Apollo Hernandez

Republican | Texas

Candidate Profile

Leans Conservative

BIOGRAPHY

Name

Apollo Hernandez


Party

Republican


Election Year

2026


Election

Republican Primary


Race

State Senator 5


Incumbent

No


Links

Apollo Hernandez websites FacebookYouTubeLinkedIn

EDUCATION

University of Texas, Austin, BA, -2012

McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas, Austin, MS, -2020

Texas A&M School of Law, MJur, -2023

WORK & MILITARY

USMC, Recon Team Leader, 2003-2011

AFFILIATIONS

Candidate did not provide

POLITICAL OFFICES HELD

Candidate did not provide

POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT

Candidate did not provide

SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS

CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (1)

Republican Womens Organizations (2025)

RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)

OTHER INFORMATION

Candidate Q&A. Community Impact. 16 Jan 2026.

Candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025.

QUESTIONNAIRE

RIGHT TO LIFE

Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).

Agree

Taxpayer dollars should not be used to fund abortion providers. I support directing public funds toward comprehensive healthcare services that do not include abortion—such as prenatal care, maternal health, adoption support, and community health clinics that respect life while meeting women’s medical needs. Taxpayers should not be compelled to subsidize procedures that many Texans morally oppose, and the state can meet public health goals without funding abortion providers.

Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?

Elective abortion should be limited and not treated as routine birth control. Exceptions should be narrowly defined and include cases of rape, incest, serious threat to the life of the mother, or severe fetal abnormalities incompatible with life. Policy should also prioritize prevention, adoption, and support for mothers and families.

Human life deserves legal protection from conception until natural death.

Agree

Human life is inherently valuable and deserving of legal protection from conception until natural death. This principle does not preclude lawful criminal penalties, including the death penalty, nor does it support euthanasia or assisted suicide. Government’s role is to protect innocent life—especially the unborn—while ensuring compassion, due process, and support for mothers and families.

The lives of human embryos created through artificial methods ought to be protected from purposeful destruction.

Agree

Human embryos, regardless of how they are created, represent human life and should be protected from purposeful destruction. Ethical medical innovation should respect human dignity while supporting families and advancing life-affirming treatments that do not involve destroying embryos.

The Comstock Act, which bans interstate transportation of abortion-inducing drugs, should be enforced.

Agree

Federal law should be enforced as written. The Comstock Act remains on the books, and enforcing laws passed by Congress is a matter of the rule of law. If changes are needed, they should come through the legislative process—not selective enforcement or executive reinterpretation. Protecting unborn life and respecting constitutional separation of powers both require faithful enforcement of existing law.


ECONOMY

What is your position on the minimum wage?

I oppose a one-size-fits-all federal minimum wage. Wages should reflect local economies and job markets. Real wage growth comes from a strong economy, lower taxes, fewer regulations, and workforce training—not mandates.

Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.

Strongly Agree

Free enterprise and private property rights are foundational to economic growth, innovation, and individual freedom. When people can own property, invest, and build businesses without excessive government interference, communities prosper, jobs are created, and families have greater opportunity to succeed.

List your top 3-5 priorities to eliminate government waste.

1. Enforce zero-based budgeting and performance audits. 2. Eliminate redundant and overlapping programs. 3. Reform procurement to stop no-bid contracts and cost overruns. 4. Reduce regulatory and bureaucratic bloat. 5. Crack down on fraud, waste, and abuse through stronger oversight and accountability.


RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?

Separation of church and state means the government may not establish or control a religion, while individuals are free to live out and express their faith. It does not require excluding religious beliefs from public life or policymaking. Faith and moral convictions have always informed our laws and civic culture.

Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.

Strongly Disagree

No one should be forced by the government to violate their sincerely held moral or religious beliefs. Freedom of conscience is a fundamental constitutional right, and a free society must respect it.


HEALTHCARE

What most closely matches your view on healthcare: A) Healthcare for all should be guaranteed and funded by the government with no private healthcare option. (includes "universal healthcare," "medicare for all," etc.) B) Healthcare insurance funded by the government should be available for all who want it, along with private healthcare options. C) Medicaid and Medicare should remain available, but no other taxpayer-funded programs are necessary. D) Taxpayer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be defunded.

B. I support choice and competition in healthcare. A government-funded option should be available for those who want or need it, while preserving private insurance and patient choice. A one-size-fits-all system limits innovation and access and raises costs for families and taxpayers.

The government should keep a database of people with various ongoing medical illnesses to assess the economic burden of treatment.

Strongly Disagree

The government should not maintain databases tracking individuals’ medical conditions to assess costs. This raises serious privacy, security, and civil liberty concerns. Healthcare decisions should prioritize patient care and confidentiality, not government surveillance or cost-based rationing.


NATIONAL SECURITY

The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.

Strongly Agree

As someone who is a multi-tour combat veteran and currently works in Cybersecurity, I can absolutely say that the Chinese Communist Party poses significant military, cyber, intellectual property, and economic threats to the United States. We must protect national security, defend critical infrastructure and data, counter IP theft, and reduce dangerous economic dependence on adversarial regimes.

Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?

Yes. Israel is a key U.S. ally and the only stable democracy in the Middle East. Our relationship strengthens regional security, counterterrorism efforts, intelligence sharing, and U.S. strategic interests while supporting shared values of democracy and the rule of law.


IMMIGRATION

I support the existence of sanctuary cities to protect undocumented persons.

Strongly Disagree

Sanctuary cities undermine the rule of law and public safety by discouraging cooperation with law enforcement. Immigration laws should be enforced consistently, and communities should prioritize safety, accountability, and legal pathways to citizenship.


EDUCATION

I support eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and giving control back to states and communities.

Strongly Agree

Education decisions are best made by states, local communities, parents, and educators—not federal bureaucracies. Eliminating the U.S. Department of Education would return control closer to families, reduce waste, and allow education policy to better reflect local needs and values.

Foreign governments should be prohibited from funding American education.

Strongly Agree

American education should be free from foreign government influence. Allowing foreign funding risks national security, intellectual property, and curriculum integrity. Our schools should reflect American values and interests, not those of foreign governments.


VALUES

Government should recognize and support the fundamental right and essential duty of parents to direct their child's health and educational well-being.

Strongly Agree

Parents have the fundamental right and responsibility to direct their child’s health and education. Government should support—not replace—parental decision-making, while respecting families’ values and ensuring transparency and accountability in schools and healthcare.

Attempts to physically or socially transition a child to the opposite sex constitute child abuse.

Strongly Agree

Children deserve protection, not irreversible medical or social interventions they cannot fully understand or consent to. Decisions involving a child’s health and development should prioritize safety, parental involvement, and long-term well-being, not ideology.

Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition.

Disagree

As a Christian, I believe marriage is sacred and ordained by God. At the same time, I believe the role of government is not to enforce religious doctrine but to protect individual liberty. In a free society, people must be allowed to make their own decisions about who they love, even when those choices differ from my personal faith beliefs.

I support the expansion of gambling in my state.

Agree

I support allowing gambling with strong safeguards. It can generate tax revenue, create jobs, and people should be free to make their own choices. Personally, I only gamble with my life—through military service, combat, and skydiving—not my money, except long-term investing in the stock market.

Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.

I am a Christian, and my faith shapes my values of service, personal responsibility, compassion, and respect for life. I believe in loving others, protecting individual liberty, and allowing people of different beliefs to live freely—so long as everyone follows the rule of law.


ELECTIONS AND VOTING

People should be able to vote without photo identification.

Strongly Disagree

Voting is a fundamental right, and protecting its integrity is essential. Photo identification helps ensure elections are fair, secure, and trusted by the public, while still allowing states to provide free IDs and accessible voting options.


EQUALITY

Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.

Strongly Disagree

Government policy should treat people as individuals, not assign benefits or penalties based on race. Addressing inequality should focus on equal opportunity, education, and economic growth—not race-based reparations that divide rather than unite.

Biological males should not be allowed to participate in women's sports or occupy biological women's spaces whether it be bathrooms, locker rooms, sorority houses, women's shelters, or prison.

Strongly Agree

Women’s sports and private spaces exist to ensure fairness, safety, and dignity based on biological sex. Allowing biological males into women’s sports or spaces undermines those protections. Policies should respect everyone’s humanity while preserving sex-based distinctions where they matter.


ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Man-made climate change is a global threat and requires urgent political action.

Disagree

Climate policy should be based on sound science, realistic timelines, and economic impacts. Alarmist claims and rushed mandates risk raising costs for families and hurting jobs. Innovation, market-driven solutions, and responsible stewardship—not urgent political overreach—are the best path forward.

What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?

Reliable baseload energy—especially natural gas and nuclear power—is essential to meet growing electricity demand. These sources provide consistent, scalable power, while renewables can supplement the grid as technology and storage improve. An all-of


ABOUT YOU

When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?

Conservative

I consider myself conservative. I believe in limited government, fiscal responsibility, free enterprise, and strong national defense. I support the rule of law, parental rights, religious liberty, public safety, and election integrity. I also value individual liberty, personal responsibility, and federalism, and believe policy should be practical, constitutional, and focused on what works for families and communities.

Have you ever been penalized for sexual misconduct in either civil or criminal court? If so, please explain.

No

Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, please explain.

No


CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY

What should be the goal of the criminal justice system?

The goal of the criminal justice system is to protect public safety, uphold the rule of law, and deliver fair and equal justice. It should hold offenders accountable, deter crime, and provide rehabilitation where appropriate, while safeguarding victims’ rights and ensuring due process.

Government has a responsibility to protect children from sexual exploitation during online activities.

Strongly Agree

Government has a duty to protect children from sexual exploitation online. This includes enforcing laws, supporting law enforcement, holding platforms accountable, and ensuring strong safeguards against abuse while respecting constitutional rights and parental involvement.

Sharia law should not be accepted or incorporated in any form within the legal framework of the United States.

Strongly Agree

U.S. law must be based on the Constitution and the rule of law. No religious legal system—including Sharia law—should be incorporated into American courts or override constitutional rights, equal protection, or civil liberties.


2ND AMENDMENT

What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?

The Second Amendment protects a fundamental individual right. Law-abiding citizens should not face new restrictions for exercising it. Public safety comes from enforcing existing laws and prosecuting violent criminals. Taxing, registering, or tracking firearms or accessories like suppressors treats a constitutional right as a privilege and is morally wrong.

If you are not already receiving our emails, stay up to date with important election alerts, educational articles, and encouraging reminders.

I agree to receive text messages at the phone number provided.