text, so changes can be read later; it also records social accounts and describes the images Hefner posts with a vision model.

Websites

How to read the counts

“Pages crawled” is the size of the site at the last crawl; “changes in 90 days” counts pages whose text differed from the previous crawl. Sites change for many routine reasons, such as new press releases, so a high count is not by itself notable.

Images Hefner posted

No images from Hefner’s posts have been described.

About the descriptions

Written by a vision model and may be wrong. Open the post to see the original. Five are shown; the toggle shows the rest.

State floor speeches

No transcribed state floor speeches are matched to this legislator yet.

Floor speeches

Transcribed from chamber video or captions by the lab. They are not classified for kinds of statement.

Back to topNext: Methods and sources

Methods and sources

How this page was made. Profile built Oct 28, 2026; site last built Oct 28, 2026. Every number on the page is computed from the sources listed here, by the same rules for every official; nothing is written by hand.

The headline

The headline is the measure on which Hefner is most unusual among State House Republicans, chosen by one rule for every official of every party. The candidates are the rate of each kind of statement and of extreme labels, party unity, attendance, the small-donor share, the in-state share and total receipts of the latest cycle, the share of sponsored bills that got out of committee, talk-to-bills agreement, and the CSIP score’s place within the party group.

The builder ranks every measure within the same peer group the page compares it with, and writes each official’s percentile: the share of the group below the value, ties counting half, so 0.5 is the median and a value shared by many never ranks first. A measure’s score is how far that percentile sits from the median (0 in the middle, 0.5 at either end), and the highest score leads if it is above 0.25, outside the middle half of the group. Scores within 0.03 of each other are a tie, broken in this order: votes against the party majority, kinds of statement, ideology, roll calls missed, small donations, in-state money, legislation, agreement, extreme labels, receipts.

A measure counts only with at least 200 statements, 100 roll calls or 5 sponsored bills behind it and a peer group of at least 10. Two things never lead: high party unity or attendance, where most members sit, and a high rate of a kind of statement backed by fewer than 10 statements. When nothing qualifies, the headline is a neutral fact instead: statements classified, or years in office. The wording always names the direction (“in the bottom 5% of …”, “votes against the majority of …”).

Identifiers

Profile id
43bbf34a-6bc4-41f9-9bdc-3e944c5b8495
Open States
ocd-person/43bbf34a-6bc4-41f9-9bdc-3e944c5b8495

Bulk files with the same data for every official:

Freshness of this profile’s data

  • What politicians sayOct 27, 20261 days agoMembers of Congress: tweets since 2017; press releases, newsletters and floor speeches since 2022. State legislators: tweets since May 2024. Governors: tweets since January 2025. Labels from an LLM classifier.
  • Roll calls (state)Oct 21, 20267 days agoOpen States floor roll calls, 2019 on (none for AK and MO).
  • Bills (state)Oct 28, 2026todayOpen States bills and sponsors, 2019 on; stages from roll calls.
  • Campaign money (state)no dateState campaign-finance agencies, 2019 on; aggregates only.
  • Ideology (CSIP)Oct 25, 20263 days agoCommon-Space Ideal Points (CSIP), current validated run.
  • WebsitesOct 25, 20263 days agoWeekly crawls of federal sites since April 2026; monthly state crawls since June 2026.
  • State floor speechesOct 21, 20267 days agoState floor speech turns (published transcripts and captions), 2020 on; not LLM-classified.

How the measures work

What politicians say
Every post, press release, newsletter and congressional floor speech is read by a language model and marked for personal attacks, policy criticism, policy discussion, bipartisanship and credit claiming. A statement can be in several. Rates are shares of statements in the window. The methods paper.
Extreme labels
A statement has an extreme label when it calls a politician, party or policy “far left”, “far right”, “MAGA”, “extreme”, “radical”, “woke”, “fascist” or “communist”. The target is who the label is aimed at.
Policy areas and agreement
Statements and bills share 25 Congressional Research Service policy areas (state bills are assigned by a language model). Agreement is 1 − Jensen–Shannon distance between the two distributions, shown with at least 20 policy statements and 5 bills.
Ideology (CSIP)
Common-Space Ideal Points place federal and state officials on one left–right scale, estimated jointly from roll calls, campaign contributions and the text of statements, with standard errors. Only a validated run is shown. The methods paper.
Campaign money
Campaigns report by name only donors who give more than $200 in a cycle; smaller gifts are reported as one total. Federal totals and the small-donor share come from the FEC’s financial summaries of each campaign committee. Donor counts, donor states, employers and occupations cover itemized donors only. State filings report no small-gift totals, so state figures are itemized only. The lab never publishes donor names.
Votes and key votes
Attendance, party unity and the count of votes against the majority of an official’s own party come from roll calls (Voteview for Congress, chamber records for the states). Key votes are final-passage or override votes that became law, were decided by under 10%, saw at least 10% of a party vote against its majority, or concerned one of the 25 bills most mentioned in officials’ statements.
Peers and ranks
Comparisons are with the same party, chamber and level (for example House Democrats); state legislators are compared within their state and chamber for votes. Every comparison names its group. Rank 1 is the highest value in the group; tied values share the average of their ranks, and the percentile is the share of the group below the value, ties counting half.

America’s Political Pulse · Polarization Research Lab

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